(New York, N.Y.)βBuilding on its years of providing platforms to ensure Black creatives βreceive their flowersβ for their contributions to Hollywood and global culture, ESSENCE, the leading and only 100% Black-owned media, technology and commerce company at scale dedicated to Black women and communities, today announced the honorees for its highly-anticipated 14th annual Black Women in Hollywoodand feature programming for its 2nd annual Hollywood House. As the yearly canβt-miss event for Black Hollywood taking place during Oscars Week since 2008, the Black Women in Hollywood experience spotlights some of the most renowned and accomplished women leading at the forefront of the film, television and creative industry and has now honored 65 Black actresses, directors, producers, writers, costume designers and more. This yearβs stellar roster of honorees include EGOT winner, producer and entrepreneur Whoopi Goldberg (The View, The Stand); GRAMMY, EMMY and TONY Award-winning and OSCAR-nominated actress, singer and producer Cynthia Erivo (Genius: Aretha, Harriet); EMMY Award-winning actress/producer Zendaya (Malcolm and Marie, Euphoria); writer, actress and showrunner Michaela Coel (I May Destroy You); and Golden Globe winner, Oscar-nominated actress and GRAMMY-nominated singer Andra Day (The United States vs. Billie Holiday), who will also perform. The event will be hosted by actress and producer Laverne Cox (Promising Young Woman and Disclosure). Presenters will be announced at a later date.
Previously produced as an invite-only luncheon, this yearβs ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywoodwill be streamed as a virtual experience for the first time and will air Thursday, April 22, 2021 from 7-10 P.M. (ET) on ESSENCEStudios.com and ESSENCE.com. The theme, βMastering Our Stories,β will focus on the resiliency of Black women in Hollywood through the yearsβincluding during the unprecedented pandemic.
βESSENCE has demonstrated our commitment to highlighting the power and resiliency of Black women for 50 years, and part of that has included creating opportunities to uplift and recognize each other when no one else would,β said Latraviette D. Smith-Wilson, ESSENCE Chief Strategy & Engagement Officer. βIn a world where finally the needs and contributions of Black women are increasingly β though not always sustainably β being acknowledged in new ways, ESSENCEβs platforms such as Black Women in Hollywood remain unparalleled cultural forums that uniquely convene us in celebration and encouragement of each other and in recognition of the perseverance, fortitude, grace and innovation that have been required on our journeys. ESSENCE is incredibly proud to celebrate all our Black Women in Hollywood honorees for their immense talent and achievements, as well as for being a voice for Black women everywhere in ways that may not always be apparent and in rooms where we may not always be present. We see you. We hear you. We honor you.β
βEvery year, we start our planning for ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood with one important question: What stories amplified Black womenβs experiences?β said Cori Murray, ESSENCE Deputy Editor and co-producer of Black Women in Hollywood since its inception. βThis yearβs honorees and their individual projects have helped reframe and expand the narrative of Black womenβs joy, pain, challenges and triumphs on screen that have allowed so many of us to see pieces of our own lives within. With the added layer of the pandemic, these master storytellers have kept us sane and more importantly, seen.β
In addition, ESSENCEβs Oscar week activities will culminate with its second annual ESSENCE Hollywood House, which will be held on Friday, April 23rd. Hosted by actress Storm Reid (A Wrinkle in Time, The Invisible Man), ESSENCE Hollywood House was developed to provide compelling and engaging live content aimed at sparking meaningful conversation and action to drive more inclusion in Hollywood, as well as to provide an opportunity for Black creatives β aspiring and established β to educate, collaborate and empower one another with a purpose. The experience features thought leaders, industry stakeholders and members of the creative community including actors, directors, writers, showrunners, studio heads and others who will lead a curated schedule of interactive conversations, virtual panels, masterclasses, fireside chats and more. (Reid will also host the Black Women in Hollywood red carpet pre-show.) Presenters will be announced at a later date. To register or for more details, visit ESSENCE.com.
ESSENCEβs upcoming May/June 2021 issue (on newsstands in April) will feature its annual Black Women in Hollywood package highlighting each honoree. Stay tuned to ESSENCE.com for highlights and behind-the-scenes access to the ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards and ESSENCE Hollywood House.Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @essence #BlackWomeninHollywood. Join in the discussion on Facebook.
ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood and ESSENCE Hollywood Houseare presented by Ford and sponsored by L’OrΓ©al Paris.
For more details on the 2021 ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards, visit ESSENCE.com/BWIH. ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood and ESSENCE Hollywood House are produced by ESSENCE Communications, Inc.