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THE 2018 AMERICAN BLACK FILM FESTIVAL HONORS ANNOUNCES NOMINEES FOR MOVIE AND TELEVISION SHOWS (DRAMA & COMEDY) OF THE YEAR

ACTOR & COMEDIAN CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER TO HOST THE ANNUAL EVENT
ABFF Ventures has announced the 2018 ABFF Honors television and movie nominees. The show will return to the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 25, with actor and comedian Cedric The Entertainer as host.
The awards show celebrates individuals of African descent who have made distinguished contributions to American culture through their work, and salutes the year’s best movies and television shows. ABFF Honors was created by American Black Film Festival founder Jeff Friday, to promote camaraderie and a spirit of mutual appreciation among multicultural artists in Hollywood.
This year’s “Movie of the Year” nominees touch on historical figures and subject matters, social and economic issues and women’s empowerment, mixed with a girl’s adventure. Included, is a biopic about Thurgood Marshall and one of his greatest challenges he faced while working as a lawyer for the NAACP; another nominee is an American horror film, which follows an interracial couple and the series of increasingly disturbing discoveries each character faces. Our next nominee takes us on a wild all-girls adventure to New Orleans, during Essence Festival, and along the way they rekindle their sisterhood and rediscover their wild side. Our final nominee highlights two families battling the prejudice of the Jim Crow South and how their lives collide in a dramatic way.
Nominees for “Movie of the Year” are:
- DETROIT (Annapurna)
- GET OUT (Universal Pictures)
- GIRLS TRIP (Universal Pictures)
- MARSHALL (Open Road Films)
- MUDBOUND (Netflix)
The “Television Show of the Year” (Drama) nominees are powerful, smart, loyal and authentic. From a powerful criminal attorney who tests everyone’s limits and reveal dark truths, to a night club owner leading a double life as a drug kingpin and an inside look into the world at Georgia A&M, where the newly elected president has her hands full managing personal and professional scandal and drama, to a family struggling to gain a sense of cultural identity, a complicated story of three siblings who inherited a sugarcane farm and finally we take a journey to 1983 for a history lesson on the crack cocaine epidemic in Los Angeles – television over the past year has been captivating, genuine and provocative.
Nominees for “Television Show of the Year” (Drama) are:
- HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER (ABC)
- POWER (STARZ)
- THE QUAD (BET)
- QUEEN SUGAR (OWN)
- SNOWFALL (FX)
The “Television Show of the Year” (Comedy) nominees made us laugh every night, while pushing the envelope on subjects of sex, crime, race and politics. From an awkward Black girl who navigates the racy tribulations of modern-day love and friendships and a man who questions cultural assimilation for his family, who lives in an upper-class neighborhood, to five diverse, hardworking manicurists who try to make ends meet in an unstable economy in Central, Florida and a film adaptation, which follows a group of students of color at Winchester University who are faced with a landscape of cultural bias, to a show whose main character struggles to define herself and divide her time amongst her friends, job and her three lovers. Television comedies took risks and entertained us all season.
Nominees for “Television Show of the Year” (Comedy) are:
- BLACK-ish (ABC)
- CLAWS (TNT)
- DEAR WHITE PEOPLE (Netflix)
- INSECURE (HBO)
- SHE’S GOTTA HAVE IT (Netflix)
The winners of all three categories will be determined by the 2018 ABFF Honors Awards Committee, comprised of films critics and entertainment editors who vote for the nominees and winner in each competitive award category. In addition to the jury vote, the general public is invited to vote for their favorite television show and movie, online, via www.ABFFHonors.com, from December 20, 2017 through January 22, 2018.
To qualify for “Movie of the Year,” narrative feature films must have been directed by and/or feature a lead actor of African descent and have had a U.S. theatrical release, or broadcast premiere on a cable television or streaming platform during the 2017 calendar year.
To qualify for “Television Show of the Year,” the scripted television series (comedy or drama) must be created by and/or feature a lead actor of African descent and have had a U.S. television premiere on broadcast, basic or premium cable, digital delivery and pay-per-view cable or pay-per-view digital delivery, during the 2017 calendar year. For full details on the 2018 ABFF Honors eligibility and consideration rules, visit www.ABFFHonors.com.
This year, The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) Honors is proud to present legendary actor, singer and writer Billy Dee Williams with the “Hollywood Legacy Award;” actor Omari Hardwick with the “Distinguished ABFF Alumni Award;” actress and comedian Tiffany Haddish with the “Rising Star Award” and director Ava DuVernaywith the “Industry Visionary Award.”
The 2018 honorees will join an illustrious list of past ABFF Honors celebrants, including actors Denzel Washington, Regina King, Don Cheadle, Diahann Carroll, Queen Latifah, Issa Rae, Terrence Howard and filmmakers and producers Ryan Coogler, F. Gary Gray and Will Packer.
The event is executive produced by ABFF Ventures founder Jeff Friday and presented in association with de Passe Jones Entertainment.
For media inquiries, apply for media credentials and additional information about the 2018 ABFF Honors, please log on to www.ABFFHonors.com.
Also, follow us on our social media platforms:
- Twitter: @ABFFHonors
- Facebook: American Black Film Festival
- Instagram: @AmericanBlackFilmFestival
- YouTube: American Black Film Festival
- Hashtag: #ABFFHonors
We Speak Entertainment
BET MEDIA GROUP HONORED BLACK LGBTQ+ TRAILBLAZER WITH A POWERFUL NIGHT OF CELEBRATION, CULTURE AND COMMUNITY
FROM BOB THE DRAG QUEEN’S GROUNDBREAKING RECOGNITION TO HOPE GISELLES’S INSPIRING REMARKS– THE 3RD ANNUAL BET BLACK + ICONIC SOIREE HIGHLIGHTED THE BRILLIANCE AND IMPACT OF BLACK LGBTQ+ LEADERS

(New York, NY)– May 28, 2025 – The 3rd Annual BET Black + Iconic Soirée made its Washington, D.C debut with inspiring evening celebrating the past, present, and future of black LGBTQ+ excellence. The 2025 theme, “Excellence Ascending,” paid tribute to cultural change makers leading with authenticity, courage and purpose.
Hosted by entertainment journalist and Access Hollywood anchor Scott Evans, the Soirée gathered trailblazers across activism, arts, business, and media for a powerful evening of storytelling , performance, and legacy-building.
Highlights from the BET Black + Iconic Soriée Included:
- Ashlee Davis, J.D. received the Executive Realness Award for her trailblazing work in civil rights leadership, including her legacy of impact across government and corporate sectors.
- Hope Giselle, a powerful advocate and author was named Emerging leader for her unrelenting work championing visibility and inclusion for Black trans communities.
- Kierra Johnson, Executive Director of the National LGBTQ Task Force, was honored as Active Advocate for her decades of leadership advancing reproductive justice and LGBTQ+ rights.
- Ashlee Marie Preston, a nationally recognized activist and media strategist, accepted the Creative Visionary Award, saluted for using her voice to shift narratives and build intergenerational coalitions.
- Bob the Drag Queen, Emmy-winning entertainer and global icon, received the Culture Trailblazer Award, closing the evening with a heartfelt speech about identity, freedom, legacy.
- The Center for Black Equity and the Take Resource Center each received $5,000 through the BET Thrive Fund Recognition, honored for their work advancing Black LGBTQ+ wellness, equity and community organizing.
The night also featured a soul-stirring medley performance by Broadway powerhouse Avery Wilson, fresh off stage from The Wiz revival. Presenters included Eva Marcille (All The Queen’s Men, BET+), Carter The Body (All The Queen’s Men, BET+), Bryan Terrell Clark (Diarra from Detroit, BET+), and Arrington Foster (The Family Business, BET+), each bringing star power and heartfelt tributes to the evening’s honorees.
“From the very beginning, we knew this couldn’t be just another event,” said Tiyale Hayes, EVP of Insights and Multiplatform Analytics and Co-Lead of Social Impact at BET, During his opening remarks. “It had to an intentional space to uplift stories too often silenced and celebrate contributions that have shaped the world in powerful ways.”
The evening also spotlighted Gilead Sciences, a long standing partner of the BET Black + Iconic Soirée. Gilead’s Rashad Burgess, Vice President of U.S. Advocacy and Health Equity, emphasized and the importance of equitable healthcare access, visibility, and long-term impact for Black LGBTQ+ communities.
Additionally, the event welcomed Truth Initiative as a new partner of the BET Black + Iconic Soirée. Dr. Kendrick Dartis, Vice president of Outreach and Engagement, addressed the urgent issue of tobacco use in Black and LGBTQ+ communities and emphasized the need for culturally relevant cessation support. He also announced a $5,000 BET Thrive Fund donation, sponsored by Truth Initiative, to Us Helping Us– a D.C.- based non profit dedicated to advancing health equity.
BET Black + Iconic Soirée stands as defining moment in the 45th anniversary year of the media group– underscoring its mission to center Black culture, honor its LGBTQ+ communities, and drive meaningful, measurable impact.
Join the conversation using #BlackAndIconic and relieve the nights most powerful moments on BET’s official social channels. The Televised premiere date and time will be announced at a later date.
ABOUT BET MEDIA GROUP
The BET Media Group, a unit of Paramount (NASDAQ:PARAA;PARA), is the worlds largest media company dedicated too entertaining, engaging, and empowering the Black community and championing Black culture. Connecting Back audiences through a portfolio of brands including BET, BET+, BET Gospel, BET HER, BET International, BET Jams, BET Soul, BET Studios, and VH1, the BET Media Group is thriving media ecosystem of leading interconnected platforms across cable TV, streaming, digital, studios, live events and international. For more information about BET, visit www.bet.com and follow @BET on social platforms. For more BET news announcements visit bet pressroom.com.
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