Tom Cruise: Actor Tom Cruise made the news in 2021 when he returned his three Golden Globes.
Tom Cruise: Cruise won Golden Globes for his performances in 'Born on the Fourth of July' (1989), 'Jerry Maguire' (1996), and 'Magnolia' (1999).
Tom Cruise: His decision to return the prestigious awards came at a time when the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) was under heavy fire for its lack of diversity.
John Lennon: In November 1969, former Beatles member John Lennon returned his award of Member of the Order of the British Empire.
John Lennon: Lennon decided to return the award as a protest against Britain's role in the Nigerian Civil War.
John Lennon: As reported by the BBC at the time, the musician and activist had been "mulling over" the decision to return the award for a few years before he actually did so.
Tom Hanks: Sources suggest that actor Tom Hanks once tried to return two of his Oscars to the Academy Awards. However, he didn't do it out of protest.
Tom Hanks: Rather, Hanks wanted to return the Oscars he won for 'Philadelphia' (1994) and 'Forrest Gump' (1995).
Tom Hanks: When the Academy Awards told him that the trophies could not be polished up, but that he could have new ones, he refused.
Dudley Nichols: There have been very few Academy Award refusals over the years, but the first one came early—screenwriter Dudley Nichols refused his Oscar.