Halle Berry, Anthony Anderson, Jennifer Hudson, and Barry Jenkins were among numerous honorees tonight at the Critics Choice Association’s fourth annual Celebration of Black Cinema & Television.
Will Smith and Ava DuVernay were other big names whose accomplishments in film and TV were celebrated across 20 award categories at the event at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel.
This was the first year the awards also recognized achievements in television.
Berry, the only Black woman to win an Oscar for actress in leading role, for “Monster’s Ball” in 2002 — and who recently debuted as a director in the film “Bruised” — received the Career Achievement Award.
“Berry’s iconic performances throughout her career have showcased her brilliance as an actor and blazed the trail for Black performers who have come after her,” said Shawn Edwards, a CCA board member and executive producer of Monday’s ceremony.
“She has become the personification of excellence as she transitions from being in front of the camera to sitting in the director’s chair.”
Anderson received the Producer Award for Television for his work on the ABC series “black-ish,” and its Freeform spinoff, “grown-ish.” He is an executive producer as well as an actor on both series.
Hudson, the 2007 supporting actress Oscar winner for “Dreamgirls,” received the Actress Award for Film for her performance in the Aretha Franklin biopic “Respect.”
Jenkins received the Director Award for Television for his Amazon series “The Underground Railroad.”
“2021 was an incredible year of creativity and growth in film and television, and we’re thrilled to be able to honor the changemakers who are making a difference,” said Critics Choice Association CEO Joey Berlin.
“Jennifer both starred in and executive produced `Respect,’ giving the performance of a lifetime. Barry transformed the small screen with his innovative and thought-provoking series, `The Underground Railroad,’ which he wrote, executive produced and directed, and Anthony has become one of the most prolific and admired producers on television with `black-ish’ and `grown-ish.”’
DuVernay received the inaugural Melvin Van Peebles Trailblazer Award, named after the late filmmaker, who died in September at age 89.
Smith received the Actor Award for Film for his work in “King Richard,” the recently released movie about the father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams.
Also honored at the event were:
— Antoine Fuqua with the Director Award for Film;
— The cast of “The Harder They Fall,” including Jonathan Majors,
Idris Elba, Zazie Beetz, Regina King, Delroy Lindo, LaKeith Stanfield, Deon
Cole, R.J. Cyler, Edi Gathegi and Danielle Deadwyler, with the Ensemble Award;
— Actress Ruth Negga with a Special Honoree Award for her work in the
film “Passing”;
— Actress Danielle Brooks with the Actress Award for Television for
her work in the Lifetime movie “Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia”;
— French actor Omar Sy with the Actor Award for Television for his
work in “Lupin”;
— Robin Thede with the Showrunner Award for HBO’s “A Black Lady
Sketch Show”;
— Toheeb Jimoh with the Breakthrough Award for “Ted Lasso”;
— Kenan Thompson with a Special Honoree Award for “Saturday Night
Live” and “Kenan”;
— Patina Miller with a Special Honoree Award for the Starz series
“Power Book III: Raising Kanan”; and
— Natasha Rothwell with a Special Honoree Award for HBO’s “The White
Lotus.”
The ceremony was hosted by Niecy Nash.
