Michael J. Fox was honored at the 2026 Emmy Awards with a prestigious award amid his ongoing battle with Parkinson’s disease.
Fox, 65, accepted the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award at the ceremony on Monday, September 14, in recognition of his contributions to Parkinson’s disease research and advocacy through his Michael J. Fox Foundation.
Julianna Margulies, Fox’s The Good Wife costar, presented the award to the legendary actor, who appeared on stage in a wheelchair while wearing a black suit. Fox received a standing ovation and hearty applause as he thanked the Television Academy for the award, calling the accolade a “humbling honor.” He also paid tribute to the award’s namesake, describing Hope, who died in 2003, as a “selfless” champion for people in need. Fox noted that he’s “proud” of the progress that the Michael J. Fox Foundation has made towards finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease.
Fox was previously announced as the winner of the award in a July press release from the Television Academy.
“[Fox] has spoken and written extensively about his predisposition to look at challenges, including his Parkinson’s disease, through a lens of optimism and humor,” the announcement read.
The Bob Hope Humanitarian Award was created in 2002 to “honor a member of the telecommunications industry whose philanthropic efforts exemplify Bob Hope’s own decades-long altruism and positive impact on society,” the press release continued. “The award is given by the Television Academy and the Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation to an individual in the television industry whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry and whose deeds and actions have had a lasting impact on society.”
In addition to receiving the Humanitarian Award, Fox was nominated for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Gerry, a Parkinson’s patient who bonds with Harrison Ford’s Paul, in AppleTV’s Shrinking.
Fox previously won Emmys for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in 2000 for his role as Michael Flaherty in ABC’s Spin City and Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 2009 for his role as Dwight in FX’s Rescue Me. He also won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series three years in a row beginning in 1986 for playing Alex P. Keaton in NBC’s Family Ties, the role that shot him to fame.
The Back to the Future star has received 19 Emmy nominations in total throughout his career.
In 1998, Fox publicly disclosed that he had been diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson’s disease. Two years later, he founded The Michael J. Fox Foundation, which has become the world’s largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson’s research and has supported more than $3 billion in research programs.
“[I knew] my name could attract attention to help us achieve our goals faster. But I also have this disease. I know the issues and I share my community’s sense of urgency,” Fox, who retired from full-time acting in 2020 amid his health battle, told People ahead of the Emmys. “Of course, things have gotten harder over the years. I’m privileged to commit my time and energy to bringing everything I’ve got to help cure this disease.”
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