The Academy Awards Finally Do The Right Thing. Spike Lee Wins His 1st Oscar.

Moments ago, Spike Lee earned his first Oscar Award. The 61-year-old won the honors for “Best Adapted Screenplay” for his work on 2018’s BlackKklansman. He shares the win with Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, and Kevin Willmott. The award-winning script is based on the memoir of the same name by Ron Stallworth, who the film portrays, courtesy of actor John David Washington.

While the “Best Director” and “Best Picture” categories are to be decided later this evening (February 24), the win comes after nearly 20 years of waiting. In 1990, Spike was up for “Best Original Screenplay” for Do The Right Thing. Eight years later, Lee was nominated for “Best Documentary Feature” for 4 Little Girls. In 2015, he received an honorary award from the Academy. However, it was not tied to any film.

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Lee, dressed in purple with a Prince logo medallion, accepted the award (with his collaborators) from Samuel L. Jackson and Brie Larson. He received a standing ovation from those in attendance.

At the podium, Lee thanked family, including the grandmother whose social security checks gave him tuition for Morehouse College, along with the New York University program, where he is now a professor. He also urged greater awareness leading to the 2020 election. Honoring his early film, which starred Jackson, he told audiences to “do the right thing.”

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It is a long-awaited win for one of the filmmakers who has captured areas of American and Black culture that have historically been under and misrepresented.