Angela Bassett wins first Emmy for best narrator for Queens at the 76th Creative Arts Emmy awards

Angela Bassett is one of those highly acclaimed actresses known for her tremendous performances in movies and television. She just won another notch in her belt of great achievement.

This past Saturday, September 7, 2024, Bassett won her first Emmy Award for Best Narrator at the 76th Creative Arts Emmy Awards. The win came from outstanding work on National Geographic's docuseries Queens, which enters a fascinating world of animal matriarchies.

“It feels good … really, really good,” Bassett said in her speech.

This Emmy represents a milestone in the career of Bassett, who has proved to be a multi-faceted artist-not just being a highly recognized actress, but now she can add the feathers of an Emmy-winning narrator to her cap.

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Queens: A powerful story of female leadership in nature

Queens is a seven-part series of a nature documentary that puts animal matriarchs around the world in the spotlight. Narrated by Bassett, the series takes viewers on a journey through the wild, showing strength, leadership, and resilience as females take charge in leading their families and communities.

Queens is its all-female production crew, which Angela Bassett has praised as one of the high points of the series. This incredible docuseries is centered around the ferocious and magnificent things of the animal kingdom.

The actress had initially passed on voicing the show, citing how she needed some time off work after a rigorous season of shooting for her starring series 9-1-1.

"It was summer. It was hiatus [for 9-1-1]," explained Bassett.

"And I was looking forward to going on vacation, spending time with family, and just downtime from work because it's a continuous roller coaster."

"But they didn't give up on me," Angela Bassett admitted.

The production team sent her a "sizzle reel" of the project that changed her mind. She realized with it just how deep the storytelling was and the importance of the series. "Once I did that, it didn't pass me by," she shared in reflection on taking on the role.

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A celebration of a team effort

During her acceptance speech, she thanked Nat Geo for the partnership and Wildstar Films for the support. She made it clear that powerful females in the wild were central to the series, and that was a specific key to her when it came to wildlife filmmaking.

Regarding Angela's scheduling conflicts, she spoke to The Hollywood Reporter regarding the same. She had said,

"I was forced to say no to narrating Nat Geo's Queens because I was so busy, and then I was able to make the commitments work and do it."

This interview was conducted after the award ceremony.

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A milestone win in Angela Bassett's storied career

Angela Bassett's win in the category of Best Narrator adds another layer of dimension to her already iconic career on both screen and television. It represents the first-ever Emmy win for Angela Bassett, though she has been nominated nine times for one. Bassett received a nomination this year for her narration of Good Night Oppy, a documentary about the Mars exploration rover Opportunity.

That has singled her out as one of the gifted actresses of her generation. From her Oscar-nominated role as Tina Turner in What's Love Got to Do with It to Queen Ramonda in Marvel's Black Panther, Bassett has kept blowing away audiences with powerful portrayal after powerful portrayal.

The Queens Emmy win was indicative not only of her vocal ability but also of her storytelling ability, which resonated with the audience. As Angela Bassett said in her acceptance speech,

"We don't work for these [awards], but we receive them for all the hard work that we do."

This Emmy win is a well-deserved recognition of her commitment to her craft and what she has brought into the world of storytelling.

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Angela Bassett's first Emmy win for Outstanding Narrator at the 76th Creative Arts Emmy Awards is an endorsement of the fabulous range the lady possesses as an artist. While voicing Queens, she has presented these aggressive stories about women leading in nature, while paying tribute to the ladies backstage who provide life to such projects.