Viola Davis thanks Academy for honouring her work in 'Fences'

Actress Viola Davis, who has received an Oscar nomination Tuesday in the best supporting

actress

category for her role in '

Fences

', thanked

The Academy

for recognizing her work.


With three Academy Award recognition's in her kitty, the 51-year-old star has now become the most-nominated black actress in Oscar history. Denzel Washington also earned a best actor nomination for his role in the August Wilson adaptation of his Pulitzer Prize-winning play, although he failed to earn a best director nod for the movie.

"Thank you to the Academy for recognizing this extraordinary, important film and my work in it. Thank you, Denzel, for being at the helm," Davis said of her nomination. Davis earned her first Oscar nomination in 2008 for 'Doubt' in the best supporting actress category and a best actress nomination in 2011 for 'The Help'.

She is yet to bring home the coveted trophy, but is considered a frontrunner after winning a Golden Globe for her role in the Denzel Washington-directed movie, earlier this month.