*The 10th anniversary of Time Inc.’s Essence “Black Women in Hollywood Awards,” will air next month on OWN as a primetime television special.
The event will honor Hollywood’s “Next Generation,” young women who are excelling and elevating their crafts. Triple-threat actress/musician/entertainer Janelle Monáe (“Hidden Figures,” “Moonlight”) receives the Breakthrough Award; groundbreaking actress/writer/producer Issa Rae (“Insecure”) receives the Vanguard Award; standout actress Aja Naomi King (“How to Get Away with Murder”) receives the Lincoln Shining Star Award; and dynamic actress Yara Shahidi (“Black-ish) receives the Generation Next Award. Actress/producer Gabrielle Union (“Being Mary Jane”) will serve as the program’s host.
This year’s event will take place on Sunday, March 5 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. The ceremony will shift from a daytime luncheon to an evening gala for the first time.
For the past decade, the star-studded celebration has been at the forefront of spotlighting Hollywood’s most creative and accomplished African-American female visionaries both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. OWN is carrying the event for the third time.
The special is produced by Time Inc. Studios for the Oprah Winfrey Network.
