Oprah Winfrey to receive honorary Oscar

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences says the three will be honoured with Oscar statuettes at the Governors Awards in November. The academy's Board of Governors voted on Tuesday to recognise the entertainment industry veterans.

Winfrey will receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, which honours philanthropic and humanitarian contributions. The 57-year-old media mogul, who was nominated for a supporting actress Oscar for 1985's The Color Purple, supports various charitable and educational causes, including her own namesake foundations and Academy for Girls in South Africa.

Darth Vader

Jones and Smith will receive honorary Oscars for their outstanding careers.

Jones has appeared in more than 50 films. The 80-year-old actor - voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars - was nominated for an Academy Award in 1971 for The Great White Hope. His other credits include Field of Dreams, Patriot Games and The Hunt for Red October.

Smith was NBC's first make-up man when he started his career in 1945. He won an Oscar in 1984 for his work on Amadeus and was nominated again in 1989 for Dad. Known as the "godfather of make-up", he also worked on The Godfather, The Exorcist and Taxi Driver. Smith also helped train many of today's top movie make-up artists.

Smith, Jones and Winfrey will receive their statuettes on November 12 at the 3rd annual Governors Awards dinner at the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Centre, just above the Kodak Theatre, where the Academy Awards are presented.