Angelina Jolie kicks off award season with honorary Oscar

Los Angeles (AFP) - A-list star Angelina Jolie kicked off the movie award season late Saturday as she accepted an honorary Oscar for her humanitarian work at the Governors Awards ceremony in Hollywood.

Veteran actress Angela Lansbury, comedian Steve Martin, and Italian costume designer Pietro Tosi also received awards at the annual ceremony held by the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.

The 600-person guest list at the private gala dinner read like a Who's Who of top Hollywood celebrities: Tom Hanks, Harrison Ford, Amy Adams, Emma Thompson, Mark Wahlberg, Jake Gyllenhaal, Diane Keaton, Matthew McConaughey, Claudia Cardinale, Kathryn Bigelow, Jennifer Garner and George Lucas were among those invited.

Jolie was tearful as she received the award and spoke of her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, who died of cancer in 2007 at the age of 56.

"She did give me love and confidence, and above all, she was very clear that nothing would mean anything if I didn't have a life of use to others," she said.