Angela Bassett receives Honorary Oscars

Actress Angela Bassett was celebrated for a lifetime of memorable roles from Tina Turner to the Queen of Wakanda as Hollywood’s film academy handed out honorary Oscars on Tuesday.

While accepting her trophy on stage, Bassett paid tribute to ten Black women who have won Academy Awards, named each one, and expressed hope that the film industry will provide more opportunities for people of color.

“My prayer is that we leave this industry more enriched, forward-thinking and inclusive than we found it,” Bassett, 65, said. “At the end of the day, we all just want to have the opportunity to do great, meaningful work.”

Bassett was nominated for two competitive Oscars. The first was for her breakout role as Turner in 1993’s “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” and the second for playing Queen Ramonda in 2022’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”

Bassett and other honorees were selected by the board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the group that will hand out this year’s Oscars in March.