Angela Bassett is now an (honorary) Oscar winner

Mel Brooks and editor Carol Littleton are also among the new group of honorary winners

By Sam Barsanti  |  June 26, 2023 | 8:17pm
Aux News Angela Bassett
Angela Bassett is now an (honorary) Oscar winner
Angela Bassett Photo: Emma McIntyre

It didn’t happen with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever at this year’s Oscars (though that would’ve at least established Queen Ramonda as the only comic book character other than the Joker that can win acting’s highest honor for playing), but the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences has decided to give Angela Bassett a trophy anyway: As reported by Variety, she’s among this year’s batch of honorary Academy Award winners, a group that also includes Mel Brooks, editor Carol Littleton, and the Sundance Institute’s Michelle Satter (who will be getting the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award).

Here’s a statement from 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.

Bassett’s only other Oscar nomination came from playing Tina Turner in 1993’s What’s Love Got To Do With It?, meaning she technically has two nominations and one win, so that’s cool (also, for someone as iconic and beloved as Angela Bassett, she really hasn’t been given enough awards over the course of her career).

Brooks, meanwhile, already had an EGOT before this, so this will make his official record EEEEGGGOOTTT. We’re not saying he doesn’t deserve this, he’ll just need to widen his shelf a little bit. Variety also notes that he’s in contention for another Emmy thanks to History Of The World, Part II, so maybe the Motion Picture Academy didn’t want their television rivals to get all of the Mel Brooks love.

Carol Littleton has been editing films for almost 50 years, having previously earned an Oscar nomination for her work in the ‘80s on E.T. (she also worked on The Big Chill and the Manchurian Candidate remake). Satter is the founding senior director of the Sundance Institute’s Artist Programs, which Variety says “focuses on the cultural impact of supporting independent storytellers.”

 
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