Chadwick Boseman's widow accepts Golden Globe win with moving speech: 'Hun, you keep 'em coming'

Late actor Chadwick Boseman was awarded a Golden Globe on Sunday for his role in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. His wife, Taylor Simone Ledward, accepted the award on his behalf and delivered a moving speech. The 78th Golden Globe Awards ceremony was held less than a year after Boseman died. The Black Panther star passed away in August at the of age 43. He had fought a long and tiring battle with colon cancer, a disease he struggled with privately. In his absence, wife Ledward remembered his rich acting career and kind personality, CNN reports.

He won the Golden Globe in the best performance by an actor in a motion picture-drama category. Accepting the award in his place, his widow delivered an emotional speech. "He would thank God," she said. "He would thank his parents. He would thank his ancestors for their guidance and their sacrifice." She also said her late husband would have thanked Michael Greene, Azeem Chiba, Nicki Fioravante, Evelyn O'Neill, Chris Huvane, and Logan Coles, the team that worked with him on the film. She added, "He would thank his team on set for this film: Deidra Dixon, Sian Richards, Craig Anthony, and Andrew Carlone."

Ledward went on to describe the kind of man he was. She affirmed, "He would say something beautiful, something inspiring, something that would amplify that little voice inside of all of us that tells you you can, that tells you to keep going, that calls you back to what you're meant to be doing at this moment in history." The widow said Boseman would have additionally thanked "Mr. George C. Wolfe, Mr. Denzel Washington, lots of people at Netflix. He would thank Ms. Viola Davis, Mr. Glynn Turman, Mr. Michael Potts, Mr. Colman Domingo, Ms. Taylour Paige, and Mr. Dusan Brown."

Finally, she took a moment to appreciate her husband. "And I don't have his words, but we have to take a moment to celebrate those we love," she stated. "So thank you HFPA for this opportunity to do exactly that. And, hun, you keep 'em coming. Thank you." While Boseman was not nominated for further awards at the Golden Globes, the awards season has just kicked off. He is likely to become a fan favorite during the upcoming season. He has already been nominated for multiple awards at the Screen Actors Guild Awards and Critics' Choice Movie Awards, the results of which are pending.

Boseman was highly praised for his skills as an actor during his lifetime, and leaves behind a legacy of empowerment for other people and actors of color. Culture writer Steve Rose wrote in The Guardian following his passing, "Chadwick Boseman began his career playing African American icons and pioneers; he ends it as one himself. His [...] achievements, as an actor and as a cultural force, will surely prove to be as heroic as those of the characters he portrayed." The actor was most popular for his role of the Black Panther, as whom he led a predominantly Black cast in a major blockbuster for the first time. Hopefully, the upcoming awards season will remember his contributions to American film.