Showing posts with label Viola Davis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Viola Davis. Show all posts

Thursday, December 15, 2022

The Woman King Receives Two Critics Choice Awards Nominations

The film nominations for the 28th annual Critics Choice Awards are in.

The Woman King received two nominations from the Critics Choice Awards.

Viola Davis was nominated for Best Actor and Gina Prince-Bythewood was nominated for Best Director.

Winners will be announced at the Chelsea Handler-hosted awards ceremony on Jan. 15, 2023, airing live at 7 p.m. ET on The CW.

Saturday, December 10, 2022

The Woman King named best film of the year by the African-American Film Critics Association

The Woman King beat out Wakanda Forever and has been crowned best film of the year by the African-American Film Critics Association ahead of the 14th Annual AAFCA Awards.

It's not too surprising considering the historical epic received a 'certified fresh' 94% critic approval rating (out of 241 reviews) and a 99% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes since opening September 16.

Independent Spirit Award winner Gina Prince-Bythewood's $50M-budget, $94.2M-grossing film centered on the Agojie, the all-female warrior unit that protected the West African kingdom of Dahomey during the 17th to 19th centuries.

The film stars Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, and John Boyega and is currently still in theaters and on VOD.

The Woman King is already garnering Academy Award buzz for Oscar winner Viola Davis.

The top 5 films picked by the AAFCA were:

1. The Woman King

2. The Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

3. Till

4. "Sidney" documentary

5. Emanicipation

[SOURCE: THE DAILY MAIL]

Wednesday, July 06, 2022

Check out the trailer for THE WOMAN KING starring Viola Davis

Check out the first trailer for the "The Women King" starrring Viola Davis.

The Woman King is the remarkable story of the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s with skills and a fierceness unlike anything the world has ever seen. Inspired by true events, The Woman King follows the emotionally epic journey of General Nanisca (Oscar®-winner Viola Davis) as she trains the next generation of recruits and readies them for battle against an enemy determined to destroy their way of life. Some things are worth fighting for.

The fiim is directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and stars Viola Davis,Thuso Mbedu Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, and John Boyega.

Monday, May 09, 2022

Kering and the Cannes Film Festival to present the 2022 Women In Motion Award to Viola Davis

Viola Davis is set to be honored with the Women In Motion Award at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

François-Henri Pinault, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kering, Pierre Lescure, President of the Festival de Cannes and Thierry Frémaux, Executive Director of the Festival de Cannes, will present the award during the official Women In Motion dinner in Cannes on Sunday, May 22, 2022.

Viola Davis, known throughout the world for her acting roles and her commitment to the rights of women and minorities, is one of the most influential American actresses and producers of her time.

Her talent, hard work, choice of roles and the way she interprets them have earned her the very highest recognitions in the film industry. Viola Davis is one of the few Hollywood personalities to have won a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, four SAG Awards, and what Hollywood calls the Triple Crown of Acting: two Tony Awards, an Oscar and an Emmy, for her roles in the stage play King Hedley II, Fences and its remarkable film adaptation, and the TV series How to Get Away with Murder. This astonishing record also makes her the only African American actress to have received so many nominations and awards for her roles in theater, television and film.

A committed activist, Viola Davis has regularly called for greater inclusion in the film industry and campaigned for gender equality. In January 2018, she took part in a Women's March that included female politicians, women in the film industry and feminists, along with members of the public. In a passionate address to the crowd, she said: “I am speaking today not just for the #MeToos, because I was a #MeToo. But when I raise my hand, I am aware of all the women who are still in silence. The women who are faceless. The women who don’t have the money, and don’t have the Constitution, and who don’t have the confidence, and who don’t have the images in our media that gives them a sense of self-worth enough to break their silence that’s rooted in the shame of assault, that’s rooted in the stigma of assault.” Her emotional speech drew on her personal experience of trauma, poverty and her many struggles in life, along with her incredible resilience. Broadcast on every TV channel, and followed and shared on social media networks, this powerful speech was a source of encouragement, both in the way she spoke and her sense of empathy, for everyone to speak up.

Viola Davis also called out the blatant lack of diversity in the film industry, whether in production, writing or directing, which remains a very powerful brake on equality. Another speech to make its mark on Hollywood and the rest of the world came in 2015, as she received her Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role in How to Get Away with Murder. After quoting Harriet Tubman, she told the audience: “The one thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity… you cannot win an Emmy for roles that simply aren’t there.” She was the first African American to win the award.

This lack of diversity in the industry led her to create her own production company, JuVee Productions, with her husband Julius Tennon. The move enabled her to develop many stories and roles that would not have existed otherwise.

In addition to her fight for the rights of women and minorities, Viola Davis also combats the effects of poverty, particularly through her involvement since 2014 with the campaign against undernutrition Hunger Is, and the No Kid Hungry campaign, of which she is a spokesperson since 2020. She plays an active part in many fundraising events, helping schools in the state of Rhode Island where she grew up.

Viola Davis has just published her autobiography, Finding Me. The book immediately became a #1 New York Times bestseller. Finding Me is an intensely personal account, written during lockdown, that reveals her childhood in an underprivileged environment, growing up with what would seem were insurmountable odds. Viola Davis describes what she saw and experienced during her childhood and youth, highlighting the harassment and abuse faced by the most disadvantaged people in society. She also provides a glimpse of how to find your own path in life, embracing your past.

Kering and the Festival de Cannes wish to recognize her activism and achievements by presenting her with the Women In Motion Award. Since its launch in 2015, the program has been rewarding and highlighting women’s creativity and unique contribution to culture and the arts, and their role in helping to transform our vision of the world through their work.

The Women In Motion Awards at Cannes have honored the careers and commitment of iconic women in the film world: Jane Fonda in 2015, Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon in 2016, Isabelle Huppert in 2017, Patty Jenkins in 2018, Gong Li in 2019 and Salma Hayek in 2021.

About Viola Davis

Born in 1965 in Saint Matthews, South Carolina, Viola Davis is an American actress and producer. She began her career in the theater in the 1990s, before winning critical acclaim in the film The Help. In 2014, she took the lead role in the TV series How to Get Away with Murder, produced by Shonda Rhimes, for which she won an Emmy Award. In 2016, she starred in Fences alongside Denzel Washington, who also directed the film, and won both a Golden Globe and an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. She was nominated again for a Golden Globe and an Oscar for Best Actress in 2020 for playing blues singer Ma Rainey in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. She is currently on screen in the series The First Lady, broadcast on Show Time in the United States since April 17, where she plays the iconic Michelle Obama. In April 2022, her memoir Finding Me was released in the United States.

About Women In Motion

Kering's commitment to women is at the heart of the Group's priorities and extends, through Women In Motion, to the field of arts and culture, where gender inequalities are still glaring, even though creation is one of the most powerful vectors for change.

In 2015, Kering launched Women In Motion at the Festival de Cannes with the ambition of highlighting women in cinema, both in front of and behind the camera. The program has since expanded in a major way to photography, but also to art, design, choreography and music. Through its Awards, the program recognizes inspirational figures and young female talent, while its Talks provide an opportunity for leading personalities to share their views on the representation of women in their profession.

For the past eight years, Women In Motion has been a platform of choice that contributes to changing mind sets and thinking on the place of women - and the recognition they receive - in the arts and culture.

About Kering

A global Luxury group, Kering manages the development of a series of renowned Houses in Fashion, Leather Goods, Jewelry: Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Brioni, Boucheron, Pomellato, DoDo, Qeelin, as well as Kering Eyewear. By placing creativity at the heart of its strategy, Kering enables its Houses to set new limits in terms of their creative expression while crafting tomorrow’s Luxury in a sustainable and responsible way. We capture these beliefs in our signature: “Empowering Imagination”.

Monday, May 13, 2019

EMANUEL: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS OF THE CHARLESTON CHURCH SHOOTING

Emanuel

IN THEATERS JUNE 17 & 19 ONLY

National headlines blazed the story: Churchgoers Gunned Down During Prayer Service in Charleston, South Carolina. After a 21-year-old white supremacist opened fire in the church, nine African Americans lay dead—leaving their families and the nation to grapple with this senseless act of terror.

Forty-eight hours later, in the midst of unspeakable grief and suffering, the families of the Emanuel Nine stood in court facing the killer … and offered words of forgiveness. Their demonstration of grace ushered the way for hope and healing across a city and the nation.

It’s the story that rocked a city and a nation as it happened … and in the days that followed. Marking the fourth anniversary of the event, executive producers Stephen Curry and Viola Davis, co-producer Mariska Hargitay, and director Brian Ivie (The Drop Box) present EMANUEL. The documentary powerfully weaves the history of race relations in Charleston, the significance and impact of Mother Emanuel Church, and the hope that somehow emerges in the aftermath.

Featuring intimate interviews with survivors and family members, EMANUEL is a poignant story of justice and faith, love and hate, examining the healing power of forgiveness. Marking the fourth anniversary, EMANUEL will be in movie theaters across the country for two nights only: June 17 and 19.

Find theaters and get tickets here: Emanuel In Theaters

Sunday, January 21, 2018

Viola Davis speaks up for women and girls of color at Women's March

Actress Viola Davis speaks up for all women, especially women of color and of her own experience of sexual abuse at the Women's March in Los Angeles. Watch her full speech below:

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Denzel Washington discusses bringing "Fences" to the big screen



Denzel Washington sat down with 60 minutes correspondent Bill Whitaker and had a interesting discussion about bringing August Wilson's play Fences to the big screen. Watch that interview below.




Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Trailer for Fences, a movie directed by Denzel Washington

Watch the new official teaser trailer for Fences, starring Denzel Washington and Viola Davis. Coming to theatres December 25, 2016.

FENCES is directed by Denzel Washington from a screenplay by August Wilson, adapted from Wilson's Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning play. The film stars Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Jovan Adepo, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Russell Hornsby, Mykelti Williamson, and Saniyya Sydney. The film is produced by Denzel Washington, Todd Black and Scott Rudin.

SYNOPSIS: An African American father struggles with race relations in the United States while trying to raise his family in the 1950s and coming to terms with the events of his life.

Saturday, August 06, 2016

Suicide Squad opening weekend success driven by African American & Latino moviegoers


By George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.com

The $135 million plus opening weekend success of Suicide Squad can be attributed in part to its appeal to minority moviegoers. It seems that using a Fast & Furious type casting approach when it comes to diversity helped drive minority auds to the theater to see the film. It should be no surprise (except to studio heads) that Black and Latino audiences turned out to see to see actors like Will Smith (Deadshot), Jay Hernandez (El Diablo), and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Killer Croc) playing superheroes/supervillians.

After seeing it I can attest that although fun and action packed it is not a good film and appears to have scenes that were cut out after the team finally gets together. There are none of the obligatory get to know you, don't like you, fight you, and then like you bonding scenes that help you get to know the characters. But that didn't stop minority audiences from going to see the superhero/supervillain film that featured characters they felt they could relate to.

Per PostTrak, the combination of African American and Hispanic moviegoers made up a huge 41% of the audience with both audiences giving the film a whopping 81% positive score. [SOURCE]

The diverse film cast includes Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Ike Barinholtz, Scott Eastwood, and Cara Delevingne.

Thursday, July 14, 2016

Black actors nominated for Emmys




Here is a list of the 16 black actors/actresses nominated for 2016 Emmy Awards
Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson as Andre Johnson: black-ish •  
Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited Series Or Movie
Courtney B. Vance as Johnnie Cochran: The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story  
Cuba Gooding, Jr. as O.J. Simpson: The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story •  
Idris Elba as DCI John Luther: Luther

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series
Tracee Ellis Ross as Rainbow Johnson: black-ish   
Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series
Taraji P. Henson as Cookie Lyon: Empire  
Viola Davis as Annalise Keating: How To Get Away With Murder 
Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Series Or Movie
 Kerry Washington as Anita Hill: Confirmation 
Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series
Andre Braugher as Captain Ray Holt: Brooklyn Nine-Nine   
Keegan-Michael Key as Various characters: Key & Peele  
 Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series
Tracy Morgan as Host: Saturday Night Live 
Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Limited Series Or Movie
Bokeem Woodbine as Mike Milligan: Fargo 
Sterling K. Brown as Christopher DardenThe People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Limited Series Or Movie
Regina King as Terri Lacroix: American Crime 
Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series
Mahershala Ali as Remy Danton: House Of Cards 
Reg E. Cathey as Freddy: House Of Cards 

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Viola Davis to portray Viola Davis in HBO movie

HBO Films has teamed with writer Kirk Ellis, producer Doug Ellin and Steven Spielberg’s Amblin TV for a project about Harriet Tubman, with Oscar nominee Viola Davis set to portray the famous abolitionist. Read more: Viola Davis To Star In Harriet Tubman HBO Movie

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Full list of nominees for the 46th NAACP Image Awards



Here is the complete list of the nominees for the 46 NAACP Image Awards. There are some no brainers and quite a few surprises.

NOMINEES

Outstanding Comedy Series
“Orange is the New Black” (Netflix)
“black-ish” (ABC)
“House of Lies” (Showtime)
“Key & Peele” (Comedy Central)
“Real Husbands of Hollywood” (BET)
Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
Andre Braugher – “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (FOX)
Anthony Anderson – “‘black-ish” (ABC)
Don Cheadle – “House of Lies” (Showtime)
Keegan-Michael Key – “Key & Peele” (Comedy Central)
Kevin Hart – “Real Husbands of Hollywood” (BET)
Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series
Mindy Kaling – “The Mindy Project” (FOX)
Niecy Nash – “The Soul Man” (TV Land)
Tracee Ellis Ross – “black-ish” (ABC)
Uzo Aduba – “Orange is the New Black” (Netflix)
Wendy Raquel Robinson – “The Game” (BET)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Boris Kodjoe – “Real Husbands of Hollywood” (BET)
Glynn Turman – “House of Lies” (Showtime)
Laurence Fishburne – “black-ish” (ABC)
Marcus Scribner – “black-ish” (ABC)
Terry Crews – “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (FOX)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Adrienne C. Moore – “Orange is the New Black” (Netflix)
Laverne Cox – “Orange is the New Black” (Netflix)
Lorraine Toussaint – “Orange is the New Black” (Netflix)
Sofia Vergara – “Modern Family” (ABC)
Yara Shahidi – “black-ish” (ABC)
Outstanding Drama Series
“Being Mary Jane” (BET)
“Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC)
“House of Cards” (Netflix)
“How to Get Away with Murder” (ABC)
“Scandal” (ABC)
Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series
LL Cool J – “NCIS: LA” (CBS)
Omar Epps – “Resurrection” (ABC)
Omari Hardwick – “Being Mary Jane” (BET)
Shemar Moore – “Criminal Minds” (CBS)
Taye Diggs – “Murder in the First” (TNT)
Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
Gabrielle Union – “Being Mary Jane” (BET)
Kerry Washington – “Scandal” (ABC)
Nicole Beharie – “Sleepy Hollow” (FOX)
Octavia Spencer – “Red Band Society” (FOX)
Viola Davis – “How to Get Away with Murder” (ABC)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Alfred Enoch – “How to Get Away with Murder” (ABC)
Courtney B. Vance – “Masters of Sex” (Showtime)
Guillermo Diaz  – “Scandal” (ABC)
Jeffrey Wright – “Boardwalk Empire” (HBO)
Joe Morton – “Scandal” (ABC)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Aja Naomi King – “How to Get Away with Murder” (ABC)
Alfre Woodard – “State of Affairs” (NBC)
Chandra Wilson – “Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC)
Khandi Alexander – “Scandal” (ABC)
Jada Pinkett Smith – “Gotham” (FOX)
Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
“A Day Late and a Dollar Short” (Lifetime Networks)
“American Horror Story: Freak Show” (FX)
“Drumline: A New Beat” (VH1)
“The Gabby Douglas Story” (Lifetime Networks)
“The Trip to Bountiful” (Lifetime Networks)
Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
Blair Underwood – “The Trip to Bountiful” (Lifetime Networks)
Charles S. Dutton – “Comeback Dad” (UP Entertainment)
Larenz Tate – “Gun Hill” (BET)
Mekhi Phifer – “A Day Late and a Dollar Short” (Lifetime Networks)
Ving Rhames – “A Day Late and a Dollar Short” (Lifetime Networks)
Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
Angela Bassett – “American Horror Story: Freak Show” (FX)
Cicely Tyson – “The Trip to Bountiful” (Lifetime Networks)
Keke Palmer – “The Trip to Bountiful” (Lifetime Networks)
Regina King – “The Gabby Douglas Story” (Lifetime Networks)
Vanessa Williams – “The Trip to Bountiful” (Lifetime Networks)
Outstanding News/ Information (Series or Special)
“America After Ferguson” (PBS)
“Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.” (PBS)
“Melissa Harris Perry” (MSNBC)
“Oprah’s Lifeclass” (OWN)
“Unsung” (TV One)
Outstanding Talk Series
“Oprah Prime” (OWN)
“Steve Harvey” (Syndicated)
“The Queen Latifah Show” (Syndicated)
“The View” (ABC)
“The Wendy Williams Show” (Syndicated)
Outstanding Reality Series
“Shark Tank” (ABC)
“Iyanla: Fix My Life” (OWN)
“Dancing with the Stars” (ABC)
“The Voice” (NBC)
“Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s” (OWN)
Outstanding Variety (Series or Special)
“BET Awards” (BET)
“Family Feud” (Syndicated)
“On the Run: Beyoncé and Jay Z” (HBO)
“Oprah’s Master Class” (OWN)
“UNCF An Evening of Stars” (NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, The CW, BET, Centric)
Outstanding Children’s Program
“Doc McStuffins” (Disney Junior)
“Anna Deavere Smith: A Youngarts Masterclass” (HBO)
“HALO Awards” (Nickelodeon)
“Dora and Friends: Into The City!” (Nickelodeon)
“Kid President: Declaration of Awesome” (HUB)
Outstanding Performance by a Youth in a Youth/Children’s Program (Series or Special)
Amber Montana – “Haunted Hathaways” (Nickelodeon)
China Anne McClain – “How to Build a Better Boy” (Disney Channel)
Curtis Harris – “Haunted Hathaways” (Nickelodeon)
Fatima Ptacek – “Dora and Friends: Into The City!” (Nickelodeon)
Taliyah Whitaker – “Wallykazam!” (Nickelodeon)
Outstanding Host in a Talk, Reality, News/Information or Variety Series
Steve Harvey – “Steve Harvey” (Syndicated)
Queen Latifah – “The Queen Latifah Show” (Syndicated)
Chris Rock – “BET Awards” (BET)
Gwen Ifill – “America After Ferguson” (PBS)
Melissa Harris Perry – “Melissa Harris Perry” (MSNBC)
Outstanding New Artist
Aloe Blacc (XIX Recordings/Interscope Records)
Erica Campbell (My Block Inc./eOne Music)
Jhene Aiko (Def Jam Recordings)
Liv Warfield (Kobalt Label Services)
3 Winans Brothers (BMG)
Outstanding Male Artist
John Legend (Columbia Records)
Kem (Motown – Capitol)
Kendrick Lamar (Interscope Records)
Michael Jackson (Epic Records)
Pharrell Williams (Columbia Records)
Outstanding Female Artist
Alicia Keys (RCA Records)
Beyoncé (Columbia Records)
Jennifer Hudson (RCA Records)
Ledisi (Verve Records)
Mary J Blige (Capitol)
Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration
“Being With You” – Smokey Robinson feat. Mary J Blige (Verve)
“Brand New” – Pharrell Williams feat. Justin Timberlake (Columbia Records)
“Gust of Wind” – Pharrell Williams feat. Daft Punk (Columbia Records)
“Love, Marriage & Divorce” – Toni Braxton & Babyface (Def Jam Recordings)
“Stay with Me” – Sam Smith feat. Mary J Blige (Capitol)
Outstanding Jazz Album
“My Old Friend: Celebrating George Duke” – Al Jarreau (Concord)
“Dave Koz and Friends: The 25th of December” – Dave Koz (Concord Records)
“Beautiful Life” – Dianne Reeves (Concord)
“Living My Dream” – Jonathan Butler (Rendezvous Music)
“Up” – Stanley Clarke (Mack Avenue Records)
Outstanding Gospel Album (Traditional or Contemporary)
“Duets” – Donnie McClurkin (RCA Inspiration)
“Help” – Erica Campbell (My Block Inc./eOne Music)
“I Will Trust” – Fred Hammond (RCA Inspiration)
“Where My Heart Belongs” – Gladys Knight (Shadow Mountain Records)
“Journey To Freedom” – Michelle Williams (eOne Music)
Outstanding Music Video
“Pretty Hurts” – Beyoncé (Columbia Records)
“You & I (Nobody in the World)” – John Legend (Columbia Records)
“It’s You” – KEM  (Motown – Capitol)
“i” – Kendrick Lamar (TDE/Interscope)
“Love Never Felt So Good” – Michael Jackson feat. Justin Timberlake (Epic Records)
Outstanding Song
“We Are Here” – Alicia Keys (RCA Records)
“The Man” – Aloe Blacc (Interscope Records)
“Pretty Hurts” – Beyoncé (Columbia Records)
“i” – Kendrick Lamar (TDE/Interscope)
“Good Kisser” – Usher (RCA Records)
Outstanding Album
“Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics” – Aretha Franklin (RCA Records)
“Beyoncé Platinum Edition” – Beyoncé (Columbia Records)
“JHUD” – Jennifer Hudson (RCA Records)
“G I R L” – Pharrell Williams (Columbia Records)
“Love, Marriage & Divorce” – Toni Braxton & Babyface (Def Jam Recordings)
Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction
“A Wanted Woman” – Eric Jerome Dickey (Penguin Random House)
“An Untamed State” – Roxane Gay (Grove/Atlantic – Black Cat)
“Another Woman’s Man” – Shelly Ellis (Kensington Publishing Corp.)
“Momma: Gone” – Nina Foxx (Brown Girls Publishing)
“The Prodigal Son” – Kimberla Lawson Roby (Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Book Group)
Outstanding Literary Work – Non-Fiction
“Bad Feminist” – Roxane Gay (Harper Perennial/HarperCollins)
“Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption” – Bryan Stevenson (Spiegel & Grau)
“Place not Race: A New Vision of Opportunity in America” – Sheryll Cashin (Beacon Press)
“The Bill of the Century: The Epic Battle for the Civil Rights Act” – Clay Risen (Bloomsbury Press)
“Who We Be: The Colorization of America” – Jeff Chang (St. Martin’s Press)
Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author
“Forty Acres” – Dwayne Alexander Smith (Atria Books)
“Queen Sugar” – Natalie Baszile (Pamela Dorman Books/Penguin Random House)
“Remedy For A Broken Angel” – Toni Ann Johnson (Nortia Press)
“The 16th Minute of Fame: An Insider’s Guide for Maintaining Success Beyond 15 Minutes of Fame” – Darrell Miller (Dunham Books)
“Time of the Locust” – Morowa Yejide (Atria Books)
Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/ Auto Biography
“Breaking Ground: My Life in Medicine” – Louis Sullivan with David Chanoff (University of Georgia Press)
“Handbook for an Unpredictable Life: How I Survived Sister Renata and My Crazy Mother, and Still Came Out Smiling (with Great Hair)” – Rosie Perez (Crown Archetype)
“Life In Motion” – Misty Copeland (Touchstone)
“Mayor for Life” – Marion Barry, Omar Tyree (Strebor Books)
“Stand Up Straight and Sing!” – Jessye Norman (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional
“101 Scholarship Applications: What It Takes to Obtain a Debt-Free College Education” – Gwen Richardson (Cushcity Communications)
“10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse” – JJ Smith (Atria Books/Simon & Schuster)
“Afro-Vegan: Farm-Fresh African, Caribbean, and Southern Flavors Remixed” – Bryant Terry (Ten Speed Press)
“Justice While Black: Helping African-American Families Navigate and Survive the Criminal Justice System” – Robbin Shipp, Nick Chiles (Agate Bolden)
“Promises Kept: Raising Black Boys to Succeed in School and in Life” – Joe Brewster, Michele Stephenson, Hilary Beard (Spiegel & Grau)
Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry
“Citizen: An American Lyric” – Claudia Rankine (Graywolf Press)
“Digest” – Gregory Pardlo (Four Way Books)
“The New Testament” – Jericho Brown (Copper Canyon Press)
“The Poetry of Derek Walcott 1948-2013″ – Derek Walcott, Selected by Glyn Maxwell (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
“We Didn’t Know Any Gangsters” – Brian Gilmore (Cherry Castle Publishing, LLC)
Outstanding Literary Work – Children
“Beautiful Moon” – Tonya Bolden (Author), Eric Velasquez (Illustrator) (Abrams/Abrams Books for Young Readers)
“Little Melba and Her Big Trombone” – Katheryn Russell-Brown (Author), Frank Morrison (Illustrator) (Lee & Low Books)
“Malcolm Little” – Ilyasah Shabazz (Author), AG Ford (Illustrator) (Simon & Schuster)
“Searching for Sarah Rector” – Tonya Bolden (Abrams/Abrams Books for Young Readers)
“Dork Diaries 8: Tales From A Note-So-Happily Ever After” – Rachel Renee Russell with Nikki Russell and Erin Russell (Simon & Schuster)
Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens
“Because They Marched: The People’s Campaign for Voting Rights That Changed America” – Russell Freedman (Holiday House)
“Brown Girl Dreaming” – Jacqueline Woodson (Nancy Paulsen Books)
“Revolution” – Deborah Wiles (Scholastic Press)
“The Freedom Summer Murders” – Don Mitchell (Scholastic Press)
“The Red Pencil” – Andrea Davis Pinkney (Author), Shane Evans (Illustrator) (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
Outstanding Motion Picture
“Belle” (Fox Searchlight Pictures/ DJ Films)
“Beyond The Lights” (Relativity Media)
“Dear White People” (Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions)
“Get On Up” (Universal Pictures)
“Selma” (Paramount Pictures)
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Chadwick Boseman – “Get On Up” (Universal Pictures)
David Oyelowo – “Selma” (Paramount Pictures)
Denzel Washington – “The Equalizer” (Columbia Pictures)
Idris Elba – “No Good Deed” (Screen Gems)
Nate Parker – “Beyond The Lights” (Relativity Media)
Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
Gugu Mbatha-Raw – “Belle” (Fox Searchlight Pictures/ DJ Films)
Quvenzhané Wallis – “Annie” (Columbia Pictures)
Taraji P. Henson – “No Good Deed” (Screen Gems)
Tessa Thompson – “Dear White People” (Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions)
Viola Davis – “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby” (The Weinstein Company)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
André Holland – “Selma” (Paramount Pictures)
Cedric the Entertainer – “Top Five” (Paramount Pictures)
Common – “Selma” (Paramount Pictures)
Danny Glover – “Beyond The Lights” (Relativity Media)
Wendell Pierce – “Selma” (Paramount Pictures)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Carmen Ejogo – “Selma” (Paramount Pictures)
Jill Scott – “Get On Up” (Universal Pictures)
Octavia Spencer – “Get On Up” (Universal Pictures)
Oprah Winfrey – “Selma” (Paramount Pictures)
Viola Davis – “Get On Up” (Universal Pictures)
Outstanding Independent Motion Picture
“Belle” (Fox Searchlight Pictures/ DJ Films)
“Dear White People” (Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions)
“Half of a Yellow Sun” (monterey media inc.)
“Life of a King” (Animus Films/Serena Films)
“JIMI: All Is By My Side” (XLrator Media)
Outstanding Documentary (Film)
“Documented” (Apo Anak Productions)
“Finding Fela” (Jigsaw Productions)
“I Am Ali” (Focus World/Fisheye Films)
“Keep On Keepin On” (RADiUS)
“Through A Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People” (Chimpanzee Productions, Inc.)
Outstanding Documentary (Television)
“American Experience: Freedom Summer” (PBS)
“Bad Boys” (ESPN)
“Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown” (HBO)
“Rand University” (ESPN)
“The War Comes Home: Soledad O’Brien Reports” (CNN)
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series
Brigitte Munoz-Liebowitz – “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” – Road Trip (FOX)
Aisha Muharrar – “Parks and Recreation” – Ann & Chris (NBC)
Regina Hicks – “Instant Mom” – A Kids’s Choice (Nickelodeon and Nick@Nite)
Sara Hess – “Orange is the New Black” – It Was the Change (Netflix)
Mindy Kaling – “The Mindy Project” – Danny and Mindy (FOX)
Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series
Zahir McGhee – “Scandal” – Mama Said Knock You Out (ABC)
Erika Green Swafford – “How to Get Away with Murder” – Let’s Get To Scooping (ABC)
Mara Brock Akil – “Being Mary Jane” – Uber Love (BET)
Warren Leight, Julie Martin – “Law & Order: SVU” – American Disgrace (NBC)
Zoanne Clack – “Grey’s Anatomy” – You Be Illin’ (ABC)
Outstanding Writing in a Television Movie
Karin Gist, Regina Hicks – “Drumline: A New Beat” (VH1)
Reggie Bythewood – “Gun Hill” (BET)
Shernold Edwards – “A Day Late and a Dollar Short” (Lifetime Networks)
Sterling Anderson, Maria Nation – “The Gabby Douglas Story” (Lifetime Networks)
Sharon Brathwaite, Peres Owino – “Seasons of Love” (Lifetime Networks)
Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture
Chris Rock – “Top Five” (Paramount Pictures)
Richard Wenk – “The Equalizer” (Columbia Pictures)
Misan Sagay – “Belle” (Fox Searchlight Pictures/ DJ Films)
Justin Simien – “Dear White People” (Roadside Attractions and Lionsgate)
Margaret Nagle – “The Good Lie” (Alcon Entertainment)
Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series
Ken Whittingham – “Parks and Recreation” – Prom (NBC)
Ken Whittingham – “The Mindy Project” – Think Like a Peter (FOX)
Reginald Hudlin – “Bad Judge” – Knife to a Gunfight (NBC)
Linda Mendoza – “Bad Judge” – One Brave Waitress (NBC)
Stan Lathan – “Real Husbands of Hollywood” – No New Friends (BET)
Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series
Anton Cropper – “Suits” – One-Two-Three Go… (USA)
Carl Franklin – “House of Cards” – Chapter 14 (Netflix)
Cary Joji Fukunaga – “True Detective” – Who Goes There (HBO)
Hanelle Culpepper – “Criminal Minds” – The Edge of Winter (CBS)
Millicent Shelton – “The Divide” – And the Little Ones Get Caught (WE tv)
Outstanding Directing in a Television Movie
Bille Woodruff – “Drumline: A New Beat” (VH1)
Gregg Champion – “The Gabby Douglas Story” (Lifetime Networks)
Michael Wilson – “The Trip to Bountiful” (Lifetime Networks)
Reggie Bythewood – “Gun Hill” (BET)
Stephen Tolkin – “A Day Late and a Dollar Short” (Lifetime Networks)
Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture
Amma Asante – “Belle” (Fox Searchlight Pictures/ DJ Films)
Antoine Fuqua – “The Equalizer” (Columbia Pictures)
Ava DuVernay – “Selma” (Paramount Pictures)
John Ridley – “JIMI: All Is By My Side” (XLrator Media)
Gina Prince-Bythewood – “Beyond The Lights” (Relativity Media)
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance
Jamie Foxx – “Rio 2″ (20th Century Fox)
Loretta Devine – “Doc McStuffins” (Disney Junior)
Morgan Freeman – “The Lego Movie” (Warner Bros. Pictures/Village Roadshow Pictures/Ratpac-Dune Entertainment/Lego System A/S/Vertigo Entertainment/Lin Pictures)
Tracy Morgan – “The Boxtrolls” (Focus Features)
Zoe Saldana – “The Book of Life” (20th Century Fox)