VIDEO: Viola Davis Pays Tribute to August Wilson in Moving Acceptance Speech

Last night, Viola Davis picked up the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for FENCES. The actress reprised her Tony Award winning performance as Rose Maxson, a devoted wife and mother who tries to champion her son's ambitions against her husband's sometimes savage derision, in the big-screen adaptation of August Wilson's drama. This is the third Academy Award nomination for Davis. She was previously nominated for: THE HELP (2011) Nominee, Actress in a Leading Role and DOUBT (2008) Nominee, Actress in a Supporting Role.

She is now the first black actor to win an Oscar, Emmy and Tony award for acting. In addition, she becomes the second person in history to win a Tony and an Oscar for the same role but in different categories. The first was "The King and I" star Yul Brynner.

During her moving acceptance speech, Davis paid tribute to both FENCES playwright August Wilson, and her co-star and director, Denzel Washington, saying "So, here's to August Wilson, who exhumed and exalted the ordinary people. And to Bron Pictures, Paramount, Macro, Todd Black, Molly Allen for being the cheerleaders for a movie that is about people and words. And life and forgiveness and grace. And to Michael T. Williamson, Stephen Mckinley Henderson, for being the most wonderful artists I've ever worked with, and oh captain, my captain, Denzel Washington."

Photo: ABC/Eddy Chen