Mel Brooks, Angela Bassett receive honorary Oscars for lifetime achievements
The Oscars (Getty Images)
Comedian Mel Brooks, actress Angela Bassett, film editor Carol Littleton, and Sundance Film Festival executive Michelle Satter received honorary Oscars for lifetime achievements, according to Reuters and Barron's.
Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks receives the Oscar (Getty Images)
Mel Brooks, aged 97, received his award for a lifelong contribution to comedy, starting with writing for TV shows in the 1950s and later creating iconic films like "Blazing Saddles" and "Young Frankenstein." While many recipients of the academy's honorary awards haven't received competitive Oscars, Mel Brooks stands out as an exception. He secured an original screenplay Oscar for "The Producers", which later became a hit Broadway play, at the 1969 ceremony.
"I won't sell this one, I swear to God," he joked at a recent ceremony as he had sold his old trophy.
Angela Bassett
Angela Bassett receives the Oscar (Getty Images)
Actress Angela Bassett was recognized for her outstanding career in movies, from playing Tina Turner to the Queen of Wakanda, as she received an honorary Oscar from the Film Academy.
During her speech, Bassett acknowledged the 10 Black women who had won Academy Awards before her and expressed hope for more opportunities for people of color in the film industry. She emphasized the importance of leaving the industry more inclusive and forward-thinking.
Bassett, 65, was nominated for two competitive Oscars – one for her role as Tina Turner in "What's Love Got to Do with It" (1993) and another for playing Queen Ramonda in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" (2022).
The other honorees, film editor Carol Littleton and Sundance Film Festival executive Michelle Satter, were also acknowledged by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences at the event.
Oscars 2024
In December 2023, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed nominees shortlists for 10 categories in the upcoming 2024 Oscar ceremony. Among the nominees is a documentary about Ukraine's frontlines "20 Days in Mariupol", as well as record-breaking Greta Gerwig’s "Barbie" and Christopher Nolan’s "Oppenheimer."
The 96th Oscars voting starts this Thursday, and the nominations are set to be revealed on January 23, leading up to the ceremony on March 10.
