Whenever anyone receives an honorary Oscar, I’m always surprised to learn that person hadn’t been given one before. But in some cases, like with legendary actress Cicely Tyson, I am down right incredulous. What’s even more astonishing is she’s only been nominated once, in 1973 for her role in Sounder. Last Sunday at the Governor’s Awards the Academy righted that wrong. But Ms. Tyson wasn’t just any recipient, she became the first African American woman to ever receive an honorary Oscar. Prior to the 93-years-young actress, Sidney Poitier, James Earl Jones, Spike Lee, Charles Burnett and James Baskett have been awarded them but Cicely is the first woman. Among those present to honor her and her incredible legacy were Oprah, Tyler Perry, Quincy Jones, Ava DuVernay, Lupita Nyong’o, Lee Daniels, Tyler Perry, Chadwick Boseman, Shonda Rhimes, Spike Lee, Anita Hill, Mahershala Ali, Michael B. Jordan, Barry Jenkins and Steve McQueen.
It was an honor more than 45 years in the making, but Cicely Tyson finally took home an Oscar on Sunday night at the 10th annual Governors Awards in Hollywood, Ca.
Tyson, who has amassed more than six decades in the industry in her still active career, has won a Tony and three Emmys, but her first and only Oscar nomination was for 1972’s Sounder.
In an introduction reflecting on Tyson’s incredible career, Quincy Jones noted that “Her work, grace, dignity, class, humility and profound professionalism firmly placed her on the pedestal of Hollywood royalty, and now, at long last, I could not be more honored to say that tonight, Cicely Tyson receives her more than well-deserved Oscar.”
Director Ava DuVernay also gave a brief introduction before presenting Tyson her award, calling the acting legend “the seed for so many of us, the rose that we adore.”
Wearing a custom black and silver gown by longtime friend and couturier B. Michael, Tyson—who will celebrate her 94th birthday next month—ascended the stage.
Cicely has been nominated for virtually every award out there. She’s been honored by the Kennedy Center and awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Her filmography is astounding, although the one that tends to get the most attention was her portrayal in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pitman, for which she received two of her Emmys. Her most recent appearance was last March in How to Get Away with Murder, on which she plays Annalise’s mother. And I haven’t even touched on her stage work (she won her Tony for The Trip to Bountiful.) And she’s practically the living embodiment of grace, as she demonstrated in her acceptance speech with a touching tribute to her mother:
“Mom, I know you didn’t want me to do this, but I did and here it is. For the longest time, I wanted to hear something positive from her. When I did Jane Pittman…she said, ‘I am so proud of you.’ If I had not heard those words from her, none of this would make a difference to me.”
I’m happy the Academy acknowledged Cicely and her enormous body of talented work. And even though it is a shameful crime that an African American woman has not been award an honorary Oscar prior to 2018, I am happy that Cicely will forever hold that distinction. She’s such an icon, it just adds to that status.
I love this post Oprah put on her IG. I love all the talent in it but I also love that Oprah is fangirling over Anita Hill.
Oprah also posted this and I thought it was so cool, I’m adding it here. I don’t think Ms. Tyson would mind
Photo credit: WENN Photos, Getty Images and Instagram
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