ViacomCBS Engages Nick Cannon To Bring Back ‘Wild N’ Out’
ViacomCBS has reestablished its working relationship with Nick Cannon. The move, company insiders tell Variety, comes as a result of the steps that the performer and producer has taken to engage and partner with Jewish leaders and make amends for anti-Semitic statements he made last summer that led to ViacomCBS to cut its ties to Cannon.
Production on new episodes of Cannon’s long running MTV comedy series “Wild ‘N Out” is expected to resume at some point beyond the near future. Old episodes of “Wild ‘N Out” are returning to MTV’s linear schedule this week.
“Nick has not only apologized and taken responsibility for his comments, but he has also worked to educate himself and others through engagement with Jewish leaders and on his platforms,” an MTV Entertainment Group spokesperson told Variety. “Those efforts are of the utmost importance and that’s why we have invited him to rejoin our team. On a separate note, we just learned that he tested positive for COVID and have reached out to wish him a speedy recovery.”
Cannon has earned praise in recent months from Jewish leaders for partnering with Jewish community organizations against anti-Semitism. In August, Cannon and Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt co-authored an op-ed in the Jewish newspaper the Forward on the anniversary of 2017 the white-supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., and the need for Black and Jewish leaders to work together. A month earlier, Cannon toured the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Museum of Tolerance and pledged a donation to the organization.
“He appears to be someone who’s genuine in his desire to make sure people understand his apology,” Wiesenthal Center associate dean Rabbi Abraham Cooper told the Associated Press at the time. Cooper added that the spirit of Cannon’s dialogue with him appeared to be “How do we roll up our sleeves? What can we do together?” Other Jewish leaders, including Greenblatt, Rabbi Noam E. Marans of the American Jewish Committee and Rabbi Motti Seligson of Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters have publicly engaged with Cannon and expressed support for his efforts.
When asked for comment, Cannon’s rep said that he is unavailable as he is currently quarantining after testing positive for COVID.
Viacom and MTV have long been partners with the ADL on a number of initiatives — among them a corporate culture code for MTV Entertainment Group instituted last year under McCarthy and which the Museum of Tolerance, GLAAD and Color of Change also consulted on. As part of that initiative, Cannon, Cooper and Greenblatt recently participated in a town hall with company employees. Last week, the MTV Entertainment Group marked Holocaust Remembrance Day with a PSA featuring a variation on Martin Niemöller’s widely circulated post-World War II confessional “First They Came …”
Cannon asserted that Black people are “the true Hebrews” during a June 30 episode of his podcast “Cannon’s Class” in which he gave credence to false anti-Semitic conspiracy theories regarding “Zionists” and the Rothschild family. “It’s never hate speech, you can’t be anti-Semitic when we are the Semitic people, when we are the same people who they want to be.” Cannon said during an in interview with rapper Richard Griffin, known for his decades-long record of hate speech against Jews. “That’s our birthright. We are the true Hebrews.” The remarks were met with widespread outrage, and ViacomCBS moved quickly to sever ties with Cannon, who created the long-running MTV comedy show “Wild ‘N Out” and held deep ties with company’s Nickelodeon kids-and-family unit.
After his firing by ViacomCBS, Cannon was combative. He publicly insisted that ViacomCBS apologize to him and hand over ownership of “Wild ‘N Out” to him. “If I have furthered the hate speech, I wholeheartedly apologize,” Cannon wrote in a rambling Facebook post. “But now I am the one making demands.”
Cannon’s other business partners proved less eager to distance themselves from him. On July 15, the day after ViacomCBS severed ties with him, Cannon issued a second apology for his remarks that was coupled with the announcement by Fox Entertainment that he would stay on as host of its reality competition “The Masked Singer,” broadcast television’s highest rated entertainment program. Last week, Fox and Debmar Mercury struck a deal to move forward with a stalled plan to launch a daytime talk show hosted by Cannon. (As Variety reported Wednesday, Cannon has since tested positive for COVID and will thus be absent from at least the first few episodes of the new season of “The Masked Singer,” which is set to premiere in March.)
In August, the door for Cannon and ViacomCBS to reconcile appeared to open when MTV Entertainment Group president Chris McCarthy, speaking at a company town hall, praised work Cannon had done engaging Jewish community leaders after his outburst and described himself as “hopeful” that ViacomCBS would again do business with Cannon.
Source: Variety
Lil Yachty And Mattel Team For new Action Comedy Based On Uno Card Game
The rapper will prodcue, with an eye at a starring role.
Rapper Lil Yachty and Mattel are teaming on a feature adaption of the popular children’s card game Uno.
The movie is described as an action heist comedy, set in the underground hip hop world of Atlanta. Yachty is attached to produce, with an eye to star in the movie.
Marcy Kelly penned the movie, which will be produced by Mattel Films, with Quality Control’s Kevin “Coach K” Lee, Pierre “P” Thomas and Brian Sher. Mattel’s Robbie Brenner will executive produce, with Kevin McKeon overseeing for the company.
Said Brenner. “UNO is a game that transcends generations and cultures and we look forwards to partnering with Lil Yachty, as well as with Coach K and Brian Sher, to transform the classic UNO game into a comedic action-adventure.”
Added Yachty: “I played UNO as a kid and still do today, so to spin that into a movie based on the Atlanta hip hop scene I came out of is really special. It hits close to home for me.”
Mattel Television is teaming with Propagate founders Ben Silverman and Howard T. Owens for a reality game show for television, also based on the Uno brand. Mattel’s Hollywood projects include the Barbie movie at Warner Bros. and a Daniel Kaluuya-produced Barney feature, as well as projects based on Hot Wheels, Viewfinder, and other toys.
Yachty, repped by ICM Partners, had a starring role in MTV’s television movie How High 2.
OWN To Premiere ‘OWN Spotlight: Cicely Tyson’ Featuring Never Before Seen Footage Between Oprah & Tyson
Los Angeles, CA – In memory of Cicely Tyson, OWN will present “OWN Spotlight: Cicely Tyson” this Saturday, February 6(10-11 p.m. ET/PT) featuring a never-before-seen intimate conversation with the legendary actress and Oprah Winfrey. The special will also stream on OWN’s Facebook page and discovery+.
OWN honors the legacy of the late Miss Tyson with this special conversation captured in 2012 at the taping of “Oprah and The Legendary Cast of Roots 35 Years Later.” The Emmy and Tony-award-winning actress explains the surprising story of how she found her calling, shares behind-the-scenes history of her most iconic roles and reveals the biggest life lessons she’s learned.
Following Tyson’s passing, Winfrey shared the following in her honor:
“Of all the times and experiences we shared together, this was one of my favorites: The weekend of the Legends Ball in 2005. The idea for the ball originated because I wanted to celebrate HER, and other remarkable Black women who carved a path and built a bridge for me and generations to follow. What a joy to honor her and feel her receive it! I loved her hat so much, she sent it to me afterwards. Cicely decided early on that her work as an actor would be more than a job. She used her career to illuminate the humanity in Black people. The roles she played reflected her values; she never compromised. Her life so fully lived is a testimony to Greatness.”
BET And CBS NEWS To Present ‘No Joke: Chris Rock And Gayle King’
BET, in partnership with CBS News, announces a new exclusive special with comedian Chris Rock, “No Joke: Chris Rock and Gayle King,” premiering Thursday, February 4 at 10pmET/PT on BET and BET Her. The program will feature extended excerpts of Rock’s recent sit-down interview with CBS This Morning’s Gayle King from his home, and clips from his recently released special “Total Blackout: The Tamborine Extended Cut” (Netflix), in which the award-winning comedian, actor, director, producer and writer opens up about being bullied as a kid, racism in America, Donald Trump, President Joe Biden, divorce, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Rock goes deep when discussing his critically-acclaimed performance in the FX series “Fargo” where he plays the gangster, Loy Cannon — a challenging and dramatic role he says he didn’t “have the gravitas” to deliver earlier in his career.
Chris Rock makes you laugh, and more importantly, gets you thinking. It’s that combination that makes him one of the most acclaimed comedians of all-time. His humor and honesty is on full display in the BET Special, “No Joke: Chris Rock and Gayle King. It’s a side of Rock that viewers haven’t seen before, and one they won’t soon forget.
Will Smith To Host 14th Amendment Doc Series For Netflix
Netflix is set to tackle the 14th Amendment with the help of Will Smith.
On Feb. 17, the streaming service will debut a six-part doc series titled Amend: The Fight for America, which counts the Suicide Squad star as a producer and host. The hourlong episodes will explore the amendment, which, in 1868, promised “liberty and equal protection for all persons.”
The series, which also counts former Nightly Show star Larry Wilmore as an executive producer, features a rotation of recognizable faces, including Mahershala Ali, Diane Lane, Samuel L. Jackson, Pedro Pascal and Yara Shahidi. That group will deliver speeches and writings by the Amendment’s most passionate advocates and foes (think Frederick Douglass, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Ruth Bader Ginsburg). Also mixed in: insights from a slew of contemporary experts and thought leaders. Amend is being billed as “a powerful, multimedia journey through American history that encourages viewers to question what a ‘United States’ really means.”
“We are living in unprecedented days as a society, as a country, and as a human family. I believe that the cultivation of personal and historical understanding is the imperative spark igniting the flames of desperately needed compassion and healing,” said Smith in a statement announcing the news Monday. “As Americans, we endeavor to form a more perfect union that truly establishes justice and equality for all. I believe a deeper understanding of the 14th Amendment is a critical jumping-off point. Our hope with this series is to illuminate the beauty that is the promise of America and to share a message of connection and shared humanity so that we will be able to better understand and celebrate our different experiences as Americans and promote progress toward the true equality promised to all persons under the 14th amendment. I’m grateful to Netflix and the phenomenal group of people who came together both in front of and behind the camera to help us tell this story.”
That group includes creators Robe Imbriano and Tom Yellin and directors Kenny Leon and Reinaldo Marcus Green, along with fellow exec producers Terence Carter, Jana Babatunde-Bey, Jamal Watson, Jonna Mclaughlin and Angus Wall. Amend is a Westbrook Studios, The Documentary Group, Wilmore Films and MakeMake Entertainment production.
“I hope families can watch Amend together and have the series be a compelling conversation starter,” said Wilmore. “Everything we’ve seen happen in America in the last few years is about what Black people and other marginalized groups have always wanted: to make sure that we are really part of America and have everything that’s been promised to us by the Constitution. I think it’d be really fantastic if Amend helped people to better understand how special the bond can be between each of us and our country.”
While Smith will always be best known as the face of tentpoles, he has started to dip his toes in the political conversation in recent years. In fact, back in 2015, he was so appalled by the spewings of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, he allegedly toyed with getting involved himself. “As I look at the political landscape, I think that there might be a future out there for me,” he told THR at the time. “This is the first year that I’ve been incensed to a level that I can’t sleep, you know? So I’m feeling that at some point, in the near future, I will have to lend my voice to the conversation in a somewhat different way.”
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
The 52nd NAACP Image Awards Nominations Announced; Netflix Leads With 48 Nominations
YESTERDAY, the full-list of nominees for the 52nd NAACP Image Awards were announced today in a special virtual event on NAACP Image Awards’ Instagram channel hosted by Tony-award winning actress and singer Anika Noni-Rose, actress and singer Chloe Bailey, actress Erika Alexander, actor, dancer, and choreographer Nicco Annan, and actor and singer TC Carson. NAACP Image award-winning and Emmy-nominated talk show “The Real”, kicked-off the announcement revealing nominees in 15 categories (watch here) ahead of the virtual event. The winners will be revealed during the two-hour LIVE TV special airing on BET and will be simulcast across ViacomCBS Networks including CBS, BET Her, VH1, MTV, MTV2, and LOGO on Saturday, March 27th, 2021 at 8/7c.
With the rise in usage of streaming services this year, Netflix leads the nominations across the motion picture and television categories with 48 total nominations followed by HBO who received a total of 25 nominations. Beyonce received the most nominations of any artist in the music recording categories with 6 and RCA Records leads with the most nominations across record labels with 12 nominations. For the literary categories HarperCollins Publishers lead with 9 nominations.
NAACP additionally announced the nominees for the Special Awards categories which include Entertainer of the Year and Social Justice Impact. Nominees for the Entertainer of the Year award include D-Nice, Regina King, Trevor Noah, Tyler Perry and Viola Davis.Nominees for the Social Justice Impact award include April Ryan, Debbie Allen, Lebron James, Stacey Abrams and Tamika Mallory.
“We are excited to recognize and celebrate this year’s nominees, who at times throughout this unprecedented year have provided moments of levity, brought our communities together, and lifted our spirits through culture when we needed it the most,” said NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson.
“BET shares the NAACP’s commitment to engage and empower our community, and we are proud to serve as partners on the 52nd Annual Image Awards,” said BET President Scott Mills. “The NAACP Image Awards uniquely honors our culture and community, recognizing those who help tell our stories through music, TV, movies, and literature. It is a distinct privilege for us to amplify the incredible work of the NAACP—and the best and brightest creative minds in the entertainment industry—across our ViacomCBS properties.
The NAACP Image Awards honors the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature, and film and also recognizes individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors.
One of the most iconic annual celebrations of Black excellence, the NAACP Image Awards draws a crowd of the biggest and brightest stars in Hollywood. Previous years’ attendees include Rihanna, Lizzo, Beyonce, Jay-Z, Michael B. Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, Jamie Foxx, Will Smith, Taraji P. Henson, Marsai Martin, Viola Davis, Gabrielle Union, Kerry Washington, Anthony Anderson, Sterling K. Brown, Loni Love, Sheryl Underwood, Mandy Moore, Halle Berry, Common, Dwayne Johnson, Audra Day, John Legend, Lena Waithe, Tracee Ellis Ross, David Oyelowo, Laverne Cox, Octavia Spencer, Issa Rae, Trevor Noah, Yara Shahidi, Danai Gurira, Jacob Latimore, Jill Scott, H.E.R., Jay Pharoah, Jemele Hill, Josh Gad, Loretta Devine, Sylvester Stallone, Meta Golding, Michael Smith, Tyler James Williams, Ava DuVernay, Chadwick Boseman, and many more.
Voting is now open to the public to determine the winners of the 52ND NAACP IMAGE AWARDS by visiting www.naacpimageawards.net – Voting close on Friday, March 5th. Winners will be revealed during the 52st NAACP Image Awards telecast. Non-televised award categories will be announced virtually March 22-26. For all information and the latest news, please follow NAACP Image Awards on Instagram @NAACPImageAwards
Following is the complete list of categories and nominees for the 52nd NAACP Image Awards:
SPECIAL AWARD CATEGORIES
Entertainer of the Year
D-Nice
Regina King
Trevor Noah
Tyler Perry
Viola Davis
Social Justice Impact
April Ryan
Debbie Allen
Lebron James
Stacey Abrams
Tamika Mallory
TELEVISION + STREAMING CATEGORIES
Outstanding Comedy Series
#blackAF (Netflix)
Black-ish (ABC)
grown-ish (Freeform)
Insecure (HBO)
The Last O.G. (TBS)
Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson – Black-ish (ABC)
Cedric The Entertainer – The Neighborhood (CBS)
Don Cheadle – Black Monday (Showtime)
Idris Elba – In the Long Run (Starz)
Tracy Morgan – The Last O.G. (TBS)
Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series
Issa Rae – Insecure (HBO)
Folake Olowofoyeku – Bob Hearts Abishola (CBS)
Regina Hall – Black Monday (Showtime)
Tracee Ellis Ross – Black-ish (ABC)
Yara Shahidi – Grown-ish (Freeform)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Andre Braugher – Brooklyn Nine-Nine (NBC)
Deon Cole – Black-ish (ABC)
Jay Ellis – Insecure (HBO)
Kenan Thompson – Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Laurence Fishburne – Black-ish (ABC)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Jenifer Lewis – Black-ish (ABC)
Marsai Martin – Black-ish (ABC)
Natasha Rothwell – Insecure (HBO)
Tichina Arnold – The Neighborhood (CBS)
Yvonne Orji – Insecure (HBO)
Outstanding Drama Series
All Rise (CBS)
Bridgerton (Netflix)
Lovecraft Country (HBO)
Power Book II: Ghost (Starz)
This Is Us (NBC)
Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series
Jonathan Majors – Lovecraft Country (HBO)
Keith David – Greenleaf (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
Nicco Annan – P-Valley (Starz)
Regé-Jean Page – Bridgerton (Netflix)
Sterling K. Brown – This Is Us (NBC)
Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
Angela Bassett – 9-1-1 (FOX)
Brandee Evans – P-Valley (Starz)
Jurnee Smollett – Lovecraft Country (HBO)
Simone Missick – All Rise (CBS)
Viola Davis – How To Get Away With Murder (ABC)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Clifford “Method Man” Smith – Power Book II: Ghost (Starz)
Delroy Lindo – The Good Fight (CBS All Access)
J. Alphonse Nicholson – P-Valley (Starz)
Jeffrey Wright – Westworld (HBO)
Michael Kenneth Williams – Lovecraft Country (HBO)
Loira Limbal – Through the Night (Third Shift Media, Inc.)
Melissa Haizlip – Mr. Soul! (Shoes In The Bed Productions)
Nadia Hallgren – Becoming (A Higher Ground Productions and Big Mouth Productions Film for Netflix)
Radha Blank – The Forty-Year-Old Version (Netflix)
Remi Weekes – His House (Netflix)
DOCUMENTARY CATEGORIES
Outstanding Documentary (Film)
All In: The Fight For Democracy (Amazon Studios)
Coded Bias (7th Empire Media)
John Lewis: Good Trouble (Magnolia Pictures/Participant)
Mr. Soul! (Shoes in the Bed Productions)
On the Record (HBO Max)
Outstanding Documentary (Television)
And She Could Be Next (PBS)
Black Love (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
Enslaved: The Lost History of the Transatlantic Slave Trade (EPIX)
The Last Dance (ESPN / Netflix)
Unsung (TV One)
WRITING CATEGORIES
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series
Issa Rae – Insecure – “Lowkey Feelin’ Myself” (HBO)
Lee Eisenberg, Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V. Gordon – Little America – “The Rock” (Apple TV+)
Michaela Coel – I May Destroy You – “Ego Death” (HBO)
Mindy Kaling, Lang Fisher – Never Have I Ever “Pilot” (Netflix)
Rajiv Joseph – Little America – “The Manager” (Apple TV+)
Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series
Attica Locke – Little Fires Everywhere – “The Spider Web” (Hulu)
Erika L. Johnson, Mark Richard – The Good Lord Bird – “A Wicked Plot” (Showtime)
Jessica Lamour – Little Voice – “Love Hurts” (Apple TV+)
Katori Hall – P-Valley – “Perpetratin'” (Starz)
Tanya Barfield – Mrs. America – “Shirley” (FX)
Outstanding Writing in a Television Movie or Special
Diallo Riddle, Bashir Salahuddin, D. Rodney Carter, Emily Goldwyn, Rob Haze, Zuri Salahuddin, Bennett Webber, Evan Williams, Will Miles – Sherman’s Showcase Black History Month Spectacular (IFC)
Eugene Ashe – Sylvie’s Love (Amazon Studios)
Geri Cole – The Power of We: A Sesame Street Special (HBO Max)
Lin-Manuel Miranda – Hamilton (Disney+)
Sylvia L. Jones, Camille Tucker – The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel (Lifetime)
Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture
David E. Talbert – Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix)
Kemp Powers – One Night in Miami… (Amazon Studios)
Lee Isaac Chung – Minari (A24)
Pete Docter, Kemp Powers, Mike Jones – Soul (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Radha Blank – The Forty-Year-Old Version (Netflix)
Outstanding Writing in a Documentary (Television or Motion Picture)
Mary Mazzio – A Most Beautiful Thing (Peacock)
Melissa Haizlip – Mr. Soul! (Maysles Documentary Center)
Nile Cone – The Beat Don’t Stop (TV One)
Royal Kennedy Rodgers – Hollywood’s Architect: The Paul R. Williams Story (PBS)
Yoruba Richen, Elia Gasull Balada, Valerie Thomas – The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts the Tonight Show (Peacock)
DIRECTING CATEGORIES
Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series
Anya Adams – Black-ish – “Hair Day” (ABC)
Aurora Guerrero – Little America – “The Jaguar” (Apple TV+)
Eric Dean Seaton – Black-ish – “Our Wedding Dre” (ABC)
Kabir Akhtar – Never Have I Ever – “… started a nuclear war” (Netflix)
Sam Miller, Michaela Coel – I May Destroy You – “Ego Death” (HBO)
Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series
Cheryl Dunye – Lovecraft Country – “Strange Case” (HBO)
Hanelle Culpepper – Star Trek: Picard – “Remembrance” (CBS All Access)
Misha Green – Lovecraft Country – “Jig-a-Bobo” (HBO)
Nzingha Stewart – Little Fires Everywhere – “The Uncanny” (Hulu)
Steve McQueen – Small Axe – “Mangrove” (Amazon Studios)
Outstanding Directing in a Television Movie or Special
Beyoncé Knowles Carter, Emmanuel Adeji, Blitz Bazawule, Kwasi Fordjour – Black Is King (Disney+)
Christine Swanson – The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel (Lifetime)
Chuck Vinson, Alan Muraoka – The Power of We: A Sesame Street Special (HBO Max)
Eugene Ashe – Sylvie’s Love (Amazon Studios)
Kamilah Forbes – Between The World And Me (HBO)
Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture
David E. Talbert – Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix)
George C. Wolfe – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)
Gina Prince-Bythewood – The Old Guard (Netflix)
Radha Blank – The Forty-Year-Old Version (Netflix)
Regina King – One Night in Miami… (Amazon Studios)
Outstanding Directing in a Documentary (Television or Motion Picture)
Keith McQuirter – By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem (EPIX)
Muta’Ali – Yusuf Hawkins: Storm Over Brooklyn (HBO)
Sam Pollard, Maro Chermayeff – Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children (Ep. 1 & 2) (HBO)
Simcha Jacobovici – Enslaved: The Lost History of the Transatlantic Slave Trade (EPIX)
Yoruba Richen – The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts the Tonight Show (Peacock)
LITERARY CATEGORIES
Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction
Black Bottom Saints – Alice Randall (HarperCollins Publishers)
The Compton Cowboys – Walter Thompson-Hernandez (HarperCollins Publishers)
We’re Better Than This – Elijah Cummings (HarperCollins Publishers)
Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/Autobiography
A Most Beautiful Thing: The True Story of America’s First All-Black High School Rowing Team – Arshay Cooper (Macmillan)
A Promised Land – Barack Obama (Crown)
Olympic Pride, American Prejudice – Deborah Draper (Simon & Schuster)
The Dead Are Arising – Les Payne, Tamara Payne (W. W. Norton & Company)
Willie: The Game-Changing Story of the NHL’s First Black Player – Willie O’Ree (Penguin Canada)
Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional
Do Right by Me: Learning to Raise Black Children in White Space – Valerie Harrison (Temple University Press)
Living Lively – Haile Thomas (HarperCollins Publishers)
The Black Foster Youth Handbook – Ángela Quijada-Banks (Soulful Liberation)
The Woman God Created You to Be: Finding Success Through Faith–Spiritually, Personally, and Professionally – Kimberla Lawson Roby (Lenox Press)
Vegetable Kingdom – Bryant Terry (Penguin Random House)
Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry
Homie – Danez Smith (Graywolf Press)
Kontemporary Amerikan Poetry – John Murillo (Four Way Books)
Seeing the Body – Rachel Eliza Griffiths (W. W. Norton & Company)
The Age of Phillis – Honorée Jeffers (Wesleyan University Press)
Un-American – Hafizah Geter (Wesleyan University Press)
Outstanding Literary Work – Children
I Promise – LeBron James, Nina Mata (HarperCollins)
Just Like a Mama – Alice Faye Duncan, Charnelle Pinkney Barlow (Simon & Schuster)
Kamala Harris: Rooted in Justice – Nikki Grimes, Laura Freeman (Simon & Schuster)
She Was the First!: The Trailblazing Life of Shirley Chisholm – Katheryn Russell-Brown, Eric Velasquez (Lee & Low Books)
The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver – Gene Barretta, Frank Morrison (HarperCollins)
Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens
Before the Ever After – Jacqueline Woodson (Penguin Random House)
Black Brother, Black Brother – Jewell Parker Rhodes (Hachette Book Group)
Dear Justyce – Nic Stone (Crown Books for Young Readers)
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You: A Remix of the National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning – Jason Reynolds (Hachette Book Group)
This is Your Time – Ruby Bridges (Delacorte Books for Young Readers)
Nick Cannon Tests Positive For COVID; Niecy Nash Steps In
“The Masked Singer” host Nick Cannon has tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus, which means he won’t be seen in at least the first few episodes of the hit Fox reality series’ fifth season. Instead, producers have tapped actress and host Niecy Nash to fill in.
Nash will take over as guest host as production begins this Thursday on Season 5 of “The Masked Singer,” and until Cannon is ready to get back to work. Cannon is currently in quarantine and resting, a rep for the star confirms exclusively to Variety. Fox expects Cannon to return to the series later in the season.
Season 5 of “The Masked Singer” is scheduled to premiere in March. Returning to the show as usual are panelists Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, Nicole Scherzinger, Ken Jeong and Robin Thicke.
The celebrity musical guessing game wrapped Season 4 in December as TV’s No. 1 entertainment series, tied with NBC’s “This Is Us.” While it’s been on hiatus, Fox has been airing the spinoff competition show “The Masked Dancer.” As “The Masked Dancer” continues on Wednesday with its top five contestants, already revealed have been Vinny Guadagnino as the Hammerhead; Brian McKnight as the Cricket, Elizabeth Smart as the Moth, Bill Nye the Science Guy as the Ice Cube, and Ice-T as the Disco Ball.
On the Dec. 17 finale of “The Masked Singer,” LeAnn Rimes was unmasked as Season 4 winner — the Sun. Also revealed: Runner-up Aloe Blacc, who had been dressed as Mushroom, and third-place Nick Carter, who had performed as Crocodile.
Since returning to production last summer, “The Masked Singer” has maintained tight COVID protocols, and Jeong, who is a physician, has in particular kept an eye on how the show handled safety.
Meanwhile, Nash is a very familiar face to Fox viewers. On the network, she recently appeared both on companion series “I Can See Your Voice,” hosted by Jeong, and was a guest panelist on “The Masked Singer” last season. She appeared on Fox’s “Scream Queens,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “Do Not Disturb,” “The Mindy Project,” “The Bernie Mac Show,” and early in her career, “Party of Five.” She has also done a voice for Fox’s “Family Guy,” among other animated series.
Nash’s recent credits include the “Reno 911!” Revival, as well as FX’s “Mrs. America” and Netflix’s “Never Have I Ever.” She also stars on TNT’s “Claws,” which will return for its fourth and final season later this year. As a host, Nash earned two Daytime Emmy nominations for Style Network’s “Clean House,” which also landed her the 2007 Gracie Allen Award for outstanding program host.
Nash has been nominated three times for a Primetime Emmy: Twice for HBO’s “Getting On,” and in 2019 for “When They See Us,” the critically acclaimed Netflix limited series based on the exonerated Central Park Five. Nash also earned an NAACP Image Award for “When They See Us.”
In film, Nash’s credits include “Selma,” “Guess Who” and “G-Force.” Behind the scenes, she runs the production company Chocolate Chick.
Source: Variety
WATCH: Official Trailer For ‘Coming 2 America’ Released!
The official trailer for Coming 2 America has been released!
Set in the lush and royal country of Zamunda, newly-crowned King Akeem (Eddie Murphy) and his trusted confidante Semmi(Arsenio Hall) embark on an all-new hilarious adventure that has them traversing the globe from their great African nation to the borough of Queens, New York – where it all began.
Directed by Craig Brewer Screenplay by Kenya Barris and Barry W. Blaustein & David Sheffield Story by Barry W. Blaustein & David Sheffield and Justin Kanew Based on characters created by Eddie Murphy Produced by Kevin Misher and Eddie Murphy Costumes by Ruth E. Carter Executive Produced by Brian Oliver, Bradley Fischer, Valerii An, Kenya Barris, Charisse Hewitt-Webster, Michele Imperato Stabile and Andy Berman Starring Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones, Tracy Morgan, KiKi Layne, Shari Headley, with Wesley Snipes and James Earl Jones. Also starring John Amos, Teyana Taylor, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Paul Bates, Nomzamo Mbatha, Bella Murphy
Jeffrey Wright To Star In New Comedic Take On Batman For Podcast From HBO Max
Do you hear that? It’s the sound of the Batmobile revving its engines.
Batman’s latest heroic exploit will be heard, not seen.
HBO Max is launching a Batman podcast titled Batman: The Audio Adventures, a comedic take on the property that sees Jeffrey Wright lending his voice as the Caped Crusader.
Dennis McNicholas, a longtime writer on Saturday Night Live, penned and directed the multi-episode series that hails from Warner Bros.’ Blue Ribbon Content division and will hit Warners’ streaming service sometime in 2021.
Audio Adventures is separate from DC’s multiyear deal with Spotify to create podcasts based on its characters. The furthest one along in that endeavor is also Bat-centric: Batman Unburied, which has David Goyer as creator and exec producer. (Blue Ribbon Content is also developing and producing that latter series.)
McNicholas produced the project with Angela Petrella (Stone Quackers, Golan the Insatiable). Jon Berg, the former Warner executive turned producer who worked on Justice League, Aquaman and Wonder Woman, is the executive producer.
Plot details are hidden in Crime Alley, but it is known to be a comedic take on the usual rain-soaked justice-dispensing crime-fighter.
That aspect is reflected in the cast, which includes several former and current SNL player, as well as other comedians. In addition to Wright, the all-star roll call includes Chris Parnell, Melissa Villaseñor, Seth Meyers, Brent Spiner, John Leguizamo, Ike Barinholtz, Bobby Moynihan, Kenan Thompson, Rosario Dawson, Jason Sudeikis, Alan Tudyk, Heidi Gardner, Brooke Shields, Paul Scheer, Tim Meadows, Fred Armisen, Ray Wise, Ben Rodgers, Katie Rich, Pete Schultz, Paula Pell, Toby Huss, and McNicholas.
Whom each member of the vast cast will portray is being kept in the Batvault for now.
Wright already has a major Bat-connection: He is playing classic character James Gordon in The Batman, Warners’ upcoming movie that stars Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne.
The Westworld player is well traveled in the voice acting world and is also voicing the part of the Watcher in Marvel’s upcoming animated series, What If…?
Comedy Central Launches New Digital Doc- Series ‘Dark Humor’ On YouTube
New York, NY — Comedy Central launches the new digital docuseries “Dark Humor,” on Comedy Central YouTube. Kicking off Black History Month, the nine-episode series will roll out weekly starting Monday,February 1 at 12pm ET. “Dark Humor” spotlights Black stand-up comedians discussing their approach to comedy and sources of inspiration that speak to their unique experience. Each episode focuses on different themes and issues, including the intersection of comedy and politics, Black women in comedy, speaking out on social issues, performing for different audiences, how Black identity is represented within the community, and more.
The docuseries features comedy from: Greer Barnes, Mike Brown, Tommy Davidson, Nore Davis, Sonia Denis, Ayanna Dookie, Earthquake, Eddie Griffin, Chloe Hilliard, Lil Rel Howery, Josh Johnson, Damien Lemon, Luenell, Ms. Pat, Open Mike Eagle, Donnell Rawlings, Rae Sanni, Yamaneika Saunders, Sinbad, Cipha Sounds, Rob Stapleton, Jordan Temple, Baron Vaughn, Neko White, Roy Wood Jr., Gina Yashere, as well as commentary from Professor of African and African American Studies and English at Harvard University, Glenda Carpio and talent producer Bob Sumner.
Through the docuseries, “Dark Humor,” Comedy Central Stand-Up is teaming up with Color Of Change. As the nation’s largest online racial justice organization, Color Of Change helps people respond effectively to injustice in the world around us by moving decision-makers in corporations and government to create a more human and less hostile world for Black people in America. Viewers can donate to the Color Of Change education fund using the YouTube fundraising tool attached to each episode of “Dark Humor.”
“Dark Humor” is directed by Sacha Jenkins and was co-produced with Mass Appeal. Producers for Comedy Central are Justina Quagliata and Lauren Blassingame. Gabriella Yacyk is the Executive in Charge of Production for Comedy Central.
