Michael J. Fox will be awarded with an honourary Oscar this year for his advocacy surrounding Parkinson's disease.

The star has battled the condition since 1991, and has largely stepped away from acting as a result.

Fox will forever be immortalised as the star of the 'Back To The Future' movies and now he will have an honourary Oscar to his name.

“Michael J. Fox’s tireless advocacy of research on Parkinson’s disease alongside his boundless optimism exemplifies the impact of one person in changing the future for millions,” said Academy President David Rubin.

Each year, the Academy selects iconic figures from the world of film and presents them with an honourary Oscar, which highlights their contributions to the world of cinema.

The likes of David Lynch, Elaine May, Jean Luc-Godard and Jackie Chan have been awarded with statuettes in recent years.

Among this year's inductees including Australian director Peter Weir, songwriter Diane Warren, and filmmaker Euzhan Palacy, best known for her works concerning race.

Weir, a 6-time Oscar nominee known for his work on the likes of 'Witness' and 'The Truman Show', is credited with being one of the major figures of the Australian New Wave of cinema in the 1970s.

Weir was hailed by Rubin as "a director of consummate skill and artistry whose work reminds us of the power of film to reveal the full range of human experience.”

Diane Warren, the 13-time nominee who has written such blockbuster chart hits like 'I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing' and 'Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now' will also finally get her hands on an Oscar this year.

Reacting to the news, Warren said she will keep her Oscar on her piano.

Speaking to Variety, Warren said "I’m gonna put it on my piano, and I’m gonna look at it everyday. I’m really proud of it, and I’m not taking it for granted at all."

Palacy is notable for being the only female director to ever direct Marlon Brando, and directed him to an Oscar nomination in 1989 for the film 'A Dry White Season', a film that explores apartheid-era South Africa.

The honourary Oscars will be awarded at a ceremony in Los Angeles this November.