Michael J. Fox Honored with Humanitarian Award at Emmys

Michael J. Fox received a standing ovation at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards on September 14, 2026, where he was honored with the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award for his decades of advocacy and philanthropic work in Parkinson's disease research. The rare award, presented only six times in the ceremony's history, recognized Fox for his transformative contributions to the field. Fox, who was introduced by his former "The Good Wife" co-star Julianna Margulies, delivered an emotional acceptance speech. He reflected on his journey after being diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson's disease in 1991 at age 29. "Initially, I kept my Parkinson's diagnosis a secret. I worried it would affect my work and relationships with audiences," Fox told the audience. "I understood that accepting Parkinson's didn't mean I had to surrender to it. It just meant I had to do everything I could for everyone living with this disease." The actor and advocate spoke with pride about the work of the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, which he founded in 2000. He stated that the foundation is "close" to eradicating the disease. "I set out to advocate for Parkinson's disease and raise money.