Michael J. Fox will receive the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award at this year’s Emmy Awards for his contributions to Parkinson’s disease research and advocacy, the Television Academy announced Wednesday.
The Bob Hope Humanitarian Award was established in 2002 to honor a member of the telecommunications industry whose philanthropic efforts exemplify Hope’s “decades-long altruism and positive impact on society,” according to the Academy. The award is given by the Academy and the Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation.
Fox, who received his 19th Emmy nomination this year for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for “Shrinking,” is a five-time Emmy Award-winning actor, earning three of those awards for playing Alex P. Keaton on “Family Ties,” the NBC sitcom that first vaulted him to fame in the 1980s.
He subsequently won Emmys for ABC’s “Spin City” in the 1990s, and for his guest performance on FX’s “Rescue Me” in the 2000s.
The Canadian-born Fox parlayed his “Family Ties” fame into a phenomenally successful big-screen career that included the “Back to the Future” trilogy, “Teen Wolf,” “The Secret of My Success,” “Casualties of War,” “Doc Hollywood” and other films.
He is also a bestselling author, advocate and philanthropist who has spoken and written extensively about his battle with Parkinson’s since disclosing his diagnosis with the disease in 1998. He founded The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research in 2000, which is now the world’s largest nonprofit funder of research into the affliction.
He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2025, was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2010, and was promoted to Companion of the Order of Canada this past June.
“Michael J. Fox is one of television’s most beloved and enduring performers whose work has left an indelible mark on generations of audiences,” Television Academy Chair Cris Abrego said.
“The Television Academy is proud to honor him for his extraordinary leadership in advancing Parkinson’s research, transforming public awareness and inspiring global support through The Michael J. Fox Foundation, whose investments have accelerated scientific breakthroughs and the search for a cure. He continues to exemplify compassion, courage and service, reflecting the power of one individual to drive meaningful change.”
Previous recipients of the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award are Oprah Winfrey, Bill Cosby, Danny Thomas (posthumously), George Clooney, Sean Penn, Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen.
The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will air live Sept. 14 on NBC and Peacock from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.