Angela Bassett, Mel Brooks among Academy Governors’ honorees

Carol Littleton, from left, Mel Brooks, Angela Bassett, and Michelle Satter pose with their honorary awards during the Governors Awards on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, at the Dolby Ballroom in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

HOLLYWOOD – Actress Angela Bassett, writer/actor/director Mel Brooks and film editor Carol Littleton received Academy Honorary Awards yesterday, while Michelle Satter of the Sundance Institute received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.

The honorees were recognized with Oscar statuettes during the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science’s 14th Governors Awards event at the Fairmont Century Plaza hotel in Century City Tuesday.

The event had been scheduled for Nov. 18, but was delayed due to the dual writers’ and actors’ strikes in Hollywood.

The Academy Honorary Award is given “to honor extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences, or for outstanding service to the Academy.”

The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award is given “to an individual in the motion picture arts and sciences whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry.”

“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,” Academy President Janet Yang said in a statement when the honors were announced last year. “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.”’

Angela Bassett accepts her honorary award during the Governors Awards on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, at the Dolby Ballroom in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Bassett was nominated for a best actress Oscar for her portrayal of Tina Turner in “What’s Love Got to Do with It.” Her other film credits include “Boyz N the Hood,” “Waiting to Exhale,” “Black Panther,” “Mission: Impossible — Fallout” and “Avengers: Endgame.”

Brooks is known for his string of memorable film comedies, including “The Producers,” “Blazing Saddles,” “Young Frankenstein,” “Silent Movie,” “History of the World — Part I,” “Spaceballs,” “High Anxiety” and “Life Stinks.”

Littleton has been a film editor for nearly five decades, including an Oscar nomination for “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.” Her other credits include “Body Heat,” “The Big Chill,” “Places in the Heart” and the 2004 version of “The Manchurian Candidate.”

Satter is the founding senior director of the Sundance Institute’s Artist Programs, a role in which she has “discovered and fostered the careers of hundreds of notable and award-winning filmmakers, many from underrepresented communities,” according to the Academy.

Satter also led the Sundance Institute’s international initiatives in Asia, Europe, India, Latin America and the Middle East, and also founded the vision and content of Sundance Collab, a global digital storytelling community and learning platform. (CNS)