Angela Bassett among recipients of honorary Oscars at 2023 Governors Awards
The Black Panther star has been recognised among those who have ‘inspired generations of filmmakers and movie fans’.
Black Panther star Angela Bassett and veteran director Mel Brooks are among the recipients of honorary Oscars at the 2023 Governors Awards, the Academy has announced.
This year’s recipients have been recognised as “trailblazers who have transformed the film industry and inspired generations of film-makers and movie fans”, Academy president Janet Yang said.
As well as her blockbuster Marvel movie appearances, Bassett is known for her performances in Boyz N the Hood, Malcolm X, Music of the Heart, and Mission: Impossible – Fallout.
Her breakthrough role as Tina Turner in the 1993 film What’s Love Got to Do with It earned her an Oscar nomination for best actress.
Last year she also received a nomination for best supporting actress for her role as Queen Ramonda in the Marvel sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Director, producer, writer and actor Brooks began his career writing comedy routines for Sid Caesar’s television shows and co-created the television series Get Smart.
In 1967, he wrote and directed his first film, The Producers, which earned him an Oscar for original screenplay and which he later adapted into a hit Broadway musical.
The pair will be honoured at the event in November alongside editor Carol Littleton, with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award being presented to the Sundance Institute’s Michelle Satter.
“The Academy’s Board of Governors is thrilled to honour four trailblazers who have transformed the film industry and inspired generations of filmmakers and movie fans,” said Ms Yang.
“Across her decades-long career, Angela Bassett has continued to deliver transcendent performances that set new standards in acting.
“Mel Brooks lights up our hearts with his humour and his legacy has made a lasting impact on every facet of entertainment.
“Carol Littleton’s career in film editing serves as a model for those who come after her. A pillar of the independent film community, Michelle Satter has played a vital role in the careers of countless filmmakers around the world.”
The Honorary Award, an Oscar statuette, is given “to honour extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences, or for outstanding service to the Academy.”
The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, also an Oscar statuette, is given “to an individual in the motion picture arts and sciences whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry”.
The awards will be presented at the Academy’s 14th Governors Awards event on Saturday, November 18 at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles.
