Here’s what happened at the 17th Annual Black Women in Hollywood Awards

ESSENCE’s Black Women In Hollywood Awards are generally known as the premier event of awards season in Los Angeles for a lot of reasons, mainly due to how deeply Black women are celebrated, honored and uplifted at the event. It can be seen as a “family reunion”. This yr was no different, as our esteemed guests and, most significantly, the honored ones felt honored throughout the afternoon. This yr, the 17th edition of the ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards took place on Thursday, March 7, 2024 at the magnificent Academy Film Museum. Our honorees include Oscar-nominated actress and Grammy winner Danielle Brooks, six-time Grammy-nominated singer Halle Bailey, industry legend Kathryn Busby, president of original programming at STARZ, and author and showrunner Nkechi Okoro Carroll series. Grammy Award-winning actor and rapper and entrepreneur Cliff “Method Man” Smith served as MC for the ceremony.

After a tumultuous 2023 with Hollywood screenwriters and actors on strike, Black women in the film and tv industry deserve flowers for navigating the ebbs and flows of uncertainty. This yr’s luncheon theme was “Radiant Power” to honor the perseverance and steadfast strength of Black women in an industry that is often fickle and oblivious to their contributions and efforts. During the luncheon, all black women in the industry made a call to take back their power and own their gifts.

ESSENCE has an unwavering commitment to celebrating Black women in all spaces, year-round, but the luncheon was an appropriate time and place to acknowledge the film and tv industry. Ahead of the ceremony, Caroline Wanga, president and CEO of Essence Ventures, commented on why this is essential. “At this point in time, ESSENCE will remain steadfast in its commitment to uplifting those who continue to offer their craft and skills as a lifeline of optimism and hope. So, as the work to democratize wealth continues, we make no apologies for celebrating Black women in the industry who are the providers of the cinematic nutrients that nourish our spirits and souls. As we have done for nearly two decades, we will shine a spotlight on Black women in Hollywood who define the culture of entertainment the world savors, pursue and achieve equality that the establishment seeks to withhold, and commemorate the achievements they have achieved in continually floors peeling off, un-tearing down ladders and ungluing glass ceilings, which is what the Chief Executive Officer for Home, Culture and Community rightly deserves,” Wanga said.

This yr’s luncheon was much more special since it was hosted by Essence Studios and Red Summer TV and aired on OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, streaming on MAX and generously sponsored by Coca-Cola® Zero Sugar and smartwater®.

Check out a few of the highlights of the highly anticipated event below!

Star appearances before shows and reports from the red carpet

Before lunch proper, we had a burgundy carpet filled to the brim with black talent. From Danielle Brooks to Tia Mowry, Black Hollywood showed up and showed as much as rejoice themselves and their peers. Pre-show hosts included our own Nandi Howard, VP of Content at ESSENCE Ventures, ESSENCE alum Gia Peppers, and social media personality and actress Pretty Vee.

Notable talent interviews included honorees Danielle Brooks, Kathyrn Busby, Zendaya, Carolina Wanga, MC Lyte, Muni Long and ESSENCE founder Edward Lewis.

Howard asked ESSENCE founder Lewis, “What’s it like to see an event like this come through over the years?” His answer? “It sends shivers down my spine to know that I helped create something, to bring value, intelligence and beauty to Black women.”

Wanga also shared her thoughts on the next generation of ESSENCE: “There’s really something to be said for visionaries, but it’s another thing to create a cultural artifact that Black women wouldn’t be able to see unless someone wore it.”

Gia Peppers held down the rug and chatted with Method Man, Joey Badass and Serayah, Danielle Brooks, Halle Bailey and more.

Efficiency

To cap off this glorious afternoon, Muni Long performed her latest hit “Made For Me,” causing everyone to rise up to synchronize the lyrics.

Honorary speeches

The most vital a part of the afternoon were the moving speeches of the winners. The first honoree was actress, singer and recent mother Halle Bailey. Her sister, Chloe Bailey, tearfully presented the award and reflected on their time together in the industry. “I can’t express how special it is to see everything that my sister showed and worked so hard to make it happen,” she said.

Halle Bailey: “We are Black women in the entertainment industry, and while we have signed up for the spotlight, in the current climate, the spotlight is shining brighter, hotter, and continuously, and analyzing its expansion leaves no hiding,” she said. “I’ve learned from this spotlight over the last eight years. To be honest, it burned me too, like all of us, but it cannot be compared to the greatest joy of my life. And that was becoming a mother to my perfect little angel, Halo. There was no way in hell I was going to share the greatest joy in my world with anyone. Hello was my gift. He is the greatest blessing and I had no obligation to put him, me or my family through this,” she said.

She continued: “Given the state of the world and the place it’s in, where men try to impose their will on our bodies, nobody on social media and definitely nobody in the world was going to inform me what to do with my body and what to share with the world.”

Star Patina Miller was then introduced by director Kathryn Busby.

Catherine Busby: “You have no idea how full my heart is right now. I didn’t stand on the podium alone. I’m lucky to have great role models,” she told the audience.

She continued: “Coming to Hollywood, I always felt like I was working two jobs. One, my job, and two, representing us, fighting the good fight, because I was almost always the only black person in the room. But like the women in my family, I marched forward. The world needs our stories more than ever; we defy expectations, change the industry and influence culture. The spark you see in me is just a reflection of all of you.”

Yvonne Orji presented the award to Nkechi Okoro Carroll.

Nkechi Okoro Carroll: “Thank you so much to ESSENCE for this incredible honor. True story, I used to sneak into this event. I so wanted to hear these inspirational speeches from these stoned Black women. I still have no idea how I got to this point. I want to thank my sisterhood for always being there for me and supporting me. I always say it takes a village to raise a writer.”

At the end of the honorary speeches, Teyonah Parris introduced the incomparable Danielle Brooks. Parris said Brooks knows this, simply because you are in Hollywood doesn’t suggest you are there.

Brooks shitted herself across the room after her speech and exquisite rendition of the gospel song “I Won’t Complain.”

Danielle Brooks: “First of all, thanks God for this moment. Every time I come to this event, I feel moved in spirit and excited. I feel rejuvenated and inspired. I understand it’s since it’s the Essence of Black women in this space that makes me feel this fashion. As I stand before you in this room, I can finally lift my head, as Celie says, roll back my shoulders and look you beautiful black women in the eyes, just as I stand before you today, seeing all the faces in this montage of individuals I actually have had an honor to work.”

She continued, “When I stand before you today, receiving this honor through ESSENCE, while the Black woman who gave birth to me, my mother who raised me to be the woman you see today, can see this moment, it feels like the one of a thousand.”