Celebrated African-American actress Cicely Tyson, 93, will receive an honorary Oscar in a ceremony on Sunday to become the first black woman to ever be bestowed the honor.

The acting legend was first nominated for a best Oscar  actress in 1972, but lost it to Liza Minnelli. However, Tyson is no stranger to accolades. Throughout her acting career, she has won three Emmys, a Screen Actor Guild Award, a Tony Award, and four Black Reel Awards. She was also bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama in 2016.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has been previously criticized for not being inclusive enough. According to data reported by The Guardian, black people only accounted for two percent of the Academy's voters in 2014, and the lack of diversity among the nominees gave rise to the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite on Twitter.

In 2015, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, the first black president of the Academy, launched an initiative to promote the inclusiveness and cultural diversity of the Oscars. After concerted efforts in recruiting new members and retiring old timers, the new crew was said to represent 59 countries, of whom 46 percent were female and 41 percent non-white, according to Quartz.

"It is the last thing in the world that I ever expected," Tyson said about her receiving an honorary Oscar according to the Associated Press. "I hadn't done a major movie since 'The Help'."

"I come from lowly status. I grew up in an area that was called the slums at the time," Tyson said. "I still cannot imagine that I have met with presidents, kings, queens. How did I get here? I marvel at it."

(Top Photo: Cicely Tyson attends the premiere of a film at DGA Theater in Los Angeles, California, November 1, 2017. /VCG Photo)

(With input from the Associated Press)