Angela Bassett is set to receive a honorary Oscar at this year’s Governors Awards

Angela Bassett is set to receive a honorary Oscar at this year’s Governors Awards.

“Angela Bassett has continued to deliver transcendent performances that set new standards in acting.”

Angela Bassett, Mel Brooks and Carol Littleton will receive honorary Oscars at this year’s Governors Awards, announced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In addition, the Sundance Institute’s Michelle Satter will receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Awards. The four statuettes will be presented at the 14th annual ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Los Angeles.

Bassett was twice nominated for but lost competitive Oscars, most recently earlier this year when she was up for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Her prior nom came 30 years earlier, for her star-making turn as Tina Turner in What’s Love Got to Do with It. Other major credits include Boyz N the Hood, Malcolm X, Waiting to Exhale, How Stella Got Her Groove Back and Black Panther.

Brooks has won a competitive Oscar — 54 years ago, for the screenplay of The Producers. He also received Oscar noms for a song from Blazing Saddles and the screenplay for Young Frankenstein, which, like The Producers, he also directed and cameoed in. Other major credits include Silent Movie, High Anxiety, History of the World — Part I and Spaceballs. And he is still working at 96-years-old.

“The Academy’s Board of Governors is thrilled to honor four trailblazers who have transformed the film industry and inspired generations of filmmakers and movie fans,” said Academy President Janet 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 humor, 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 is “to honor extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences, or outstanding service to the Academy.”

Honorary Oscars are presented each year to recognize “extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences or for outstanding service to the Academy.” They tend to go to people who practice a variety of film-related disciplines, some household names and others not, and some of whom have previously been recognized with competitive Oscars and others of whom have not.