Angela Bassett continues to dominate award season as the legendary actress swept the competition at the 2023 NAACP Awards.
According to Deadline, during the event, which took place on Feb. 25 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in California, Bassett received a total of three awards, two of which were for her portrayal as Athena Grant on Fox’s hit series, 911, and as Queen Ramonda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
The list of awards includes Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture and an Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series. Toward the end of the broadcast, the 64 year old took home the highest honor, Entertainer of the Year. During her speech, Bassett paid homage to actress Ariana Debose, who had received much attention for her performance at the British Academy Film Awards last week, by referencing the famous line, “Angela Bassett did the thing.” She said,
“I guess Angela Bassett did the thing! Thank you, family. Thank you to the NAACP and everyone who voted for me. What a wonderful gift from home, but I must simply acknowledge all the other beautiful and talented women in this category. I admire you, and I am in awe of the women that you are. Thank you so much to my family, and thank you, family. I love you and appreciate you from the bottom of my heart. I am deeply grateful. Gratitude is the universe’s way of saying we are not existing in this world alone — we have each other.”
Also, in her speech, Bassett thanked directors Ryan Coogler, the late John Singleton, Spike Lee, and Malcolm X’s wife and civil rights activist Betty Shabazz for contributing to her acting success. Bassett’s recent win comes off the heels of wins at the Golden Globes for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture and receiving her second Oscar nomination.
Bassett’s Oscar nomination is monumental because she is the first Marvel actor to be nominated for an individual award. Will she take home the gold? Find out when the 95th Academy Awards airs live on ABC at 8pm EST.