Last night (March 5), celebrities in their respective fields gathered in Atlanta to celebrate one another at this year’s BET Her Awards Dinner. While speaking with a reporter on the event’s red carpet, Kandi Burruss, honored with the LOVE Award, was asked which Black woman she would commemorate with a Lifetime Achievement accolade. Standing in a royal blue gown, the Xscape group member used body and facial expressions as she responded:
“Viola Davis or Angela Bassett. I mean, it’s so many that I would give a Lifetime Achievement Award to because its so many women that are deserving of it. Um, so many people that I look up to… Anita Baker. You know, to see her come back and do her sold-out tour and all that stuff. I love Anita. I feel like they are deserving for all the things they’ve done to inspire the rest of us [and] open doors for the rest of us.”
“The Real Housewives of Atlanta” star had a legitimate case for her top three choices. Last month, Davis became the latest celebrity to achieve EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards) status after winning the Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording award for her memoir “Finding Me.”
Bassett, known for her iconic portrayals in films such as What’s Love Got to Do with It and The Jacksons: An American Dream, has also cemented her legacy in Hollywood. On Jan. 10, the 64-year-old New York native made history as the first to win a major accolade for acting in a Marvel film. That night, she took home a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in a movie for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. However, Bassett had more history to rewrite. On Jan. 24, two weeks later, she became the first woman, person of color, and Marvel Studios star to be nominated for an Oscar performance award in a comic book adaptation. The annual live event will air on March 12 at 8 p.m. EDT.
And we can’t forget about the great Baker. In November 2022, the “Sweet Love” singer announced her first tour in almost 30 years. The 65-year-old Ohio native started her new musical journey in Hollywood, Florida last month to celebrate the 40th anniversary of her debut album, The Songstress. She also stopped in Atlanta, Georgia, where she was given “her flowers” by Usher. The tour is set to continue through the fall and winter before wrapping up on Dec. 23 at the Oakland Arena in Oakland, California.