Angela Bassett’s time to hold an Oscar statuette she can call her own has come. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recently announced that the two-time nominee is set to receive an honorary Oscar at the 2023 Governor’s Awards.
Bassett made history this year when she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her stirring performance as Queen Ramonda in the 2022 “Black Panther” sequel “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” The nomination made her the first person of color, woman, and Marvel Studios actor to be nominated for a performance in a comic book adaptation.
Bassett’s first nomination came in the 1990s when she earned a Best Actress nomination for portraying the late icon Tina Turner in the 1993 Turner biopic “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” In a news release, Academy President Janet Yang said, “Across her decades-long career, Angela Bassett has continued to deliver transcendent performances that set new standards in acting.”
Bassett has starred in other iconic films like “Malcolm X,” “How Stella Got Her Groove Back,” “Boyz n the Hood,” “Mission Impossible: Fallout,” and has played Queen Ramonda in three Marvel movies. Her television career has equally spanned decades as she’s appeared in “ER,” “American Horror Story,” and “9-1-1,” among others.
Honorary Oscar statuettes are given to a select few recipients, as voted on by the Academy’s Board of Governors, for the annual Governors Award to honor those with remarkable distinction and exceptional contributions to the film industry. Carol Littleton and Mel Brooks are also 2023 Governors Award honorees, while Sundance Institute exec Michelle Statter is set to receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
Bassett’s honor is notable because it comes soon after her most recent loss. Last season, Bassett started as the front-runner for her performance in the Marvel film, with much of the conversation focusing on her body of work over decades as a movie star. Ultimately, Jamie Lee Curtis won for “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” Past honorary Oscar winners include Samuel L. Jackson, Dianne Warren, David Lynch, Cicely Tyson, Donald Sutherland and more.