NEW YORK, NEW YORK – February 1, 2018 – The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) Honors is excited to announce that Lena Waithe (The CHI, Ready Player One) is confirmed to present at the annual ceremony held at The Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 25th, hosted by comedian and actor Cedric the Entertainer.
The awards show celebrates individuals of African descent who have made distinguished contributions to American culture through their work, and salutes the year’s best movies and television shows. ABFF Honors was created by American Black Film Festival founder Jeff Friday, to promote camaraderie and a spirit of mutual appreciation among multicultural artists in Hollywood.
This year’s show will honor legendary actor Billy Dee Williams with the “Hollywood Legacy Award;” actor Omari Hardwick with the “Distinguished ABFF Alumni Award;” actress and comedian Tiffany Haddish with the “Rising Star Award” and writer and director Ava DuVernay with the “Industry Visionary Award.”
The honorees will join an illustrious group of past ABFF Honors recipients, including actors Denzel Washington, Regina King, Don Cheadle, Diahann Carroll, Queen Latifah, Issa Rae, Terrence Howard and filmmakers and producers Ryan Coogler, F. Gary Gray and Will Packer.
The many high-profile presenters and guests who have attended are Viola Davis, Kerry Washington, Robert Downey Jr., Jamie Foxx, Ice Cube, Cecily Tyson, Lee Daniels, Anthony Anderson, Regina Hall, Taye Diggs, Octavia Spencer, KeKe Palmer, Nia Long, Morris Chestnut, Omari Hardwick and Pharrell Williams, among others.
The event is executive produced by ABFF Ventures founder Jeff Friday, in association with de Passe Jones Entertainment.
The 2018 ABFF Honors sponsors are BET Networks (Presenting Sponsor), AT&T and Cadillac (Red Carpet Sponsors) and American Airlines (Official Airline Sponsor) and CAA, Facebook, HBO, Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and Prudential (Corporate Diversity Sponsors).
