Will Smith took the stage at the African American Film Critics Association Awards on Wednesday night to accept the Beacon Award for “Emancipation” alongside director Antoine Fuqua.
Smith’s appearance came nearly one year after he slapped comedian Chris Rock onstage at the 2022 Academy Awards, which resulted in him resigning from the academy and being banned from attending the Oscars for 10 years.
He also won the NAACP Image Award for outstanding actor in a motion picture for “Emancipation” last weekend, but he was noticeably absent from the show.
Smith later reacted to the honor on Instagram, saying he was “absolutely humbled” for winning, adding, “I am so proud of the work we put into this film.”
