Michael J. Fox will receive the Television Academy's Bob Hope Humanitarian Award, in place since 2002, at this year's Emmy Awards, Deadline reported.

The honor recognizes entertainers whose humanitarian work extends beyond their on-screen careers. Named for Bob Hope — a comedian and USO performer synonymous with charitable telethons — past recipients include Danny DeVito, Denzel Washington, and Niecy Nash. The award typically comes with a televised acceptance speech during the ceremony.

Fox founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research in 2000, eight years after his Parkinson's diagnosis became public. The foundation has since funded more than $1.5 billion in research grants and is widely cited as the largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson's research worldwide. His public disclosure of the diagnosis helped reshape how Hollywood handled chronic illness in actors, and he has continued limited acting work while prioritizing advocacy. In recent years, the foundation has pushed biomarker research and large-scale clinical trials aimed at slowing disease progression.

The choice arrives as Fox's career enters a renewed visibility period. His 2020 Apple TV+ documentary "Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie" earned critical attention and a documentary Emmy nomination. He has remained a fixture of Parkinson's advocacy events and continued to make guest appearances on television.

How is the recipient selected? The Television Academy's Board of Governors determines the recipient through internal deliberation rather than an open nominations process. The board weighs an individual's sustained humanitarian record, public service contributions, and connection to the television community. Because the selection happens outside the standard Emmy voting window, the choice is not subject to peer-vote tallies or category alignment.

What does the announcement change for the Emmy telecast? The Bob Hope Humanitarian Award is presented during the Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony, typically as one of the in-show moments preceding the major acting categories. The presentation adds a defined humanitarian segment to the broadcast and gives Fox a high-profile platform outside competitive categories. Because the honor is not a competitive award, it does not affect Emmy nominations, voting totals, or the nominations race — but it does signal where the Television Academy wants the audience's focus on Emmy night.

The award traces back to Bob Hope's long partnership with American servicemembers and decades of telethons for entertainment-industry charities. Fox's selection extends that lineage of entertainers using broadcast visibility to amplify charitable causes. The award's rollout is typically paired with a multi-platform campaign highlighting the recipient's humanitarian work — a marketing effort that often extends the foundation's fundraising reach well beyond the telecast itself.

A caveat: Deadline's report confirms only the recipient and the award name. The Television Academy has not yet confirmed a specific presentation date or whether Fox will appear in person. Watch for an Academy press release to lock in the telecast details.