For “transforming how African Americans are considered on- and off-screen,” actress Cicely Tyson has been selected as this year’s Peabody career achievement award recipient.

The Peabody Awards called her a “foundational figure in the advancement of meaningful programming and social change through her performances.”

Tyson has small-screen credits in around 23 TV programs and series including East Side/West Side, Gunsmoke, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, Roots, A Lesson Before Dying, The Trip to Bountiful, House of Cards, How to Get Away With Murder and Madam Secretary.

The actress is also the recipient of three Emmys, a Tony, a Kennedy Center Honor, and an honorary Oscar.

While the Peabody Awards were canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, Tyson was honoured via video ina tribute that featured the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Viola Davis, and Katie Couric.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Winfrey thanked Tyson for “not just paving the way for me and every other Black woman who dared to have a career in entertainment but being the way — standing for the truth in your art in all ways. And allowing us to be lifted by the light of your illustrious life.”

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