Chadwick Boseman Receives Posthumous Emmy For Voice Acting Performance In Marvel's 'What If...?'

The late Chadwick Boseman is a major favorite to win a posthumous Golden Globe for his tragic role in "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" -- which took on added poignancy upon his death at age 43 from colon cancer AFP / VALERIE MACON

KEY POINTS

Chadwick Boseman was honored at this year's Creative Arts Emmy Awards
He received his first Emmy posthumously for voicing his "Black Panther" character T'Challa in "What If...?"
His wife Taylor Simone Ledward Boseman accepted the award on his behalf and gave a moving speech in his memory

Chadwick Boseman won another posthumous award two years after he passed away.

On Saturday, the late actor, who died from cancer at 43 in 2020, was honored at this year's Creative Arts Emmy Awards for his voice acting performance in Marvel's "What If...?" animated series for Disney+, Entertainment Tonight reported.

Boseman received a posthumous Emmy for outstanding character voice-over performance for voicing his beloved "Black Panther" character T'Challa in the series.

His wife, Taylor Simone Ledward Boseman, accepted the award on his behalf. She also delivered a moving speech in his memory during the ceremony.

"When I learned that Chad was nominated for this award, I started thinking about everything that was going on when he was recording, everything that was going on in the world and in our world and just being in such awe of his commitment and his dedication," she told the audience in her acceptance speech, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"And what a beautifully aligned moment it really is that one of the last things he would work on would not only be revisiting a character that was so important to him and his career and to the world, but also that it be an exploration of something new, diving into a new potential future," she continued. "Particularly with everything he spoke about purpose and finding the reason that you are here on the planet at this very time."

Taylor added, "You can't understand your purpose unless you're willing to ask, 'What if?' Unless you're willing to say, 'What if the universe is conspiring in my favor, what if it's me?'"

She concluded her speech by expressing her gratitude for her late husband's most recent accolade.

"Thank you so much for the honor -- Chad would be so honored, and I'm honored on his behalf," she said.

This was Boseman's first Emmy award. He bested six other actors also nominated in the category: F. Murray Abraham ("Moon Knight"), Julie Andrews ("Bridgerton"), Jeffrey Wright ("What If...?"), Maya Rudolph ("Big Mouth"), Stanley Tucci ("Central Park") and the late Jessica Walter ("Archer").

Last year, Boseman won posthumous awards at the NAACP Image Awards, including outstanding actor in a motion picture for his role in Netflix's "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" and outstanding supporting actor for his performance in "Da 5 Bloods."

Boseman died on Aug. 28, 2020, after battling colon cancer for four years. He kept his health issues so private that even "Black Panther" director Ryan Coogler and "Da 5 Bloods" helmer Spike Lee were not aware of his condition. The world only knew about his cancer battle after his family announced his death.

According to his longtime agent Michael Greene, of Greene & Associates Talent Agency, Boseman's mom Carolyn was among the reasons he decided to keep his illness private.

"[She] always taught him not to have people fuss over him," Greene told The Hollywood Reporter. "He also felt in this business that people trip out about things, and he was a very, very private person."