Chadwick Boseman was posthumously honored at the 2020 Gotham Awards.
The late actor (who died last August at age 43 following a years-long battle with cancer) and his Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom co-star, Viola Davis, were the recipients of this year’s Gotham Awards Tribute prize. The awards show, which took place from Cipriani Wall Street in New York City on Monday, was streamed live via the Independent Filmmaker Project’s Facebook page.
A moment of silence was held for Boseman followed by a montage of his best work, in films like 42, Marshall, Black Panther and Da 5 Bloods. The actor’s wife, Taylor Simone Ledward, accepted the accolade on his behalf.
“Chad, thank you,” she said. “I love you, I am so proud of you. Keep shining your light on us.”
Boseman was also nominated for Best Actor for his final film role as Levee in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, but the award went to Riz Ahmed for Sound of Metal.
While speaking to ET last month, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom director George C. Wolfe praised Boseman as “very hardworking, very passionate, very focused — intensely focused — and driven to get at the truth of what the character was doing.”
“[He’s] also an incredibly sweet human being, just a deeply, deeply sweet, sweet, vulnerable, honest, caring, protective human being,” he continued. “There was nothing about Chadwick that was anything other than a life force, that was anything other than bringing his utmost to the work. The dedication. The integrity.”
Wolfe added that it’s been hard for him to see Boseman’s life end so tragically.
“It just really is,” he said. “He’s one of those people you meet every once in a lifetime that are focused on every single moment. Every single moment is intentional.
