Why did Angela Bassett win an Oscar in 2024? Details explored 

Angela Bassett is one of the most influential actresses of this generation and has graced the screen in numerous iconic roles. Bassett made her breakthrough in the 1993 biopic, What's Love Got to Do with It, where she played the role of singer Tina Turner.

The role earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe. She has since starred in films such as Malcolm X (1992), Boyz n the Hood (1991), Vampire in Brooklyn (1995), and Black Panther (2018) among others.

She was honored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences when she received an honorary Oscar for her contribution to the film industry. Angela Bassett was awarded the honorary Oscar at the 14th edition of the Governors Awards on January 9, 2024, at the Dolby Ballroom in Los Angeles.

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Angela Bassett awarded an honorary Oscar for her outstanding contribution to the film industry

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed on June 26, 2023, that Angela Bassett will be receiving Honorary Oscars during the presentation, along with actor and filmmaker Mel Brooks and film editor Carol Littleton.

Angela Bassett has previously received two Oscar nominations. She was nominated for Best Actress in 1993 for her role as Tina Turner in the film What's Love Got to Do with It. Her portrayal of Queen Ramonda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever earned her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) hosts the Governors Awards presentation every year. This ceremony honors three individuals for their lifetime achievements in the film industry: the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, and the Academy Honorary Award. Bassett received the Academy Honorary Award.

As per AP News, in a passionate address, Bassett discussed acting as a calling as well as a vocation. The honorary Oscar, according to her, is "a testament to my legacy" rather than just another trophy.

Ruby Dee, Diahann Carroll, Cicely Tyson, and Rosalind Cash are just a few of the "trailblazing" Black actresses that the 65-year-old Angela Basset acknowledged during part of her statement onstage as she won the prize. She noted:

"It was standing on their strong, spiritually fortified shoulders that I often was sustained, and I thank them for every sacrifice, every doubt, every disappointment, every rejection, every triumph that I know they experienced along the way,"

She continued:

"Because had it not been for their resilience, continuing to fight through their fears and the uncertainty and their willingness as they fought for every role, I would not have had a representation of what was possible for me."

Her lengthy speech went on to state that her win was a win for all black actresses in the film industry and that if they continue to stand together, they will win together:

"What I hope this moment means is that we are taking the necessary steps toward a future in which it is the norm, not the exception, to see and embrace one another's full humanity, stories and perspectives. This must be our goal, and to always remember that there is room for us all. When we stand together, we win together."

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Angela Bassett is an iconic actress who has not only been a trailblazer on screen but also offscreen, where she is an inspiration for a generation of young black actresses who came after her.