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PRESS RELEASE: The 47th NAACP IMAGE AWARDS NOMINEES ANNOUNCED

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Marsai Martin (left) and Miles Brown, two of the stars from the ABC sitcom "black-ish" announce nominees for 47th NAACP Image Awards during a recent press conference. (Earl Gibson III/NAACP)

Marsai Martin (left) and Miles Brown, two of the stars from the ABC sitcom “black-ish” announce nominees for 47th NAACP Image Awards during a recent press conference. (Earl Gibson III/NAACP)

Live TV Special and Red Carpet Pre-Show to Air
Friday, February 5 on TV ONE

Entertainer of the Year Voting Opens
ABC and BET Lead the Nominees in the TV Categories
Columbia Records Leads in the Recording Category

BEVERLY HILLS, CA (December 8, 2015) – The nominees for the 47th NAACP Image Awards were announced today during a press conference from The Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills, CA. The categories and nominees were announced by Guillermo Díaz (Scandal), Tika Sumpter (The Haves and the Have Nots), Danielle Nicolet (Born Again Virgin), Marsai Martin (Black-ish), and Miles Brown (Black-ish). In addition, the event was live streamed and special commentary was provided by Nischelle Turner (Entertainment Tonight).

The NAACP Image Awards celebrates the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature and film and also honors individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors. Winners will be announced during the two-hour star-studded event, which will broadcast LIVE on TV ONE on Friday, February 5, 2016 at 9pm/8c as a two-hour special. A one-hour pre-show will air live from the red carpet at 8pm/7c.

“The Image Awards celebrates individuals who model principles of hard work, perseverance, and community empowerment and with the announcement of this year’s nominees the NAACP continues to spotlight the achievements of those in our community,” stated Roslyn M. Brock, Chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors. “We have enjoyed a great collaboration with TV One and look forward to working with them again this year to create a memorable evening of entertainment.”

“The NAACP Image Awards has become more than just a ceremony, but an institution for artists and social justice warriors of color to be recognized and celebrated,” stated Cornell William Brooks, President and CEO, NAACP. “As the Image Awards continues to grow and evolve, the principles of social justice will remain at its core.”
ABC and BET lead the nominees in the TV categories with 28 and 13 nominations respectively, followed by FOX with 12. In the recording category, Columbia Records leads with 10 nominations, followed by RCA with 9 nominations and BMG with 6 nominations. Warner Brothers leads with 6 nominations, while Universal Pictures and Netflix both received 5 nominations in the motion picture categories.

The 47th NAACP Image Awards is sponsored by AT&T, Bank of America, Chrysler-UAW, FedEx, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Hyundai Motors of America, Southwest Airlines and Wells Fargo.

For all information and latest news, please visit the official NAACP Image Awards website at https://www.naacpimageawards.net.

FB: /naacpimageaward | Twitter: @naacpimageaward | Social Hashtag: #NAACPImageAwards

Following is the complete list of categories and nominees for the 47th NAACP Image Awards:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

• Michael B. Jordan
• Misty Copeland
• Pharrell Williams
• Shonda Rhimes
• Viola Davis

TELEVISION

Outstanding Comedy Series
• “black-ish” (ABC)
• “House of Lies” (Showtime)
• “Key & Peele” (Comedy Central)
• “Orange is the New Black” (Netflix)
• “Survivor’s Remorse” (Starz)

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
• Andre Braugher – “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (FOX)
• Anthony Anderson – “black-ish” (ABC)
• Don Cheadle – “House of Lies” (Showtime)
• Dwayne Johnson – “Ballers” (HBO)
• RonReaco Lee – “Survivor’s Remorse” (Starz)

Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series
• Gina Rodriguez – “Jane The Virgin” (The CW)
• Loretta Devine – “The Carmichael Show” (NBC)
• Tracee Ellis Ross – “black-ish” (ABC)
• Uzo Aduba – “Orange is the New Black” (Netflix)
• Wendy Raquel Robinson – “The Game” (BET)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
• David Alan Grier – “The Carmichael Show” (NBC)
• Laurence Fishburne – “black-ish” (ABC)
• Mike Epps – “Survivor’s Remorse” (Starz)
• Miles Brown – “black-ish” (ABC)
• Terry Crews – “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (FOX)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
• Anna Deavere Smith – “Nurse Jackie” (Showtime)
• Danielle Brooks – “Orange is the New Black” (Netflix)
• Laverne Cox – “Orange is the New Black” (Netflix)
• Marsai Martin – “black-ish” (ABC)
• Tichina Arnold – “Survivor’s Remorse” (Starz)

Outstanding Drama Series
• “Being Mary Jane” (BET)
• “Empire” (FOX)
• “How to Get Away with Murder” (ABC)
• “Power” (Starz)
• “Scandal” (ABC)

Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series
• LL Cool J – “NCIS: Los Angeles” (CBS)
• Morris Chestnut – “Rosewood” (FOX)
• Omari Hardwick – “Power” (Starz)
• Terrence Howard – “Empire” (FOX)
• Wesley Snipes – “The Player” (NBC)

Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
• Gabrielle Union – “Being Mary Jane” (BET)
• Kerry Washington – “Scandal” (ABC)
• Nicole Beharie – “Sleepy Hollow” (FOX)
• Taraji P. Henson – “Empire” (FOX)
• Viola Davis – “How to Get Away With Murder” (ABC)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
• Alfred Enoch – “How to Get Away with Murder” (ABC)
• Bryshere Y. Gray – “Empire” (FOX)
• Guillermo Diaz – “Scandal” (ABC)
• Joe Morton – “Scandal” (ABC)
• Jussie Smollett – “Empire” (FOX)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
• Cicely Tyson – “How to Get Away with Murder” (ABC)
• Danai Gurira – “The Walking Dead” (AMC)
• Grace Gealey – “Empire” (FOX)
• Naturi Naughton – “Power” (Starz)
• Regina King – “American Crime” (ABC)

Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
• “American Crime” (ABC)
• “Bessie” (HBO)
• “Luther” (BBC America)
• “The Book of Negroes” (BET)
• “The Wiz Live!” (NBC)

Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
• Cuba Gooding, Jr. – “The Book of Negroes” (BET)
• David Alan Grier – “The Wiz Live!” (NBC)
• David Oyelowo – “Nightingale” (HBO)
• Idris Elba – “Luther” (BBC America)
• Michael Kenneth Williams – “Bessie” (HBO)

Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
• Angela Bassett – “American Horror Story: Hotel” (FX Networks)
• Aunjanue Ellis – “The Book of Negroes” (BET)
• Jill Scott – “With this Ring” (Lifetime)
• LaTonya Richardson Jackson – “Show Me a Hero” (HBO)
• Queen Latifah – “Bessie” (HBO)

Outstanding News/ Information – (Series or Special)
• “Katrina: 10 Years After the Storm” (ABC)
• “News One Now” (TV One)
• “Oprah Prime: Celebrating Dr. King and the Selma Marches 50 Years Later” (OWN)
• “Oprah: Where Are They Now?- Civil Rights Special” (OWN)
• “Unsung” (TV One)

Outstanding Talk Series
• “Melissa Harris-Perry” (MSNBC)
• “Steve Harvey” (Syndicated)
• “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” (Comedy Central)
• “The Talk” (CBS)
• “The Wendy Williams Show” (Syndicated)

Outstanding Reality Program/Reality Competition Series
• “Dancing with the Stars” (ABC)
• “Iyanla: Fix My Life” (OWN)
• “Shark Tank” (ABC)
• “The Voice” (NBC)
• “Welcome to Sweetie Pies” (OWN)

Outstanding Variety (Series or Special)
• “Black Girls Rock!” (BET)
• “Family Feud” (Syndicated)
• “Oprahs Master Class” (OWN)
• “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” (Comedy Central)
• “The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore” (Comedy Central)

Outstanding Children’s Program
• “Doc McStuffins” (Disney Junior)
• “Dora and Friends” (Nickelodeon)
• “K.C. Undercover” (Disney Channel)
• “Little Ballers” (Nickelodeon)
• “Project MC2” (Netflix)

Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Mini-series)
• Hudson Yang – “Fresh Off The Boat” (ABC)
• Marcus Scribner – “black-ish” (ABC)
• Marsai Martin – “black-ish” (ABC)
• Miles Brown – “black-ish” (ABC)
• Skai Jackson – “Jessie” (Disney Channel)

Outstanding Host in a News, Talk, Reality, or Variety (Series or Special) – Individual or
• “Family Feud” – Steve Harvey (Syndicated)
• “Melissa Harris-Perry” – Melissa Harris-Perry (MSNBC)
• “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel ” – Bryant Gumbel (HBO)
• “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” – Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)
• “The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore” – Larry Wilmore (Comedy Central)

RECORDING

Outstanding New Artist
• Andra Day (Warner Bros. Records)
• Judith Hill (NPG Records)
• Jussie Smollett (Columbia Records)
• The Weeknd (Republic Records)
• Yazz (Columbia Records)

Outstanding Male Artist
• Charlie Wilson (RCA Records)
• Kendrick Lamar (Top Dawg Entertainment/Aftermath/Interscope)
• Pharrell Williams (Columbia Records/iamOTHER)
• The Weeknd (Republic Records)
• Tyrese Gibson (Voltron Recordz)

Outstanding Female Artist
• Janet Jackson (Rhythm Nation/BMG)
• Jazmine Sullivan (RCA Records)
• Jill Scott (Atlantic Records)
• Lalah Hathaway (Hathaway Entertainment/Entertainment One)
• Lauryn Hill (RCA Records)

Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration
• “Conqueror” – Empire Cast feat. Estelle & Jussie Smollett (Columbia Records)
• “Hamilton: An American Musical” – Original Broadway Cast (Atlantic Records)
• “No Sleeep” – Janet Jackson feat. J. Cole (Rhythm Nation/BMG)
• “One Man Can Change The World” – Big Sean feat. Kanye West and John Legend (G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam Recordings)
• “Sound & Color” – Alabama Shakes (ATO Records)

Outstanding Jazz Album
• “BrotherLEE Love: Celebrating Lee Morgan” – Terell Stafford Quintet (Capri Records)
• “Dee Dee’s Feathers” – Dee Dee Bridgewater, Irvin Mayfield, New Orleans Jazz Orchestra (Okeh)
• “Miles Davis at Newport 1955-1975: The Bootleg Series Vol. 4” – Miles Davis (Columbia/Legacy Recordings)
• “The Complete Concert By The Sea” – Erroll Garner (Legacy Recordings/Octave Music Publishing Corporation)
• The Epic” – Kamasi Washington (Brainfeeder)

Outstanding Gospel Album – (Traditional or Contemporary)
• “A Different Place” – Kim Burrell (Shanachie Entertainment)
• “It’s Personal” – Tina Campbell (Gee Tree Creative)
• “Losing My Religion” – Kirk Franklin (RCA Inspiration)
• “The Gospel According To Jazz – Chapter IV” – Kirk Whalum (Mack Avenue Records, Rendezvous, Top Drawer Records)
• “You Shall Live” – Marvin Sapp (RCA Inspiration)

Outstanding Music Video
• “Can’t Feel My Face” – The Weeknd (Republic Records)
• “Freedom” – Pharrell Williams (Columbia Records/iamOTHER)
• “No Sleeep” – Janet Jackson feat. J. Cole (Rhythm Nation/BMG)
• “Shame” – Tyrese Gibson (Voltron Recordz)
• “Sound & Color” – Alabama Shakes (ATO Records)

Outstanding Song – Traditional
• “Back Together” – Jill Scott (Atlantic Records)
• “Everytime I’m With You” – Seal (Reprise Records)
• “Feeling Good” – Lauryn Hill (RCA Records)
• “Goodnight Kisses” – Charlie Wilson (RCA Records)
• “Let It Burn” – Jazmine Sullivan (RCA Records)

Outstanding Album
• “Beauty Behind the Madness” – The Weeknd (Republic Records)
• “Empire (Original Soundtrack from Season One)” – Empire Cast (Columbia Records)
• “Forever Charlie” – Charlie Wilson (RCA Records)
• “Unbreakable” – Janet Jackson (Rhythm Nation/BMG)
• “Woman” – Jill Scott (Atlantic Records)

Outstanding Song – Contemporary
• “Conqueror” – Empire Cast feat. Estelle & Jussie Smollett (Columbia)
• “Freedom” – Pharrell Williams (Columbia Records/iamOTHER)
• “No Sleeep” – Janet Jackson feat. J. Cole (Rhythm Nation/BMG)
• “Unbreakable” – Janet Jackson (Rhythm Nation/BMG)
• “You’re So Beautiful” – Empire Cast feat. Jussie Smollett & Yazz (Columbia Records)

LITERATURE

Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction
• “Driving the King” – Ravi Howard (HarperCollins/Harper)
• “Ghost Summer: Stories” – Tananarive Due (Prime Books)
• “Mama’s Boy” – ReShonda Tate Billingsley (Gallery Books, a division of Simon & Schuster)
• “Stand Your Ground” – Victoria Christopher Murrary (Touchstone)
• “Under the Udala Trees” – Chinelo Okparanta (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

Outstanding Literary Work – Non-Fiction
• “50 Billion Dollar Boss: African American Women Sharing Stories of Success in Entrepreneurship and Leadership” – Kathey Porter (Author), Andrea Hoffman (Author), (Palgrave Macmillan)
• “Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder in America” – Jill Leovy (Spiegel & Grau)
• “SHOWDOWN: Thurgood Marshall and the Supreme Court Nomination That Changed America” – Wil Haygood (Alfred A. Knopf)
• “Spectacle: The Astonishing Life of Ota Benga” – Pamela Newkirk
(HarperCollins/Amistad)
• “The Light of the World” – Elizabeth Alexander (Grand Central Publishing)

Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author
• “Between The World and Me” – Ta-Nehisi Coates (Spiegel & Grau)
• “The Fishermen” – Chigozie Obioma (Little, Brown & Company)
• “The Star Side of Bird Hill” – Naomi Jackson (Penguin Press)
• “The Turner House” – Angela Flournoy (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
• “The Wind In The Reeds: A Storm, A Play And The City That Could Not Be Broken” – Wendell Pierce (Author), Rod Dreher (Author), (Riverhead Books)

Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/ Auto-Biography
• “After the Dance: My Life with Marvin Gaye” – Jan Gaye (Author), David Ritz (With), (HarperCollins/Amistad)
• “Between The World and Me” – Ta-Nehisi Coates (Spiegel & Grau)
• “One Righteous Man: Samuel Battle and the Shattering of the Color Line in New York” – Arthur Browne (Beacon Press)
• “Power Forward: My Presidential Education” – Reggie Love (Simon & Schuster)
• “Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person” – Shonda Rhimes (Simon & Schuster)

Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional
• “Big Words to Little Me: Tips and Advice for the Younger Self” – Sakina Ibrahim
(Author), Jessie Lee (With), (Createspace (Self published))
• “Free Your Mind: An African American Guide to Meditation and Freedom” – Cortez R. Rainey (CreateSpace)
• “Grandbaby Cakes: Modern Recipes, Vintage Charm, Soulful Memories” – Jocelyn Delk Adams (Agate Surrey)
• “Keep Calm… It’s Just Real Estate: Your No-Stress Guide To Buying A Home” – Egypt Sherrod (Perseus/Running Press)
• “Soul Food Love: Healthy Recipes Inspired by One Hundred Years of Cooking in a Black Family” – Alice Randall (Author), Caroline Randall Williams (Author), (Clarkson Potter)

Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry
• “Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude” – Ross Gay (University of Pittsburgh Press)
• “How to Be Drawn” – Terrance Hayes (Penguin Books / Penguin Random House)
• “Reconnaissance” – Carl Phillips (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
• “Redbone” – Mahogany L. Browne (Willow Books)
• “Wild Hundreds” – Nate Marshall (University of Pittsburgh Press)

Outstanding Literary Work – Children
• “Chasing Freedom: The Life Journeys of Harriet Tubman and Susan B. Anthony, Inspired by Historical Facts” – Nikki Grimes (Author), Michele Wood (Illustrator), (Orchard Books / Scholastic)
• “Gordon Parks How the Photographer Captured Black and White America” – Carole Boston Weatherford (Author), Jamey Christoph (Illustrator), (Albert Whitman & Company)
• “Granddaddy’s Turn: A Journey to the Ballot Box” – Michael S. Bandy (Author), Eric Stein (Author), James E. Ransome (Illustrator), (Candlewick Press)
• “If You Plant a Seed” – Kadir Nelson (Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins
Publishers)
• “New Shoes” – Susan Lynn Meyer (Author), Eric Velasquez (Illustrator), (Holiday House)

Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens
• “Rhythm Ride: A Road Trip Through the Motown Sound” – Andrea Davis Pinkney (Roaring Brook Press)
• “Stella By Starlight” – Sharon Draper (Simon & Schuster)
• “Untwine” – Edwidge Danticat (Scholastic Press)
• “X: A Novel” – Ilyasah Shabazz (Author), Kekla Magoon (With), (Candlewick Press)
• “You Are Wonderfully Made: 12 Life-Changing Principles for Teen Girls to Embrace” – Gwen Richardson (Author), Sylvia Daye Richardson (Author), (Cushcity Communications)

MOTION PICTURE

Outstanding Motion Picture
• “Beasts of No Nation” (Netflix)
• “Concussion” (Sony Pictures Entertainment)
• “Creed” (Warner Bros. Pictures/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures)
• “Dope” (Open Road Films)
• “Straight Outta Compton” (Universal Pictures)

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
• Abraham Attah – “Beasts of No Nation” (Netflix)
• Chiwetel Ejiofor – “Secret in Their Eyes” (STX Entertainment)
• Michael B. Jordan – “Creed” (Warner Bros. Pictures/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures)
• Michael Ealy – “The Perfect Guy” (Screen Gems)
• Will Smith – “Concussion” (Sony Pictures Entertainment)

Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
• Lauren ‘Keke’ Palmer – “Brotherly Love” (Flavor Unit)
• Sanaa Lathan – “The Perfect Guy” (Screen Gems)
• Teyonah Parris – “Chi-Raq” (Amazon Studios and Roadside Attractions)
• Viola Davis – “Lila and Eve” (Samuel Goldwyn Films)
• Zoe Saldana – “Infinitely Polar Bear” (Sony Pictures Classics)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
• Chiwetel Ejiofor – “The Martian” (20th Century Fox)
• Corey Hawkins – “Straight Outta Compton” (Universal Pictures)
• Forest Whitaker – “Southpaw” (The Weinstein Company)
• Idris Elba – “Beasts of No Nation” (Netflix)
• O’Shea Jackson, Jr. – “Straight Outta Compton” (Universal Pictures)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
• Angela Bassett – “Chi-Raq” (Amazon Studios and Roadside Attractions)
• Gugu Mbatha-Raw – “Concussion” (Sony Pictures Entertainment)
• Jennifer Hudson – “Chi-Raq” (Amazon Studios and Roadside Attractions)
• Phylicia Rashad – “Creed” (Warner Bros. Pictures/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures)
• Tessa Thompson – “Creed” (Warner Bros. Pictures/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures)

Outstanding Independent Motion Picture
• “Beasts of No Nation” (Netflix)
• “Brotherly Love” (Flavor Unit)
• “Chi-Raq” (Amazon Studios and Roadside Attractions)
• “Infinitely Polar Bear” (Sony Pictures Classics)
• “Secret in Their Eyes” (STX Entertainment)

DOCUMENTARY

Outstanding Documentary – (Film)
• “Amy” (A24)
• “Dreamcatcher” (Rise Films, Green Acres Films & Vixen Films in association with Impact Partners and Artemis Rising Foundation)
• “In My Fathers House” (Break Thru Films)
• “The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution” (PBS Distribution/Firelight Films)
• “What Happened, Miss Simone?” (A Radical Media Production in Association with Moxie Firecracker for Netflix)

Outstanding Documentary – (Television)
• “August Wilson: The Ground on Which I Stand” (PBS)
• “Belief” (OWN)
• “Kareem: Minority of One” (HBO)
• “Light Girls” (OWN)
• “Muhammad Ali: The Peoples Champ” (BET)

WRITING

Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series
• Alan Yang, Aziz Ansari – “Master of None” – Parents (Netflix)
• Jennie Snyder Urman – “Jane The Virgin” – Chapter Twenty-Three (The CW)
• Jill Soloway – “Transparent” – Kina Hora (Amazon Video)
• Jordan Peele, Keegan-Michael Key, Jay Martel, Ian Roberts, Rebecca Drysdale, Colton Dunn, Phil Augusta Jackson, Alex Rubens, Charlie Sanders, Rich Talarico – “Key & Peele” – Y’all Ready For This? (Comedy Central)
• Kenya M. Barris – “black-ish” – The Word (ABC)
Outstanding Writing in a Dramatic Series
• Erika Green Swafford, Doug Stockstill – “How to Get Away with Murder” – Mama’s Here Now (ABC)
• John Ridley – “American Crime” – Episode 1 (ABC)
• LaToya Morgan – “TURN: Washingtons Spies” – False Flag (AMC)
• Lee Daniels, Danny Strong – “Empire” – Pilot (FOX)
• Mara Brock Akil, Jameal Turner, Keli Goff – “Being Mary Jane” – Sparrow (BET)

Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture – (Television)
• Dee Rees – “Bessie” (HBO)
• Lawrence Hill, Clement Virgo – “The Book of Negroes” (BET)
• Michael S. Bandy, Eric Stein – “White Water” (TV One)
• Nzingha Stewart – “With this Ring” (Lifetime)
• Shem Bitterman – “Whitney” (Lifetime)

Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Film)
• Andrea Berloff, Jonathan Herman – “Straight Outta Compton” (Universal Pictures)
• Christopher Cleveland & Bettina Gilois, Grant Thompson – “McFarland USA” (Walt Disney Pictures)
• Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve, Josh Cooley – “Inside Out” (Disney/Pixar)
• Rick Famuyiwa – “Dope” (Open Road Films)
• Ryan Coogler, Aaron Covington – “Creed” (Warner Bros. Pictures/Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer Pictures)

DIRECTING

Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series
• Aziz Ansari – “Master of None” – Parents (Netflix)
• Brad Silberling – “Jane The Virgin” – Chapter Twenty-Three (The CW)
• Don Cheadle – “House of Lies” – The Urge to Save Humanity is Almost Always a False Front for the Urge to Rule (Showtime)
• Peter Atencio – “Key & Peele” – The End (Comedy Central)
• Stan Lathan – “Real Husbands of Hollywood” – Cabin Pressure (BET)

Outstanding Directing in a Dramatic Series
• Ernest Dickerson – “Hand of God” – Welcome the Stranger (Amazon Video)
• John Ridley – “American Crime” – Episode 1 (ABC)
• Lee Daniels – “Empire” – Pilot (FOX)
• Millicent Shelton – “American Crime” – Episode Ten (ABC)
• Salim Akil – “Being Mary Jane” – Sparrow (BET)

Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Television)
• Christine Swanson – “For the Love of Ruth” (TV One)
• Dee Rees – “Bessie” (HBO)
• Nzingha Stewart – “With this Ring” (Lifetime)
• Rusty Cundieff – “White Water” (TV One)
• Salim Akil – “The Start Up” (BET)

Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture – (Film)
• Alfonso Gomez-Rejon – “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” (Fox Searchlight Pictures / Rhode Island Ave)
• Charles Stone, III – “Lila and Eve” (Samuel Goldwyn Films)
• F. Gary Gray – “Straight Outta Compton” (Universal Pictures)
• Rick Famuyiwa – “Dope” (Open Road Films)
• Ryan Coogler – “Creed” (Warner Bros. Pictures/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures)

ANIMATED/CGI

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance – (Television or Film)
• Aisha Tyler – “Archer” (FX Networks)
• Audra McDonald – “Doc McStuffins” (Disney Junior)
• Jeffrey Wright – “The Good Dinosaur” (Disney/Pixar)
• Loretta Devine – “Doc McStuffins” (Disney Channel)
• Wanda Sykes – “Penn Zero” (Disney XD)

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Black History

At CBCF Conference, a Panel Asks What Black Public Figures Owe the People Who Follow Them

COLUMBUS TIMES — The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference featured a panel titled “Platforms & Purpose: A Conversation With Black Men Leveraging Their Reach.” Actor and activist Kendrick Sampson, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, media personality Jason Lee, singer Eric Benét, and rapper Yung Joc discussed how public figures can translate influence into real-world change.

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At CBCF Conference, a Panel Asks What Black Public Figures Owe the People Who Follow Them
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WASHINGTON — Among the more than 100 policy forums and brain trusts at this year’s Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference was a conversation about influence itself: who has it, and what they do with it.

"Platforms & Purpose: A Conversation With Black Men Leveraging Their Reach" brought together actor and activist Kendrick Sampson, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, media personality Jason Lee, singer Eric Benét and rapper and radio host Yung Joc. The session looked at how entertainers, creators and elected officials can turn public attention into real-world change.

The panel took place at the 55th Annual Legislative Conference, a five-day event in Washington that began Wednesday. This year’s theme is "Rooted, Ready & Rising," and the conference coincides with the CBC Foundation’s 50th anniversary. CBCF President and CEO Nicole Austin-Hillery has said the gathering is meant to "combine celebration with purpose," while taking up issues including voting rights, economic opportunity, education, health disparities and criminal justice.

That mix of celebrity and policy is a long-running feature of the conference, which brings lawmakers, advocates, entrepreneurs, students and entertainers into the same rooms. The panel’s premise reflects a broader question as creators reach audiences that rival traditional media.

A career built on both stage and street

Sampson is a natural fit for that conversation. The Houston native is known for television and film work, including HBO’s Insecure, and for his activism off screen. He co-founded BLD PWR, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that combines entertainment, education and activism.

The organization says its mission is to "reimagine and realize the liberated future we know our people deserve." It works to mobilize entertainment-industry figures and organize communities around racial, gender, immigration, economic and environmental justice, mental health and wellness, and opposition to state violence. BLD PWR emphasizes storytelling and community healing, and it centers the voices of Black, Indigenous and other marginalized communities.

What to watch

The conference runs through Sunday at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Details on sessions and registration are available through the CBC Foundation.

Based on reporting by Columbus Times.



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Black Press

BOOK REVIEW: ‘Laws of Solomon’ Reveals Tender Heart of Former Child Soldier

The monsters that came to him early in his sleep were the easy ones. It was the later demons that stole Solomon Nangobi’s sleep, the spirits of all the people he killed when he was a child soldier in Uganda, and when he was a fixer in New York as an adult. Their ghosts called to him with urgent voices, though he left that life behind long ago.

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Book cover of “Laws of Solomon.” Courtesy of Poisoned Pen Press
Book cover of “Laws of Solomon.” Courtesy of Poisoned Pen Press

Author: Eriq La Salle, Copyright: c.2026, Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press, SRP: $18.99, Page Count: 304 pages

Finally, after so much work, you’ve left your past behind.

That’s what you tell yourself: what’s done is done and you can’t undo history. It’s over. You try not to think about last month, last year, a decade back because what does it matter? As in the new novel, “Laws of Solomon” by Eriq La Salle, remembering is too full of pain.

The monsters that came to him early in his sleep were the easy ones. It was the later demons that stole Solomon Nangobi’s sleep, the spirits of all the people he killed when he was a child soldier in Uganda, and when he was a fixer in New York as an adult. Their ghosts called to him with urgent voices, though he left that life behind long ago.

Now, his days were filled working the soil in gardens near Malibu, and he loved the quiet life.

Still, he kept his guns.

And he was glad: when Solomon recognized two Zeta gunmen stalking a well-dressed man, woman, and child through the gardens, he couldn’t walk away. He stopped the gangsters with bullets, but not before the adults and their bodyguards were dead. The child, an 8-year-old boy named Gaby, was safe, but Gaby couldn’t tell Solomon what was going on.

What became quickly certain, however, was that Solomonwas now Gaby’s guardian, and the Zeta crime boss wanted them dead, too.

When he was the same age as Gaby, Solomon saw unspeakable things, the murder of his parents, the destruction of his homeland, and the atrocities that Uganda dictator Idi Amin’s soldiers committed. He learned to kill, he observed, and he was hardened, understanding as a small boy that revenge was often necessary and needed, and that blood would shed at those times.

But Gaby was pure, an innocent, a child.

Solomon reached out to his contacts to try to get the boy to safety, but being a contact of a marked man was likewise a dangerous thing: the monsters outside were worse than the ones inside him.

Two words for you: ‘Whoo weee.’ That’s what you’re going to say when you close the back cover of “Laws of Solomon,” knowing that you’ve just been taken on a wild up-and-down, around-and-round ride.

La Salle makes it impossible not to like Solomon, an African man who has, over time, lost nearly everything dear to him and who has no faith in much of anything. Readers get that part of the story eventually, and there’s historical authenticity in some of it, but we never really get to know Solomon, which makes the book feel dark and dangerous. Along the way, we meet and get to know his helpers, which buoys Solomon’s chase to find safety for the boy, and your heart won’t stop pounding.

Keep in mind that this is a thriller partially set in 1970s Uganda, so expect lots of violence but don’t expect a lot of people to live. If you’re up for that, find “Laws of Solomon.” You won’t be able to leave it behind.



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Art

Event Preview: ‘Fashion v. Fascism’ – A Runway Revolution Is Coming to the Bay Area

“Every piece on this runway translates what is happening under fascism into a feeling,” explains Erica Furlong, the FVF creative director. “One designer’s trench coat is covered in pockets stamped ‘TRUTH,’ ‘MEMORY,’ ‘HOPE,’ ‘VOTE,’ ‘FUTURE,’ because that’s literally what gets seized first, pocket by pocket, under fascist decline. Fashion can hold grief and hope in the same silhouette, and that tension is exactly what this moment needs.”

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Designer Rickie Lee. Courtesy image.
Designer Rickie Lee. Courtesy image.

“Fashion vs. Fascism” (FVF) is a visually immersive evening of fashion, music and political theater exposing the rise of fascism in the U.S. and the need to resist. Democracy is under siege, and culture is one of our most potent defenses, organizers say.

Called a live “runway revolution,” FvF premieres Oct. 3 at The Rotunda, 300 Frank Ogawa Plaza in downtown Oakland.

A play that is part fashion show, part protest, part performance art, FvF stages five runway collections spotlighting the pillars of contemporary fascist politics and the urgent need to resist: the myth of a “glorious past,” the manufactured emergencies used to justify surveillance and crackdowns, and the oligarchs and grifters profiting from it all. Runway fashion shares the stage with political theater and live music, with a closing call to action.

“We need lawsuits, ballots and mass protests, but none of it lands if we’re not also fighting for people’s imagination,” says Linda Burnham, co-producer of the show. “People are exhausted and scared. FvF will expose the absurdities of fascist mythology and ideology in ways a news headline cannot and spark new ideas about how to resist.”

“Fascism doesn’t win by policy alone. It wins by telling a story. A myth about a ‘Golden Age.’ A permanent emergency that makes cruelty seem necessary. That’s not an accident, it’s a strategy, and it works on the same terrain as culture: image, spectacle, emotion,” says Aya De León, the show’s playwright.

“Every piece on this runway translates what is happening under fascism into a feeling,” explains Erica Furlong, the FVF creative director. “One designer’s trench coat is covered in pockets stamped ‘TRUTH,’ ‘MEMORY,’ ‘HOPE,’ ‘VOTE,’ ‘FUTURE,’ because that’s literally what gets seized first, pocket by pocket, under fascist decline. Fashion can hold grief and hope in the same silhouette, and that tension is exactly what this moment needs.”

At its best, fashion is about creativity, diversity, innovation, experimentation and the free exchange of ideas. Fascism, by contrast, demands conformity and control, while suppressing dissent.

FVF was created, organizers say, because democracy should always be in style.

Featured designers include Erica Varize, Rickie Lee, Tianna Charity, Julie Wong, and Maria Flores. The evening features a script by lead playwright Aya De León, musical performances by Mindeullae Project and DJ Emancipation, and other special guests.

FvF is designed to travel. Following the Oakland premiere, FvF will extend its reach through a documentary short, a curriculum on contemporary fascism in the U.S., and a full replication playbook — design templates, script, and curriculum — so organizers in other cities can stage their own version of the show.

Get more details at www.fashionvfascism.org.

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Art

Event Preview: ‘Fashion v. Fascism’ – A Runway Revolution Is Coming to the Bay Area

“Every piece on this runway translates what is happening under fascism into a feeling,” explains Erica Furlong, the FVF creative director. “One designer’s trench coat is covered in pockets stamped ‘TRUTH,’ ‘MEMORY,’ ‘HOPE,’ ‘VOTE,’ ‘FUTURE,’ because that’s literally what gets seized first, pocket by pocket, under fascist decline. Fashion can hold grief and hope in the same silhouette, and that tension is exactly what this moment needs.”

Published

on

Designer Rickie Lee. Courtesy image.
Designer Rickie Lee. Courtesy image.

“Fashion vs. Fascism” (FVF) is a visually immersive evening of fashion, music and political theater exposing the rise of fascism in the U.S. and the need to resist. Democracy is under siege, and culture is one of our most potent defenses, organizers say.

Called a live “runway revolution,” FvF premieres Oct. 3 at The Rotunda, 300 Frank Ogawa Plaza in downtown Oakland.

A play that is part fashion show, part protest, part performance art, FvF stages five runway collections spotlighting the pillars of contemporary fascist politics and the urgent need to resist: the myth of a “glorious past,” the manufactured emergencies used to justify surveillance and crackdowns, and the oligarchs and grifters profiting from it all. Runway fashion shares the stage with political theater and live music, with a closing call to action.

“We need lawsuits, ballots and mass protests, but none of it lands if we’re not also fighting for people’s imagination,” says Linda Burnham, co-producer of the show. “People are exhausted and scared. FvF will expose the absurdities of fascist mythology and ideology in ways a news headline cannot and spark new ideas about how to resist.”

“Fascism doesn’t win by policy alone. It wins by telling a story. A myth about a ‘Golden Age.’ A permanent emergency that makes cruelty seem necessary. That’s not an accident, it’s a strategy, and it works on the same terrain as culture: image, spectacle, emotion,” says Aya De León, the show’s playwright.

“Every piece on this runway translates what is happening under fascism into a feeling,” explains Erica Furlong, the FVF creative director. “One designer’s trench coat is covered in pockets stamped ‘TRUTH,’ ‘MEMORY,’ ‘HOPE,’ ‘VOTE,’ ‘FUTURE,’ because that’s literally what gets seized first, pocket by pocket, under fascist decline. Fashion can hold grief and hope in the same silhouette, and that tension is exactly what this moment needs.”

At its best, fashion is about creativity, diversity, innovation, experimentation and the free exchange of ideas. Fascism, by contrast, demands conformity and control, while suppressing dissent.

FVF was created, organizers say, because democracy should always be in style.

Featured designers include Erica Varize, Rickie Lee, Tianna Charity, Julie Wong, and Maria Flores. The evening features a script by lead playwright Aya De León, musical performances by Mindeullae Project and DJ Emancipation, and other special guests.

FvF is designed to travel. Following the Oakland premiere, FvF will extend its reach through a documentary short, a curriculum on contemporary fascism in the U.S., and a full replication playbook — design templates, script, and curriculum — so organizers in other cities can stage their own version of the show.

Get more details at www.fashionvfascism.org.



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Black History

Tradition Comes to the Streets in 11th Annual Black-Eyed Pea Festival at the Freedom Farmers Market

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(L. to R.) Black-Eyed Pea Festival Director Wanda Ravernell with Barbara Lee and Winky Binky Dogs owner, Tyranny. Courtesy photo.
(L. to R.) Black-Eyed Pea Festival Director Wanda Ravernell with Barbara Lee and Winky Binky Dogs owner, Tyranny. Courtesy photo.

Mayor Barbara Lee stops by to support vendors, Winky Dinky Dogs owner Tyranny Allen

A streamlined Oakland Black-Eyed Pea Festival took place on Sat. Sept. 12 in the lower Temescal neighborhood on the blocked off street that connect Shattuck and Telegraph avenues.

An early start brought together vendor regulars from festival partner, the Freedom Farmers’ Market, and vendors who have supported the festival at its previous location at Marston Campbell Park.

Wanda Ravernell, the festival producer/director was on the verge of cancelling the festival because of funding limitations in May before reaching out to Elaine Smith, president of Farms to grow, Inc., which supervisors the market.

From its start in 2014, the festival has focused on the traditions of African American culture through music, food and art. That emphasis included fresh food vendors, particularly growers of African American legacy crops like black-eyed peas, yams, watermelon, collard greens and okra, which all originate in Africa.

To Fresno farmer Will Scott of Scott Family Farms, the Freedom Farmers’ Market allows him to bring those crops to the inner city – and support the nutrition of African Americans.

Shortly after the festival opened Saturday morning with prayers and salutes to the ancestors by Wakan Wiya Two-Spirit Drum and Awon Ohun Omnira, led M. Zamora and Otobaji Stewart respectively, 86-year-old Scott, the son of a sharecropper, announced that he will put other endeavors aside to dedicate the rest of his life to raise those foods.

Smith shared that Farms to Grow assists Black farmers in helping them overcome one of their main impediments to success – distribution – while creating alliances to help Black people maintain farmland and make it prosperous for younger generations to keep farming and farmland in the family.

As the morning progressed to afternoon, a steady stream of visitors drifted from booth to booth, chatting with vendors and each other.

Scott noted that a market day like this was what he was accustomed to in his youth, where the market was not just about buying things but also a place for valuable social exchange.

The social aspect became even pronounced shortly after midday when Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee stopped by to shop and visit with some of the vendors, including Ellen Bimpeh of Sankofa, and Ravernell who was selling T-shirts designed by Stewart.

Lee is also a fan of Winky Dinky Dogs, an eatery owned by Tyranny Allen whose second brick-and-mortar venture further anchors a hub of businesses at that corner.

As he has in previous years, Andre Thierry of Accordion Soul, closed the festival with a 90-minute set that brought young and the young-at-heart on their feet to dance in a line or as impromptu couples.

And, surprisingly, the man Allen refers to as the mayor of 45th Street, came out on cane and chair to sit by the curb in the sun and listen to music reminiscent of his Louisiana roots. His appearance seemed to echo Scott’s observance about the market: to bring people together.

The Freedom Farmers’ Market is located at 4521 Telegraph Avenue in Oakland and is open on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month until Nov. 14. For more information and to apply to be a vendor, go to https://www.farmstogrow.org/freedomfarmersmarket

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Black Press

Event Preview: ‘Fashion v. Fascism’ – A Runway Revolution Is Coming to the Bay Area

“Fashion v. Fascism” (FVF) is an upcoming visually immersive event combining fashion, music, and political theater to expose the rise of fascism in the U.S. and advocate for resistance. Described as a live “runway revolution,” FVF premieres October 3 at The Rotunda in downtown Oakland. The event will feature five runway collections spotlighting elements of contemporary fascist politics, accompanied by political theater and live music, culminating in a call to action. Organizers state that culture is a potent defense when democracy is under siege. Read more to learn about this unique event.

Published

on

Designer Rickie Lee. Courtesy image.
Designer Rickie Lee. Courtesy image.

“Fashion vs. Fascism” (FVF) is a visually immersive evening of fashion, music and political theater exposing the rise of fascism in the U.S. and the need to resist. Democracy is under siege, and culture is one of our most potent defenses, organizers say.

Called a live “runway revolution,” FvF premieres Oct. 3 at The Rotunda, 300 Frank Ogawa Plaza in downtown Oakland.

A play that is part fashion show, part protest, part performance art, FvF stages five runway collections spotlighting the pillars of contemporary fascist politics and the urgent need to resist: the myth of a “glorious past,” the manufactured emergencies used to justify surveillance and crackdowns, and the oligarchs and grifters profiting from it all. Runway fashion shares the stage with political theater and live music, with a closing call to action.

“We need lawsuits, ballots and mass protests, but none of it lands if we’re not also fighting for people’s imagination,” says Linda Burnham, co-producer of the show. “People are exhausted and scared. FvF will expose the absurdities of fascist mythology and ideology in ways a news headline cannot and spark new ideas about how to resist.”

“Fascism doesn’t win by policy alone. It wins by telling a story. A myth about a ‘Golden Age.’ A permanent emergency that makes cruelty seem necessary. That’s not an accident, it’s a strategy, and it works on the same terrain as culture: image, spectacle, emotion,” says Aya De León, the show’s playwright.

“Every piece on this runway translates what is happening under fascism into a feeling,” explains Erica Furlong, the FVF creative director. “One designer’s trench coat is covered in pockets stamped ‘TRUTH,’ ‘MEMORY,’ ‘HOPE,’ ‘VOTE,’ ‘FUTURE,’ because that’s literally what gets seized first, pocket by pocket, under fascist decline. Fashion can hold grief and hope in the same silhouette, and that tension is exactly what this moment needs.”

At its best, fashion is about creativity, diversity, innovation, experimentation and the free exchange of ideas. Fascism, by contrast, demands conformity and control, while suppressing dissent.

FVF was created, organizers say, because democracy should always be in style.

Featured designers include Erica Varize, Rickie Lee, Tianna Charity, Julie Wong, and Maria Flores. The evening features a script by lead playwright Aya De León, musical performances by Mindeullae Project and DJ Emancipation, and other special guests.

FvF is designed to travel. Following the Oakland premiere, FvF will extend its reach through a documentary short, a curriculum on contemporary fascism in the U.S., and a full replication playbook — design templates, script, and curriculum — so organizers in other cities can stage their own version of the show.

Get more details at www.fashionvfascism.org.

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