Cynthia Erivo, Teyana Taylor, Marla Gibbs and Raamla Mohamed will be honored at this year’s Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards, kicking off a series of Oscars weekend events.
Already an Emmy, Grammy and Tony Award winner, Erivo recently earned her third Oscar nomination for her performance in “Wicked.” Similarly, Taylor is a multifaceted award-winning actress, singer and creative, who’ll next be seen starring in Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film and the upcoming series “All’s Fair” from Ryan Murphy. Gibbs is an industry legend, earning five Emmy nominations and eight NAACP Image Award wins for her TV and film roles, including “The Jeffersons” and “227.” Mohamed is an Emmy-nominated writer and the creator and executive producer of Hulu’s hit series “Reasonable Doubt.”
“Cross” producer and star Aldis Hodge will host the 18th annual ceremony celebrating Black women for their contributions to the film and TV business. Scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 27 at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, the event is themed “Scene and Unseen” as a call to “recognize the storytelling and vision that often go overlooked yet profoundly shape the entertainment industry and beyond.”
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Essence will also broadcast a special red carpet pre-show (launching Monday, March 3 on Essence’s YouTube channel) to give viewers an exclusive look at the red carpet arrivals and reveal the winner of the inaugural ESSIES’ Choice Award, a fan-chosen award that “shines a light on an emerging industry luminary who inspires a shared creative journey.”
Like most ceremonies this awards season, the Black Women in Hollywood Awards will also respond to the devastation of the Los Angeles wildfires as the media company commits to supporting existing relief efforts in the historically Black community of Altadena, as well as Pasadena and surrounding areas.
On Friday, Feb. 28, Essence’s programming continues with the sixth annual Essence Hollywood House dubbed “To Altadena With Love.” The event is open to the public and invites aspiring filmmakers, actors and enthusiasts in the TV and film industry to join a day filled with networking, panel discussions, skill-building activities and mentoring. The day’s events will also be available to stream on Essence.com.