Mel Brooks receives honorary Oscar at 97, jokes ‘I won’t sell this’

After more than 50 years since his last win at the Academy Awards, Mel Brooks has received an honorary Oscar at the age of 97.

Brooks accepted the trophy at the Governors Awards on Wednesday, which honors four industry veterans each year who many feel should have already received more recognition and praise than they have.

“I got to tell you, this means a lot to me. It really means a lot,” Brooks said as he accepted the award before joking that he misses the statue he won in the 1968 Oscars after he sold it.

“When your peers appreciate your work and they salute you with this golden statue, it means a great deal,” he continued. “I won’t sell this. I swear to God.”

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You can watch Brooks’ full acceptance speech below:

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Brooks’ career spans eight decades and he is one of only a few entertainers who hold the title of EGOT winner for winning an Oscar, Emmy, Tony and Grammy.

Best known for writing and directing comedic films such as “Blazing Saddles,” “Young Frankenstein,” and “Spaceballs,” his other Oscar is for Best Original Screenplay for 1967’s “The Producers,” which starred Gene Wilder.

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Actress Angela Bassett also received an honorary Oscar on Wednesday after she previously earned a nomination in 1994 for “What’s Love Got to Do with It” and another in 2023 for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”

“I have considered acting my calling and not just my career. I do this work because I find it meaningful and I hope in some way that it makes a difference and has an impact,” Bassett said during her acceptance speech. “To be recognized in this way for what I love doing is truly wonderful and I am beyond grateful.”

Previous honorary Oscar recipients include Gene Kelly, Bob Hope, Cary Grant, Orson Welles and Charlie Chaplin.

The full list of this year’s Oscar nominations will be announced on Tuesday, Jan. 23. You can watch the 2024 Academy Awards hosted by Jimmy Kimmel live on ABC at 7 p.m. EST on Sunday, March 10.