Academy defends Winfrey as honorary Oscar winner

FILE - In this May 3, 2010 file photo, Oprah Winfrey arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute gala in New York. Winfrey is repackaging her now-ended daytime talk show to make it a key part of the lineup for OWN, her struggling cable channel. Winfrey said Friday, July 29, 2011, she will host the new series that will recycle episodes of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” as a “classroom” intended to help viewers improve their lives. The show, titled “Own Your Life,” will air weekdays at 8 p.m. EST starting Oct. 10.

LOS ANGELES — Film academy president Tom Sherak is coming to Oprah Winfrey's defense.

Sherak says Winfrey is "one of the most philanthropic performers in the world" and thus deserving of the academy's Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voted Tuesday to present Winfrey with an Oscar statuette at the annual Governors Awards in November. James Earl Jones and makeup artist Dick Smith will also receive honorary Oscars at the private ceremony.

Blogs have been abuzz with criticism over the academy's selection of Winfrey for the award. One newspaper entertainment critic called it "a boneheaded move."

Sherak said the academy's board of governors "felt very strongly" about honoring Winfrey and are "very happy" about the decision.