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Taraji P. Henson Makes History at the Critics' Choice Awards

The queen of Empire is the first Black actress to win for best lead in a drama series.

Taraji P. Henson was the boss at the Critics' Choice Awards, which celebrates the best in television. This year, the best was Henson for her role as Cookie Lyon in Empire. The actress made history as the first Black woman to win Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series at the awards.
The veteran actress gave a heartfelt — and funny — acceptance speech, calling out everyone who has referred to her as a "new talent" since Empire's success. "Yeah, I get to live my twenties again!" she joked. “Thank you," she added. "I dont know what to say. Fox, you’re bold, you took a shot, you took a risk. Lee Daniels and Danny Strong, you’re bold, I love you for it, you’re crazy like me. I like it. Terrence Howard, wherever you are, I love you. Critics, thank you for recognizing my hard work.”

| LIFE IN FILM: THE CAST OF EMPIRE |

Lorraine Toussaint also nabbed an award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for Orange Is the New Black and Queen Latifah's telepic Bessie won for Best Movie Made for Television. David Oyelowo  also got a win for best actor in a movie/miniseries for his performance in Nightingale, which is the first time a Black actor won in that category. The win is a remarkable one considering Nightingale's improbable journey, which Oyelowo shared with us in our exclusive interview here.
Click here for a complete list of winners and watch below to see one of our classic interviews with Miss Henson:

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(Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

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