BET Networks and The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) recently announced the honorees for the annual BET Presents: American Black Film Festival Honors. This year, BET and ABFF will present actor and director Denzel Washington with the Hollywood Legacy Award; writer, producer and actress Issa Rae with the Rising Star Award; and film director and producer F. Gary Gray with the Excellence in the Arts Award.
Actress Regina Hall, who stars in the upcoming film Girls Trip, will host the awards gala–one of the highlights of the Hollywood awards season and Black History Month. The event will be held February 17 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA , and will air on BET and Centric Wednesday, February 22, at 8:00 p.m. ET.
The ABFF Honors’ mission is to celebrate black culture by honoring individuals, movies and television shows that have had a significant impact on American entertainment, as well as the people who are proponents of championing diversity and inclusion in Hollywood.
This year’s list of honorees includes some of Hollywood’s powerhouses. The iconic Denzel Washington is an industry veteran, whose
exemplary performances in film and on the stage have been consistently recognized by his peers and loyal fan base. His unforgettable performances have garnered him two Academy Awards, three Golden Globes, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and countless others. Denzel’s current project, the critically-acclaimed film adaptation of August Wilson’s Fences, which he produced and directed, also earned him a 2017 Oscar nomination.Writer, producer, and actress, Issa Rae, created her own path by starting out in the online/web space, but has since transitioned to television, and has since become one of Hollywood’s much-watched talents. Her new show, HBO’s INSECURE
, took the world by storm this past year, with its ridiculously hilarious punchlines, private rap battles, and a killer musical selection. It also earned her, her first Golden Globe nomination for “Best Actress in a TV Comedy or Musical.â€F. Gary Gray has been making moves behind the camera since 1989 and has brought some of today’s most buzz worthy and top box office films to the silver screen. Gray directed his first film, the comedy Friday
, at age 24, and has since gone on to direct some of the biggest names in film, including Academy Award-winner Kevin Spacey; Academy Award-nominee Samuel L. Jackson in The Negotiator; Golden Globe-winner Queen Latifah in Set It Off; Academy Award-winner Charlize Theron; Academy Award-nominee Mark Wahlberg in The Italian Job; and Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winner John Travolta in Be Cool. Up next, he will direct the eighth installment of The Fast and the Furious franchise, The Fate of the Furious.For more information about the 2017 ABFF Honors, log on to ABFFHonors.com and follow for updates on social media.