Some may say that Spike Lee should have received an Oscar years ago, but it looks as if the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is trying to make it up to the legendary filmmaker.
Honorary Oscar statuettes are given "to honor extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences or for outstanding service."
"The board is proud to recognize our honorees' remarkable contributions," said academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs in a statement Thursday. "We'll be celebrating their achievements with the knowledge that the work they have accomplished—with passion, dedication and a desire to make a positive difference—will also enrich future generations."
Lee earned an Oscar nomination for original screenplay for Do the Right Thing in 1989, and another nod for his documentary feature 4 Little Girls. Some feel that other films, such as Malcolm X, Inside Man and Jungle Fever, should have been Oscar winners, but they were snubbed by the academy.
Currently, Lee is working on his first Netflix release Chiraq, which has been scrutinized because critics feel it trivalizes gun violence in Chicago. In addition to making movies, Lee is also the artistic director of the graduate film program at New York University.