Academy Award-nominated actress Taraji P. Henson has dedicated her Oscar nomination to her late father.

The Washington, DC native won a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award nomination on Thursday for her role as “Queenie” in this year’s top Oscar contender The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

“I’m still in shock. I haven’t had a moment really to let it all sink in… This is an incredible year in film in general…My dad passed away a year before we started filming the movie and he always said this was going to happen…”

“He didn’t get to see it. But come Oscar night, he’ll have the best seat in the house. This is for my dad.”