Angela Bassett wins an honorary Oscar at Governors Awards
At the Governors Awards in Los Angeles on January 9th, Angela Bassett took home an honorary Oscar for her stellar contributions to acting.
The star has been nominated twice before, first with a ‘Best Actress’ nod in 1994 for What’s Love Got To Do With It, in which she played Tina Turner under the direction of Brian Gibson.
Her second nomination came in 2023, this time competing for ‘Best Supporting Actress’ after starring in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. However, until now, Bassett had not won a golden statuette, and she provided a powerful speech after collecting her long-awaited accolade.
Accepting the award from Regina King, Bassett said, “I have considered acting my calling and not just my career… to be recognised in this way for what I love doing is truly wonderful, and I am beyond grateful.”
She added, “I have had to let it sink in that I am the second Black actress to receive an honorary Academy Award [after Cicely Tyson] and I hope that she is smiling from the heavens that I’m able to join her in that circle of recognition.”
Bassett continued to spotlight Black female actors in her speech, listing figures such as Hattie McDaniel and Whoopi Goldberg as influential figures who helped pave the way for aspiring Black actors. “I call their names to acknowledge every one of them this evening for being beacons of possibility and hope for little Black and Brown girls who aspire to one day pursue the dream of becoming an actor.”
The actor, who started her career in the mid-1980s, added a final message of encouragement to her speech. “To all my fellow Black actresses, fill your hearts with courage and strength, because regardless of what you may think or see or feel, our contributions do matter,” she concluded.
Watch Bassett’s speech below.
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