At the 2023 Emmy Awards, a night especially dedicated to celebrating the history of television, Quinta Brunson’s early win evoked a milestone set more than 40 years ago.
After earning the statuette for comedy series writing last year, the Abbott Elementary star won for best actress in a comedy series. The first and heretofore only Black winner in the category was Isabel Sanford, winning for her role in Norman Lear’s classic The Jeffersons in 1981.
Brunson’s win also puts her in the company of Tina Fey and Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Emmy-winning actresses who created and wrote for their own shows. She is the first Black woman to do so; Issa Rae was three times in the running for the feat, but Insecure ended before she could secure a win.
Brunson was also nominated this year for comedy guest actress (the win went to Judith Light for Poker Face) and as an executive producer for best comedy series nominee Abbott Elementary.
“I am so happy to be able to live my dream and act out comedy,” said a flustered and somewhat hoarse Brunson, her voice cracking. “I love my mom, my dad, my sisters, my brothers, my entire family so much. I love my husband. I love my cast. I love Abbott Elementary. Thank you so much.”
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
The cast of Martin came together on stage during the 2024 Emmy Awards and together comically called out their lack of golden statuettes. On Monday night (Jan. 15) Martin Lawrence, Tisha Campbell, Tichina Arnold, and Carl Anthony Payne II reunited on a replica Martin set to present one of the evening’s awards. A photo of Thomas Mikal Ford who also starred in the series was visible in the nostalgic moment. Ford passed away in 2016 after suffering a ruptured aneurysm in his abdomen.
Leading up to the winner reveal, the cast joked about being in attendance to accept a long-awaited Emmy Award of its own.
“No, no Carl — we’re not winning an Emmy tonight. Please sit your butt down,” exclaimed Campbell after her costar claimed to have an acceptance speech ready.
Arnold added, “We’re presenting an award not being presented with one, knucklehead,” as Campbell continued, “We should’ve won an Emmy during our run.”
As host Anthony Anderson confirmed the group was not to receive awards, Lawrence shared gratitude for the moment, despite the lack of wins for Martin.
“It’s all good. I’m just excited to be here on the Emmys stage,” detailed the Bad Boys franchise star.
After the comedic display, Lawrence moved to the podium to present the award for Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, which went to Jeremy Allen White for his work in The Bear.
The cast of Martin previously reunited in 2022 for a televised special reflecting on the series. This was not the only fictional family reunion to take place at the 75th annual Emmy Awards. All in the Family, Grey’s Anatomy, Game of Thrones, and more all received a special highlight during the ceremony.
“It was really about, how can we celebrate 75 years of television differently?” the show’s executive producer Jesse Collins told the Associated Press per ABC News.
“We just tried to pick ones that we felt like we could successfully pay tribute to,” Collins added. “We have a pretty vast array of comedies and procedural dramas and talk shows, just trying to touch all the different areas.”
Watch the cast of Martin reunite at the 2024 Emmy Award ceremony above.
The 2024 Primetime Emmy Awards were handed out in Los Angeles on Monday night, honoring the best in television. “Black-ish” star Anthony Anderson hosted the ceremony for the first time.
“Succession” led the way with 27 nominations for its fourth and final season and brought home six Emmys Monday night, including the coveted award for outstanding drama series for the third time. Actors Matthew Macfayden, Sarah Snook and Kieran Culkin received Emmys for their performances on the show.
FX’s “The Bear” was also honored with six Emmys, including best comedy series, and Netflix’s “Beef” earned five, including outstanding limited or anthology series.
The Emmys, which were broadcast live on Fox following the red carpet ceremony, honored TV shows and specials that aired from June 1, 2022 to May 31, 2023. The 75th annual ceremony was initially set to take place in September but was postponed due to the dual writers’ and actors’ strikes that began in May and July, respectively.
Below is the full list of winners and nominees.
The Emmy Awards in Creative Arts categories were awarded at a separate ceremony on Jan. 7; see the complete list of those winners here.
For their sports horror pic Goat, Universal Pictures, and Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw banner looked to have found the actor to play their greatest-of-all-time athlete. Marlon Wayans has been set to star in the pic, and Justin Tipping is on board to direct. Jordan Peele, Win Rosenfeld, Ian Cooper, and Jamal Watson are producers. Executive producers are David Kern and Kate Oh.
The project, based on a spec by Zack Akers and Skip Bronkie, centers on a promising young athlete who is invited to train with a team’s retiring star.
While execs have taken the screen-testing route for finding the young athlete character, sources say Wayans was always top of the studio’s list for its GOAT. Universal EVP Production Development Sara Scott and Director of Development Tony Ducret will oversee the project for the studio.
Wayans hit a career milestone with his first stand-up comedy special, Woke-ish, which premiered on Netflix in 2018. His third comedy special for HBO Max, Marlon Wayans: God Loves Me, dropped last March. His overall deal with HBO Max included performing a stand-up special and hosting a multi-act special; that resulted in his specials Marlon Wayans: You Know What It Is and Marlon Wayans Presents: The Headliners.
In March 2023 Wayans’ had a successful run guest-hosting a week of The Daily Show. Onscreen, Wayans recently starred as George Raveling in Prime Video’s Air alongside Matt Damon, Viola Davis and Ben Affleck. In 2022, he starred in and produced Netflix’s The Curse of Bridge Hollow. Other recent credits include starring as Ted White in MGM’s Aretha Franklin biopic Respect opposite Jennifer Hudson, and in Sofia Coppola’s Apple-A24 movie On the Rocks alongside Rashida Jones and Bill Murray.
As for Tipping, the rising star in the director ranks, his debut feature Kicks, which he directed and co-wrote, was produced by Animal Kingdom and released by Focus Features. His TV credits include Black Monday, The Chi, Flatbush Misdemeanors, Joe Vs Carole, and Dear White People.
Wayans is repped by 3 Arts, WME, and Kevin Yorn / Ryan Goodell at Morris Yorn. Tipping is repped by UTA, Grandview, and Ziffren Brittenham. Peele is repped by CAA and Jared Levine.
Producer Jamie Foxx, filmmaker Deon Taylor, and choreographer Fatima Robinson are among the honorees at the upcoming African American Film Critics Association’s 2024 Special Achievement Awards.
Jamie Foxx and Datari Turner, the producing team behind Foxxhill Productions, will receive AAFCA’s Producers Award for bringing the films They Cloned Tyrone, Story Ave, and The Burial to audiences.
Director Deon Taylor will be honored with the Horizon Award, celebrating talent on the rise. Taylor founded Hidden Empire Film Group and has directed the thrillers Black and Blue, Fatale, and Traffik. He is currently working on biopics about Civil Rights activist and congressman John Lewis, and boxer Floyd Mayweather.
Choreographer Fatima Robinson will be presented with AAFCA’s Salute to Excellence Award, recognizing her work on The Color Purple movie musical.
The late Michael Latt will receive the inaugural Freedom Award. The award was established in Latt’s honor, recognizing his legacy as a marketing strategist, thought leader, and founder of the organization Lead With Love, which promotes the work of underrepresented creatives. The marketing executive was killed in November by an intruder at his home in Los Angeles.
The feature film Killers of the Flower Moon will receive the Stanley & Karen Kramer Social Justice Award for bringing attention to the true story of the infamous Osage Nation murders.
“Our list this year includes titans and trailblazers whose work has transformed the cinematic arts,” AAFCA President and Co-Founder Gil Robertson said in a statement. “Their work leaves us in awe of their incredible achievements and inspires us to move forward in all our endeavors with passion, creativity and determination. AAFCA looks forward to celebrating them.”
Delta Airlines will also be honored — and receive AAFCA’s Film Advocate Award in recognition of their commitment to diversity in entertainment offered aboard Delta flights and embracing emerging filmmakers with their programming.
The trophies will be handed out at the 7th Annual AAFCA Special Achievement Awards luncheon on March 3, at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.
Kevin Hart hasn’t changed his mind about never hosting the Oscars, a claim he’s made since stepping down from the position in 2019 after past homophobic comments came to light on Twitter.
In an interview with Sky News promoting his new Netflix film Lift, Hart, told by the interviewer that his fans were “gutted” by his absence from the 2019 Oscars and asked whether he’d consider hosting in the future, said, “Whatever little hope you had, I want to destroy it right now. Those gigs aren’t good gigs for comics.”
Hart emphasized that he wasn’t insulting the Oscars or similar shows like the Golden Globes. “Those just aren’t comedy-friendly environments anymore. I think [the Oscars] got it right one year where it was like just a bunch of personalities acting as the hosts and that’s a nice thing. It’s a collaborative thing, different people get to be responsible for act one, act two, act three, but you know, the days of it being a room for a comic, those days are done.”
Hart was booked to host the 2019 ceremony when controversy arose over anti-gay jokes from his stand-up routines years earlier. The actor-comic stepped down, saying he didn’t want to be a “distraction” from the awards.
In the new interview, Hart commends comics who have hosted awards shows. “Shouts out to those that have cracked the code and done it right early on,” he said, “the Chris Rocks of the world, the Billy Crystals of the world, the Globes have had like Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Ricky Gervais. There’s a lot of people that understand it. But if you’re not an industry comic, meaning a comic that has the relationships of all, then those rooms are very cold. So, me doing it is, of course, I have an advantage because I know the room…But for others it’s not the same.”
“It’s not the gig that it was of old,” he continued. “It’s too much pressure on the idea of a comic and which jokes are not jokes. So it’s tough,” Hart added.
Hart’s comments come just days after comic Jo Koy bombed as host of the Golden Globes on Sunday. Koy got overwhelming bad reviews from critics and online commentators for his unfunny opening monologue and his gibe at Taylor Swift.
In the wake of Koy’s performance, comedians including Steve Martin and Whoopi Goldberg have defended the first-time host, noting the difficulty of being an awards host. Earlier this week, Hart told Bravo host Andy Cohen, “Jo’s fine. Jo Koy is a phenomenal comedian; he sells out arenas everywhere.”
Source: Deadline
CBS presents THE SUPER BOWL SOULFUL CELEBRATION 25th ANNIVERSARY, (previously known as the “Super Bowl Gospel Celebration”), to air Saturday, February 10 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network and stream on Paramount+ (live for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand on Pluto TV and cbs.com the day after the special airs)*. Cedric the Entertainer and Tichina Arnold of CBS’ THE NEIGHBORHOOD are confirmed to host.
“I’m thrilled to return to the Super Bowl Soulful Celebration stage in Vegas as co-host of the 25th anniversary broadcast on CBS with my dear friend and ‘The Neighborhood’ co-star, Tichina Arnold,” said Cedric the Entertainer. “A huge congratulations to Melanie Few for creating this amazing celebration of music, faith, and football.”
“Co-hosting the 25th anniversary Super Bowl Soulful Celebration with Cedric the Entertainer is a true highlight for me. Melanie Few’s achievement in hitting this incredible milestone is a testament to her dedication and the event’s cultural impact,” said Tichina Arnold. “I’m thrilled to be part of this historic event, and Cedric and I are geared up to bring our energy, laughter, and soul to this momentous occasion!”
The one-hour music special, in partnership with the NFL, tapes Wednesday, Feb. 7, at the Pearl Theater, Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, in advance of Super Bowl LVIII,airing Sunday, Feb. 11 on CBS. Commemorating its silver anniversary this year, the concert event brings an inspiring blend of music and football to a broadcast television audience. Honorees and performers will be announced at a later date.
For a quarter-century THE SUPER BOWL SOULFUL CELEBRATION 25thANNIVERSARY has captured the hearts of millions through the shared love of music, faith, and the exhilaration of football. Bridging cultures and igniting inspiration, the Super Bowl LVIII sanctioned special converges NFL players with award-winning artists and acclaimed musicians from diverse genres onto a single stage. The result is an unforgettable evening that transcends boundaries and has become an iconic platform that remains unrivaled as the sole multicultural and inspirational program sanctioned by the NFL during the electrifying Super Bowl week.
“As a multicultural and multifaceted celebration of togetherness, the Soulful Celebration has been an integral part of the Super Bowl’s DNA for the past 25 years,” said Arthur McAfee, NFL Senior Vice President for Football Operations. “We are proud of this storied tradition and look forward to bringing yet another year of joy and inspiration through music to CBS audiences.”
“We’ve come an incredible distance from our humble gospel brunch beginnings in Miami. This event has been a labor of unwavering love and dedication, and it’s an immense honor that our 25th Anniversary will debut on a major broadcast network like CBS,” said Melanie Few, founder of THE SUPER BOWL SOULFUL CELEBRATION. “It’s a privilege to collaborate with the NFL for 25 years and counting, creating an event that celebrates the powerful intersection of football, music, and inspiration.”
Joining THE SUPER BOWL SOULFUL CELEBRATION 25th ANNIVERSARY production team is Grammy-nominated artist Adam Blackstone, who serves as music director. The special is executive produced by Melanie Few and Valarie Benning Thompson serves as producer.
Tickets for THE SUPER BOWL SOULFUL CELEBRATION 25th ANNIVERSARY are on sale now and available to the public via Ticketmaster.com. Additionally, to mark this special occasion, exclusive commemorative 25th Anniversary limited-edition merchandise is available via the event’s official website SuperBowlSoulful.com or on-site at the special taping in Las Vegas, allowing attendees to take home a piece of this historic celebration. Talent and taping updates will be provided at SuperBowlSoulful.com and on X and Instagram at @superbowlsoulful.
The Golden Globe Awards have tapped comedian Jo Koy as host for the 2024 ceremony.
Koy will make his award show hosting debut at the Globes, following another stand-up, Jerrod Carmichael, who hosted the 80th awards.
“I’ve stepped onto a lot of stages around the world in my career, but this one is going to be extra special. I’m so excited to be hosting the Golden Globes this year,” Koy said in a statement. “This is that moment where I get to make my Filipino family proud. Mahal Kita (Google it)!” (We did: “Mahal Kita” translates to “I love you.”)
“We are thrilled to have Jo host the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards and bring his infectious energy and relatable humor to kick off Hollywood’s award season,” said Golden Globes president Helen Hoehne. “We can’t wait to see what he has in store for the stars in the room and a global audience. We know Jo is bringing his A-game.”
Koy has been a headlining stand-up for years, but ahead of his 2022 Netflix special Live From the Los Angeles Forum, he said that the industry hadn’t seemed to notice his success: “I just felt like, ‘What are you acting like you don’t see? Or what is it that you’re not seeing? These numbers are clear as day. I’m an arena act. I’m on a list of people that aren’t comics who are selling out arenas. It’s like, Elton John, Billy Joel, Jo Koy, and Coldplay. Like, what aren’t you guys seeing?’” he said. “And it hurt. It hurt a lot. And yeah, it was offensive that I still had to convince a lot of people that what I’m saying is relevant and funny.”
The Golden Globes, which are set to air on CBS (and stream on Paramount+) on Jan. 7, will likely put Koy in front of the biggest TV audience he’s had in his career. The awards moved to CBS after running on NBC for nearly three decades; the latter network ended its long-time relationship with the Globes after years of controversy over the conduct of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the organization formerly behind the awards.
Barbie and the final season of HBO’s Succession tied for the lead in nominations with nine each.
In June, Globes producer Dick Clark Productions and Eldridge acquired all of the Globes’ assets, rights, and properties from the HFPA, after which the Globes underwent a significant overhaul, including the roster of voting members for the awards. DCP is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Penske Media Corporation and Eldridge that also owns The Hollywood Reporter.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Dec. 19 (UPI) — Peacock is teasing its end-of-year special hosted by actors and comedians Kevin Hart and Kenan Thompson.
The streaming service shared a trailer and release date for 2023 Back That Year Up with Kevin Hart & Kenan Thompson on Tuesday.
Back That Year Up is an hourlong special that will see Hart and Thompson cover some of the biggest moments of the year.
“Hart and Thompson will deliver an unfiltered take on pop culture, sports, social media, and politics with their irreverent humor, inimitable charm, and hilarious points of view,” an official synopsis reads.
Simone Biles, Kelly Clarkson, Jim Cramer, Ron Funches, David Alan Grier, Jay Pharoah, and other stars will appear as guests.
“We are so excited to bring audiences another ‘Back That Year Up’ special as we celebrate all the ups, downs, and memorable moments of the past year. Hold onto your party hats, because this is going to be one for the books,” Hart said in a press release.
“We’re back! Always the best time being together with my brotha Big Kev!!! Join us once again this holiday season as we close out the year with some incredible guests and all the laughs. Happy New Year!” Thompson added.
Back That Year Up is directed by Leslie Small and executive produced by Hart and Thompson.
The special will premiere Dec. 26 on Peacock.
It’s very rare to come across any African American women in the Hollywood industry who are so-called “movers and shakers”. You can count the women who are making it in the industry on two hands, and the number shrinks drastically more than that if you want to include these women who are trail-blazing for others. You definitely know some of the women like Oprah Winfrey, Debra Martin Chase, Gayle King, and even Talitha Watkins who fit that mold.
But there are some women who are making a name for themselves in the business while creating opportunities for others, as they are fighting social injustices IN THEIR industry, not to mention doing what they can outside of it.
And when it comes to comedy, there is only one woman who is doing all of this in the industry and doing it as an Equity Partner at her Agency; her name is Tamra Goins, of Innovative Artists.
Tamra Goins, who as I mentioned, is a Talent Agent at Innovative Artists Agency, is making a difference in her space as she is ensuring those who follow in her footsteps get the tutelage to be able to feed their families because, as she says, “I want to represent anyone who wants to grind like me, and those who do – own their own home, have children, and are full-time comedians, and they do that.”
Goins is as remarkable as they come, and most in the Hollywood circles don’t even know it. Many may not be aware, but Goins has made her mark not only in comedy, but she will go down in history as one of the early emcees from Oakland known as Entice. She was one member of Too Short’s battle rappers best known for the historic single “Don’t Fight the Fellin’.” If you stop anyone in Oakland, even today, and ask who is on the Mount Rushmore Hall of Fame for battle MCs, they will say Goins is placed right there, among their best!
So, how does a person become a 17-year-old battle rapper, and eventually end up as the most powerful African-American woman in comedy? Goins’ journey is one for the ages with a LOT in between.
After becoming one of the Bay Area’s best and “hood famous” at a time when hip hop was at its infancy, Goins attended San Jose State University at 17 years old. While not sure of what she wanted to do, she was certain she didn’t want to be “on drugs or be a dope dealers’ baby Momma.” Goins set her sights on making sure her rent was paid and worked toward getting her degree in Criminal Justice.
While in school, and still maintaining “her hustle” Goins met Jeff Clanagan, someone who was also making waves in the entertainment industry, as he started a record label and was looking for artists. Today, Clanagan is President and Chief Distribution Officer, and Co-Founder of Hartbeat, and former Founder of Codeblack Enterprises. During that time, Clanagan was eventually able to persuade Goins to be a Promoter Rep for him. Goins had experience since she had also been a club manager in the local area known as Club Jazz, and was able to get her start handling Clanagan’s New Year’s Eve shows. Goins climbed quickly within the ranks, handling tours for the Isley Brothers, and eventually started producing 10 city tours.
Then everything stopped, as Clanagan turned to the corporate world and Goins went on to get married and became an NFL player’s wife.
Fast forward to 2009, and Goins realized that her life “lacked purpose”, and after a divorce, her real journey began. Goins circled back with Clanagan, as she pressed him to jump back in entertainment as Clanagan and his Codeblack Entertprises is producing the beginning of the Shaq All-Star Comedy Show, where Goins was able to land on as a consultant (while working a day job). Time eventually passed and Codeblack produces “Seriously Funny” with Kevin Hart, the “Mike Epps Live” and Steve Harvey’s concert, while the new Shaq brand eventually goes overseas.
Goins continued climbing as the Shaq brand became digital and launched a YouTube channel, “Laugh at My Pain” with Kevin Hart is next, and the Shaq brand launches a national tour. All while Goins becomes fully integrated within the Codeblack brand.
Then a phone call would change her world, AGAIN! Clanagan receives a call from an agent who is looking to corner the comedy market, and he refers Goins. Before you know it on May 9, 2013, Goins becomes an agent, and her new career begins.
In 2023, working for Innovative Artists as a Partner at the agency, Goins created something at an agency that has never been done before; she has a television and film department, literary department, and more; a complete full-service comedy department, all under her. Goins can literally manage everything in-house instead of trying to fight uphill battles in other departments for her clients.
While reflecting, and unbeknownst to her, a film titled “Freaky Tales” (not to be confused with Too Short’s classic) starring Pedro Pascal and directed by Ryan Fleck, comes along and gets submitted to the Sundance Film Festival for 2024. The film tells of four interconnected stories set in 1987 Oakland, and loosely bases a character on Goins’ early career as a hip-hop artist, which is going to be a quarter of the film. The film will also feature the musical artist known as Normani who will reprise Goins’ rapper Entice. “Freaky Tales” will highlight a time in hip-hop that it tells about the love of music, people, and memories while paying homage to some who may be overlooked.
Being an agent for Goins is to “under promise and over deliver while creating many opportunities for others”, especially those in the agency who report to her. As a former musician, promoter, producer, NFL player’s wife, and now as the head of the comedy department and a Partner at Innovative, Goins is doing just that; delivering.