The Emmy Awards are obviously about celebrating the best of television, but every once in a while, the Television Academy recognizes someone for something much bigger than what they have done on screen. That is where the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award comes in.
According to the Television Academy website, they “created the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award in 2002. It honors people in the television industry whose charitable work has a lasting impact on society.”
What makes the honor even more interesting is that “the award is not given every year.” Instead, “an Academy committee chooses a recipient only when they find a qualified candidate.”
Yep, that makes this a pretty exclusive club.
Since the award was first introduced, only a small group of people have received it. Michael J. Fox became the latest recipient at the 2026 Emmy Awards, which gets one thinking: Who else could eventually join this very short list?
Who Has Won the ‘Bob Hope Humanitarian Award’ So Far?
The first recipient was Oprah Winfrey in 2002. She was followed by Bill Cosby in 2003 and Danny Thomas in 2004, with Thomas receiving the award posthumously. His daughter, Marlo Thomas, accepted it on his behalf.
The award then took a six-year break before George Clooney received it in 2010. Clooney has long been involved in humanitarian efforts, including work connected to humanitarian crises around the world.
It would then be another 12 years before the honor was presented again. Sean Penn received the award in 2022, followed by Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen in 2025.
Danson and Steenburgen were particularly notable recipients because they became the first couple to receive the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award together. The Television Academy recognized their combined philanthropic and humanitarian efforts.
And then came Michael J. Fox, who was tonight’s 2026 recipient.
Fox has spent decades advocating for Parkinson’s disease research after being diagnosed with the disease in 1991. He founded The Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2000, and the organization has become a major force in funding Parkinson’s research.
Honestly, looking at the people who have received this honor makes it pretty clear that the Television Academy is looking for something that goes beyond simply being famous.
Which Stars Could Be Next?
It seems like this approach gives each recipient a little more weight. When someone joins this list, it means their humanitarian work stood out enough for the Academy to make an exception to its usual Emmy celebration and recognize what they have done beyond television.
And let’s be real, there is something pretty great about an award that makes people stop and look at the good work entertainers are doing away from the cameras.
There are a lot of possibilities on who could be next, which honestly might be the best part of this conversation.
- Actress Sandra Bullock immediately comes to mind because of her long history of charitable giving, including multiple $1 Million donations to the American Red Cross.
- Tyler Perry is another possibility. His Perry Foundation supports causes involving health and clean water, education and technology, arts and culture, and sustainable economic development.
- Television creator, Shonda Rhimes, has supported organizations including Beyond12, Planned Parenthood, Black Girls Code, Girls Who Code, and GLAAD. Yep, that is a pretty impressive list of causes.
Or perhaps the bigger question isn’t whether there are people who could deserve the award next. There absolutely are. The question is simply who will make the Television Academy’s very selective list when the next recipient is chosen at the Emmys.
Who do you think is deserving of consideration? And which star would you love to see actually get the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award in the future?
