SAG Life Achievement Award: Find Out What This Tribute Means As Jane Fonda Set to Be Honored With It

As Jane Fonda is set to receive The SAG Life Achievement Award in 2025, learn about its history, past recipients, and why it remains one of Hollywood’s most respected awards.

Written by Sakina Kaukawala , Entertainment Journalist

Published on Feb 23, 2025 | 07:33 PM IST | 7.3K

Jane Fonda (via YouTube)

The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Life Achievement Award is among the highest honors in the acting industry. Given by SAG-AFTRA recognizes outstanding achievements in acting and contributions to the profession.

This award has been presented annually since 1962, except for a few years when it was skipped. Jane Fonda has been selected as the 2025 recipient and will receive the honor during the 31st annual SAG Awards in February 2025.

The SAG Life Achievement Award was first given to Eddie Cantor in 1962 for his contributions to the industry. Since then, it has been awarded to 62 individuals, including actors, actresses, and activists. The award was skipped in 1963, 1981, and 2021, and in 2020, it was not given due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On two occasions, the award was shared. In 1985, it was presented to Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, and in 2000, it was awarded to Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee for their contributions to civil rights and the film industry. The award celebrates not only an actor’s career but also their impact on society.

Jane Fonda, a two-time Academy Award winner, has been chosen as the 2025 SAG Life Achievement Award recipient. The award recognizes her contributions to the film and television industry, as well as her advocacy efforts.

Fonda has had a six-decade career, winning two Oscars, an Emmy, and seven Golden Globes. Some of her notable films include Klute (1971), Coming Home (1978), The China Syndrome (1979), 9 to 5 (1980), and On Golden Pond (1981). In 2023, she starred in 80 for Brady alongside previous SAG Life Achievement winners Lily Tomlin, Sally Field, and Rita Moreno.

According to Deadline, Fonda expressed gratitude for the award, saying, “I am deeply honored and humbled to be this year’s recipient of the SAG Life Achievement Award. I have been working in this industry for almost the entirety of my life, and there’s no honor like the one bestowed on you by your peers.”

Apart from acting, Fonda has received recognition for her activism. She was honored with the Women in Film Jane Fonda Humanitarian Award, the AFI Life Achievement Award, and the Golden Globes’ Cecil B. DeMille Award.