Lin-Manuel Miranda to Appear on “The Tony Awards Present: Broadway’s Back!” Special

Posted on September 20, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Lin-Manuel Miranda is celebrating Broadway’s reopening…

The 41-year-old Puerto Rican Tony Award-winning actor, singer, songwriter, rapper, producer and playwright will take part in Broadway’s Back!, the live two-hour broadcast special immediately following this Sunday’s streaming-only Tony Awards ceremony.

In addition to Miranda, who created the Broadway hits In The Heights and Hamilton, the program will include appearances by Kristin Chenoweth, André De Shields, Jake Gyllenhaal, Audra McDonald, Idina Menzel, Broadway legend Chita Rivera, Daphne Rubin-Vega, who originated the role of Mimi Marquez in the Broadway musical Rent, and more, according to CBS and The American Theatre Wing.

The special, presented live on Sunday, Sept. 26 from Broadway’s Winter Garden Theatre, will be hosted by Leslie Odom, Jr.

Designed as a celebration of Broadway’s return to the stage following the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, the special (full title: The Tony Awards Present: Broadway’s Back!) airs on CBS from 9:00 – 11:00 pm ET (live) and PT (delayed). The special also will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

The concert special will include Broadway performers and Tony Award winners re-uniting on stage to perform classics, and will feature performances from the three Tony-nominated Best Musical contenders: Jagged Little Pill, Moulin Rouge! The Musical and Tina: The Tina Turner Musical.

The special also will include the live presentation of three Tony Awards: Best Play, Best Revival of a Play and Best Musical.

The 74th Annual Tony Awards, delayed from June 2020 due to COVID-19 and representing a shorter roster of nominees because of the shutdown, will stream exclusively on Paramount+ live beginning at 7:00 pm ET/4:00 pm PT. The ceremony will be hosted by Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award-winning singer and actor Audra McDonald, and will cover productions from the abbreviated 2019-2020 Broadway season.

The line-up of Broadway’s Back! performers and presenters also includes Annaleigh Ashford, Kerry Butler, Christopher Jackson, Ruthie Ann Miles, Bebe Neuwirth, Leslie Odom, Jr., Kelli O’Hara, Ben Platt, Jeremy Pope and BD Wong. Additional performers and presenters will be announced later this week.

The Tony Awards Present: Broadway’s Back! will be produced in collaboration with Tony Award Productions, a joint venture of The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, and White Cherry Entertainment, the team behind the annual Tony Awards telecast. Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss are executive producers for White Cherry Entertainment. Weiss will serve as director.

Christina Ochoa Teaming Up with Inner Child Production Banner for “Around The World In 80 Dates”

Posted on July 14, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a world of excitement for Christina Ochoa.

The 36-year-old Spanish actress and Animal Kingdom star is partnering with Emmy-winning production designer David Korins and his Inner Child production banner for Around The World In 80 Dates.

Inner Child has acquired the romance experiment show to co-develop and executive produce alongside Ochoa. Around The World in 80 Dates is a cross-cultural exploration of international romance, courtship rituals and love.

Ochoa appears in TNT’s Animal Kingdom as Renn Randall. She has landed a spot in ABC’s Matt Lopez drama Promised Land. Her additional credits include ABC’s A Million Little Things, CW’s Valor and NBC’s Blood Drive.

Korins is both an Emmy winner and Tony Award nominee. He earned his Emmy for Outstanding Production Design for a Variety Special in 2019 for that year’s Oscars ceremony. In 2016 he nabbed his first scenic design Tony nom for Hamilton. On year later he received a nomination for his work on War Paint and in 2019 earned a Best Scenic Design of a Musical nomination for Beetlejuice.

Walt Disney Releases First Trailer for “Encanto,” with Stephanie Beatriz Leading the Voice Cast

Posted on July 10, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Stephanie Beatriz is enchanted with her latest project…

Walt Disney Animation Studios has released the first trailer, poster and images from its forthcoming film Encanto, featuring the 40-year-old Colombian- and Bolivian-Argentine actress as part of the voice cast.

The film will be out in theaters November 24, 2021. It features new music from Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Encanto is the story of an extraordinary family, the Madrigals, who live hidden in the mountains of Colombia in a magical house, in a vibrant town, in a wondrous, charmed place called an Encanto.

The film features the voice of Beatriz as Mirabel, an ordinary 15-year-old who’s struggling to find her place in her family.

“Mirabel is a really funny, loving character who also deeply yearns for something more,” says Beatriz. “She’s also not afraid to stand up for what she knows is right—something I love and relate to very much.

“I’m Colombian on my father’s side, and playing this role fills me with immense pride,” Beatriz adds. “As a Disney kid, I’d burn through my VHS tapes and adored every single magical story that the world of Disney introduced me to. I learned in those that stories that anything is possible, especially if you believe in magic and the goodness rooted deep inside us all.”

In the film, the magic of the Encanto has blessed every child in the family with a unique gift, from super strength to the power to heal—every child except one, Mirabel. But when she discovers that the magic surrounding the Encanto is in danger, Mirabel decides that she, the only ordinary Madrigal, might just be her exceptional family’s last hope.

The voice cast also includes María Cecilia Botero, Wilmer Valderrama, Adassa, Diane Guerrero, Mauro Castillo, Angie Cepeda, Jessica Darrow, Rhenzy Feliz and Carolina Gaitan.

The new trailer includes an original song from the film, Colombia, Mi Encanto, performed by 17-time Grammy and Latin Grammy winner Carlos Vives, a native of Santa Marta, Colombia.

The film features all-new songs by Miranda and is directed by Byron Howard and Jared Bush, co-directed by Charise Castro Smith and produced by Clark Spencer and Yvett Merino.

Bush and Castro Smith are screenwriters on the film.

Lin-Manuel Miranda Among Artists Offering Civic Lessons in Netflix’s Animated Series “We the People”

Posted on July 5, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Lin-Manuel Miranda is giving a civics lesson…

The 41-year-old Puerto Rican actor, singer, songwriter, rapper, producer and playwright, the mastermind behind the Tony Award-winning musical Hamilton, lends his voice to the new animated Netflix series We the People.

Created by Chris Nee and produced by Barack and Michelle Obama, the 10-part series provides a range of civics lessons through three-minute music videos on topics that include the Bill of Rights, immigration and the courts.

In addition to Miranda, the series also features award-winning artists H.E.R., Brandi Carlisle, Bebe Rexha and others.

Miranda took on the topic of “The Three Branches of Government” episode, writing and performing the song “Checks and Balances,” alongside Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Daveed Diggs, Brittany Howard and Robert Lopez.

With its light hip-hop bear, the catchy number explains the checks and balances of the United States government.

Meanwhile, Jorge R. Gutierrez directs the immigration-themed episode, which features the track “American Citizen,” performed by Bebe Rexha.

The 46-year-old Mexican animator, painter, writer, voice actor, and production designer helms Rexha’s pop message that lets everyone know from the second they are born, they are an “American Citizen.”

The episode is full of visual treats showing how the country is one built from a nation of immigrants, as animated versions of Sofia Vergara, Steven Chen, Anousheh Ansari and Padma Lakshmi are all featured to illustrate the point.

We the People premiered on Sunday, July 4 on Netflix.

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Freestyle Love Supreme” Returning to Broadway in October

Posted on June 17, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Lin-Manuel Miranda is bringing the (freestyle) Love to Great White Way…

Freestyle Love Supreme, the improvisational rap musical revue co-created by the 41-year-old Puerto Rican actor, singer, songwriter, rapper, producer, and playwright, is returning to Broadway’s Booth Theatre for a strictly limited three-month engagement in October, producers announced today.

“If live theater is coming back, so is FLS,” said Miranda, who co-created the show with Thomas Kail and Anthony Veneziale. “Our most important collaborator is the audience, and we can’t wait to get back in the Booth.”

The limited engagement begins Thursday, October 7, and runs through Sunday, January 2, 2022.

“We are thrilled to be back on Broadway and part of this theatrical community we love so much,” said Kail, who directs. “The immediacy of our show, with its content driven by audience suggestion, makes it one of the rare shows that can speak to whatever is happening in the moment.”

The production’s core performers will include Andrew Bancroft AKA Jelly Donut, Tarik Davis AKA Tardis Hardaway, Aneesa Folds AKA Young Nees, Arthur Lewis AKA Arthur the Geniuses, Kaila Mullady AKA Kaiser Rözé, Chris Sullivan AKA Shockwave and Anthony Veneziale AKA Two-Touch.

As with the original 2019-2020 Broadway production, the revival will include spontaneous, unannounced special guests which “may include” Miranda, Christopher Jackson, Daveed Diggs, James Monroe Iglehart, Wayne Brady, Ashley Pérez Flanagan, Bill Sherman, Utkarsh Ambudkar and others.

Hamilton creator Miranda has been much in the spotlight lately, with the film adaptation of his In The Heights opening last week, his feature directorial debut tick, tick… Boom! arriving this Fall and his partly-owned The Drama Bookshop bookstore opening earlier this month in Manhattan’s theater district.

Prior to its purchase by Miranda, Kail and producers Jeffrey Seller and James L. Nederlander, the Book Shop, in a nearby location, had long been theater district institution and gathering place but was threatened with closure by rising rents and financial difficulties. Miranda, Kail and Veneziale began writing Freestyle Love Supreme more than 17 years ago in the basement of the old Book Shop, a history chronicled in the 2020 documentary We Are Freestyle Love Supreme.

Freestyle Love Supreme is produced on Broadway by Kail, Miranda, Jenny and Jon Steingart, and Jill Furman.

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Animated Musical Film “Vivo” Headed to Netflix

Posted on April 27, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Lin-Manuel Miranda is getting animated once again…

Netflix has picked up the streaming rights to Vivo, an animated movie that boasts new music from the 41-year-old Broadway star, actor, lyricist/composer and Hamilton creator.

The family friendly film was initially scheduled to be released in theaters on June 4. But Sony Pictures, the studio that originally backed Vivo, has instead offloaded the project to Netflix. It’s unclear when it will debut on the streaming service.

Sony Pictures will retain all rights in China, along with home entertainment and linear television rights everywhere else, following periods of exclusivity on Netflix.

Netflix recently signed a lucrative deal with Sony, which gives the streamer exclusive U.S. rights to the studio’s theatrical releases in the first pay TV window.

In addition, Netflix has a first-look deal with Sony’s offerings. However, the pact doesn’t commence until 2022 so it doesn’t include the sale of Vivo.

Vivo was directed by The Croods filmmaker Kirk DeMicco and co-directed by Brandon Jeffords. Quiara Alegría Hudes, who wrote the book for Miranda’s In The Heights, has co-written the screenplay with DeMicco.

The animated musical adventure follows a unique kinkajou (a.k.a. a rainforest “honey bear,” voiced by Miranda), who spends his days playing music to the crowds in a lively Havana square with his beloved owner Andrés. Though they may not speak the same language, Vivo and Andrés are the perfect duo through their common love of music. But when tragedy strikes shortly after Andrés receives a letter from the famous Marta Sandoval (Gloria Estefan), inviting her old partner to her farewell concert in Miami with the hope of reconnecting, it’s up to Vivo to deliver a message that Andrés never could: A love letter to Marta, written long ago, in the form of a song. Yet in order to get to the distant shores of Miami, Vivo will need to accept the help of Gabi (newcomer Ynairaly Simo) — an energetic teen who bounces to the beat of her own offbeat drum. The voice cast also includes Zoe Saldana, Brian Tyree Henry and Nicole Byer.

“Bringing Vivo to life has been an incredible artistic journey. I couldn’t ask for better creative partners than Kirk, Quiara, Alex and the entire team at Sony Animation,” Miranda said. “I’m so excited Vivo will have a home at Netflix, where kids of all ages will be able to enjoy the film’s songs and adventures again and again.”

Vivo isn’t the first movie musical from Miranda that skipped theaters in favor of streaming. The live-recorded version of Hamilton was supposed to play on the big screen, but instead debuted on Disney+ last July.

Lin-Manuel Miranda Urges New Yorkers to Get the COVID-19 Vaccine

Posted on April 15, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Lin-Manuel Miranda is encouraging people in New York City to get the COVID-19 vaccine…

The 41-year-old New York-born Puerto Rican actor, singer, composer and Broadway star joined New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio earlier this week at the grand opening of a Times Square COVID-19 vaccination site intended to jump-start the city’s entertainment industry.

“We want to gather again, and we want to tell stories in the dark,” said Miranda, the author and star of Hamilton, the Tony Award-winning musical about Alexander Hamilton. “We cannot do that if we don’t feel safe and if you don’t feel safe. So the first step in that process is getting our vaccination shots, and the next steps will follow.”

Broadway theaters have been shuttered since the coronavirus pandemic struck in March of last year. De Blasio has said he hopes dedicated vaccination sites will help the industry reopen by September.

The new Times Square vaccine site will be open to workers in theater, film and TV, said the mayor, who stressed the importance of the entertainment industry to the life of the city.

“Yes, it’s part of our economy. Much more importantly it’s part of our identity,” de Blasio said. “It’s part of who we are, it’s part of our hearts. What it means in this city, the theater, the music, the dance, the film and TV, it is our expression of everything that is New York City. It’s our creativity, it’s our heart and soul. We do something here that does not exist anywhere in the world quite like this.”

The new vaccination site, housed in a former NFL Experience store, will be managed by Susan Sampliner, the longtime company manager for the musical Wicked. Miranda said that “if anyone knows how to make a show run on time it’s Broadway stage managers. So you’ll be in good hands.”

Anthony Ramos Releases Steamy Video for New Single “Say Less”

Posted on April 6, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Anthony Ramos is encouraging you to keep the talk to a minimum…

The 29-year-old Puerto Rican singer/actor, who starred on Broadway in the Tony Award-winning Hamilton musical, has released his latest single “Say Less,” along with the track’s steamy music video.

Ramos shows off his seductive, effervescent croon on “Say Less,” an atmospheric R&B late-night jam in the vein of the Weeknd.

“‘Say Less’ is a transition song into this darker world I am exploring in my music,” Ramos said in a statement. “This video is a depiction of two people in a fleeting inferno of a relationship — one that can never be stable — but is too amazing to give up in spite of the inevitable outcome. They’re keeping a flame alive that will eventually burn out or explode. Not sure how it’ll end up, but in the meantime ‘Say Less’.”

Bonus fun: The sensual music video features Ramos’ In the Heights co-star Melissa Barrera.

Anthony Ramos Appears in Calvin Klein’s Spring 2021 Campaign

Posted on March 3, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a brief encounter for Anthony Ramos.

Calvin Klein has unveiled its star-studded Spring 2021 campaign, with the 29-year-old Puerto Rican actor & singer among the featured brand ambassadors.

Ramos, who originated the dual roles of John Laurens and Philip Hamilton in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Hamilton, appears in the campaign along with Megan Thee Stallion, Jacob Elordi, Koffee, Janaya Future Khan, Rina Sawayama, Sage Elsesser, Vinson Fraley and Queer Skate LA.

In the new commercial for the collection, Ramos asks “What makes you most vulnerable?”

Later he says, “We gotta get back to that feeling of letting go. That freedom. And maybe you know we might get hurt along the way or something might happen. But something great might happen too.”

Meanwhile, Elordi, the 23-year-old Spanish-Australian actor breakout star of Netflix‘s The Kissing Booth, appears notably buff in the campaign.

Click here to see the campaign and shop the Spring 2021 collection.

The feeling of letting go. A new season. #mycalvins

Megan Thee Stallion, Jacob Elordi, Koffee, Anthony Ramos, Janaya Future Khan, Rina Sawayama, Sage Elsesser, Vinson Fraley and Queer Skate LA. By Terence Nance.

Shop the campaign: https://t.co/54XswykyOq pic.twitter.com/aLLLRripGo

— calvinklein (@CalvinKlein) March 3, 2021

Jhené Aiko Earns Three NAACP Image Awards Nominations

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Jhené Aiko is enhancing her Image in a big way…

The nominees for the 52nd NAACP Image Awards have been released, with the 32-year-old part-Spanish and part-Dominican singer earning three nods.

Aiko is nominated in the Outstanding Album category for high highly acclaimed album Chilombo, which earned a Grammy nod in the Album of the Year category.

She’s also nominated for Outstanding Soul/R&B Song and Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Contemporary) for her single “B.S.,” featuring H.E.R. Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Contemporary).

Tessa Thompson is feelin’ the love…

The Afro-Panamanian and Mexican American actress/singer earned a nod in the Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Limited–Series or Dramatic Special for her work in Amazon Studios’ Sylvie’s Love.

The Kid Mero is nominated in the Outstanding News/Information (Series or Special).

The 37-year-old Dominican American writer, comedian and TV personality is nominated for his work on Showtime’s Desus & Mero: The Obama Interview.

John Murillo has picked up a nod in the Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry for the half-Mexican American’s poets work Kontemporary Amerikan Poetry.

Eric Velasquez earned a nomination in the Outstanding Literary Work – Children for the half-Afro-Puerto Rican writer’s work with Katheryn Russell-Brown on Chisholm.

It’s bottom’s up for Colman Domingo

The 51-year-old half-Guatemalan/Belizean American, who recently earned his first-ever Spirit Awards nomination, picked up a nod in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture category for his acclaimed work on Netflix’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.

Lin-Manuel Miranda has the write stuff…

The 41-year-old Puerto Rican star is up for Outstanding Writing in a Television Movie or Special for creating/writing the filmed version of his Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Hamilton.

Aurora Guerrero is getting a Little love…

The Chicana writer-director is nominated for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series for her work on the episode entitled “The Jaguar” on Apple TV+’s Little America.

Set to simulcast across all ViacomCBS Networks including BET, CBS and MTV on Saturday, March 27th at 8:00 pm ET, the 52nd NAACP Image Awards honor the accomplishments of BIPOC artists across TV, music, film and literature.

Here’s the full list of nominees:

SPECIAL AWARDS

Social Justice Impact
April Ryan
Debbie Allen
Lebron James
Stacey Abrams
Tamika Mallory

Entertainer of the Year
D-Nice
Regina King
Viola Davis
Trevor Noah
Tyler Perry

TELEVISION + STREAMING

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)
Alphonse Nicholson – P-Valley (Starz)
Jeffrey Wright – Westworld (HBO)
Michael Kenneth Williams – Lovecraft Country (HBO)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Adjoa Andoh – Bridgerton (Netflix)
Aunjanue Ellis – Lovecraft Country (HBO)
Lynn Whitfield – Greenleaf (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
Mary J. Blige – Power Book II: Ghost (Starz)
Susan Kelechi Watson – This Is Us (NBC)

Outstanding Television Movie, Limited–Series or Dramatic Special
Hamilton (Disney+)
Little Fires Everywhere (Hulu)
Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker (Netflix)
Sylvie’s Love (Amazon Studios)
The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel (Lifetime)

Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Limited–Series or Dramatic Special
Blair Underwood – Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker (Netflix)
Chris Rock – Fargo (FX)
Daveed Diggs – Hamilton (Disney+)
Leslie Odom, Jr. – Hamilton (Disney+)
Nnamdi Asomugha – Sylvie’s Love (Amazon Studios)

Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Limited–Series or Dramatic Special
Aunjanue Ellis – The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel (Lifetime)
Kerry Washington – Little Fires Everywhere (Hulu)
Michaela Coel – I May Destroy You (HBO)
Octavia Spencer – Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker (Netflix)
Tessa Thompson – Sylvie’s Love (Amazon Studios)

Outstanding News/Information (Series or Special)
AM Joy: Remembering John Lewis Special (MSNBC)
Desus & Mero: The Obama Interview (Showtime)
The Color of Covid (CNN)
The New York Times Presents “The Killing of Breonna Taylor” (FX)
The Reidout (NBC)

Outstanding Talk Series
Red Table Talk (Facebook Watch)
Tamron Hall (Syndicated )
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)
The Oprah Conversation (Apple TV+)
The Shop: Uninterrupted (HBO)

Outstanding Reality Program, Reality Competition or Game Show (Series)
Celebrity Family Feud (ABC)
Iyanla: Fix My Life (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
Shark Tank (ABC)
United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell (CNN)
Voices of Fire (Netflix)

Outstanding Variety Show (Series or Special)
8:46 (Netflix)
Black Is King (Disney+)
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion (HBO Max)
VERZUZ (APPLE TV)
Yvonne Orji: Momma I Made It! (HBO)

Outstanding Children’s Program
Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices (Netflix)
Craig of the Creek (Cartoon Network)
Family Reunion (Netflix)
Raven’s Home (Disney Channel)
We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited–Series)
Alex R. Hibbert – The Chi (Showtime)
Lexi Underwood – Little Fires Everywhere (Hulu)
Lyric Ross – This Is Us (NBC)
Marsai Martin – Black-ish (ABC)
Miles Brown – Black-ish (ABC)

Outstanding Host in a Talk or News/Information (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble
Don Lemon – CNN Tonight with Don Lemon (CNN)
Jada Pinkett Smith – Red Table Talk (Facebook Watch)
Joy Reid – The Reidout (NBC)
LeBron James – The Shop: Uninterrupted (HBO)
Trevor Noah – The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)

Outstanding Host in a Reality/Reality Competition, Game Show or Variety (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble
Alfonso Ribeiro – America’s Funniest Home Videos (ABC)
Iyanla Vanzant – Iyanla: Fix My Life (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
Steve Harvey – Celebrity Family Feud (ABC)
Kamau Bell – United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell (CNN)
RuPaul – RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)

Outstanding Guest Performance – Comedy or Drama Series
Chris Rock – Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Courtney B. Vance – Lovecraft Country (HBO)
Dave Chappelle – Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Issa Rae – Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Loretta Devine – P-Valley (Starz)

Outstanding Animated Series
Big Mouth (Netflix)
Central Park (Apple TV+)
Doc McStuffins (Disney Junior)
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (Netflix)
Star Trek: Lower Decks (CBS All Access)

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Television)
Aisha Tyler – Archer (FX)
Courtney B. Vance – Hollywood’s Architect: The Paul R. Williams Story (PBS)
Dawnn Lewis – Star Trek: Lower Decks (CBS All Access)
Deon Cole – Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts (Netflix)
Laya DeLeon Hayes – Doc McStuffins (Disney Junior)

Outstanding Short Form Series – Comedy or Drama
#FreeRayshawn (Quibi)
CripTales (BBC America)
Lazor Wulf (Adult Swim)
Mapleworth Murders (Quibi)
Sincerely, Camille (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)

Outstanding Performance in a Short Form Series
Giancarlo Esposito – The Broken and the Bad (AMC.com )
J.B. Smoove – Mapleworth Murders (Quibi)
Jasmine Cephas Jones – #FreeRayshawn (Quibi)
Laurence Fishburne – #FreeRayshawn (Quibi)
Stephan James – #FreeRayshawn (Quibi)

Outstanding Short Form Series – Reality/Nonfiction
American Masters – Unladylike2020 (PBS)
Benedict Men (Quibi)
Between The Scenes – The Daily Show (Comedy Central)
In The Making (PBS)
Inspire Change Series (NFL Network)

Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Television)
Katori Hall – P-Valley (Starz)
Keith Knight – Woke (Hulu)
Ramy Youssef – Ramy (Hulu)
Raynelle Swilling – Cherish the Day (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
Teri Schaffer – Cherish the Day (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)

RECORDING

Outstanding New Artist
Chika – High Rises (Warner Records)
Doja Cat – Say So (RCA Records/Kemosabe )
D Smoke – Black Habits (WoodWorks Records / EMPIRE)
Giveon – When It’s All Said And Done (Epic Records)
Skip Marley – Higher Place (Island Records/ Tuff Gong Records)

Outstanding Male Artist
Big Sean – Detroit 2 (Def Jam Recordings/G.O.O.D Music)
Black Thought – Streams of Thought, Vol. 3: Cane & Able (Republic Records)
Charlie Wilson – All of My Love (P Music Group/BMG)
Drake – Laugh Now, Cry Later (Republic Records)
John Legend – Bigger Love (Columbia Records)

Outstanding Female Artist
Beyoncé – Black Parade (Columbia Record/ Parkwood)
H.E.R. – I Can’t Breathe (RCA Records/MBK Entertainment)
Jazmine Sullivan – Lost One (RCA Records)
Ledisi – Anything For You (Listen Back Entertainment/BMG)
Alicia Keys – Alicia (RCA Records)

Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album
I Can’t Breathe – H.E.R. (RCA Records/MBK Entertainment)
Anything For You – Ledisi (Listen Back Entertainment/BMG)
Black is King – Beyonce´ (Columbia Record/ Parkwood)
Brown Skin Girl – Beyonce’ feat WizKid, SAINt JHN, Blu Ivy Carter (Columbia Record/ Parkwood)
Do It – Chloe x Halle (Columbia Record/ Parkwood)

Outstanding Album
Alicia – Alicia Keys (RCA Records)
b7 – Brandy (Brand Nu/eOne)
Bigger Love – John Legend (Columbia Records)
Chilombo – Jhené Aiko (Def Jam Recordings)
The Wild Card – LEDISI (Listen Back Entertainment/BMG)

Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Music from the Netflix Film) – Branford Marsalis (Milan)
Insecure: Music from the HBO Original Series – Various Artists (Atlantic Records)
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey – Various Artists (Atlantic Records )
Soul Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste and Tom MacDougall (Walt Disney Records)
The First Ladies of Gospel: The Clark Sisters Biopic Soundtrack – Donald Lawrence (Relevé Entertainment)

Outstanding Gospel/Christian Album
Chosen Vessel – Marvin Sapp (RCA Inspiration)
Gospel According to PJ – PJ Morton (Morton Inspiration / Tyscot Records)
I Am – Koryn Hawthorne (RCA Inspiration)
Kierra – Kierra Sheard (Karew/RCA Inspiration)
The Return – The Clark Sisters (Karew/Motown)

Outstanding Gospel/Christian Song
“All in His Plan” – PJ Morton (Morton Inspiration / Tyscot Records)
“Never Lost” – CeCe Winans (Pure Springs Gospel)
“Something Has To Break” – Kierra Sheard feat. Tasha Cobbs-Leonard (Karew/RCA Inspiration)
“Strong God” – Kirk Franklin (Fo Yo Soul/RCA Records)
“Touch from You” – Tamela Mann (TillyMann Inc.)

Outstanding Jazz Album – Instrumental
Be Water – Christian Sands (Mack Avenue Music Group)
Music From and Inspired By Soul – Jon Batiste (Walt Disney Records)
Omega – Immanuel Wilkins (Blue Note Records)
Reciprocity – George Burton (Inner Circle Music)
The Iconoclast – Barry Stephenson (Independent)

Outstanding Jazz Album – Vocal
Donny Duke and Wonder – Nathan Mitchell (ENM Music Group)
Holy Room – Live at Alte Oper – Somi (Salon Africana)
Pulling Off The Covers – Mike Phillips (Sono Recording Group)
Stronger – Jeff Bradshaw (Bone Deep Enterprises)
The Eddy (From The Netflix Original Series) – The Eddy (Arista Records)

Outstanding Soul/R&B Song
“I Can’t Breathe” – H.E.R. (RCA Records/MBK Entertainment)
“Anything For You” – LEDISI (Listen Back Entertainment/BMG)
“S. feat. H.E.R” – Jhené Aiko (Def Jam Recordings)
“Black Parade” – Beyonce’ (Columbia Record/ Parkwood)
“Do It” – Chloe x Halle (Columbia Record/ Parkwood)

Outstanding Hip Hop/Rap Song
“Deep Reverence feat. Nipsey Hussle” – Big Sean (Brand Nu/eOne)
“Savage Remix” – Megan Thee Stallion feat. Beyoncé (300 Entertainment / 1501 Certified Ent. LLC)
“Cool Off” – Missy Elliott (Atlantic Records) “Laugh Now, Cry Later” – Drake (Republic Records)
“Life Is Good” – Future & Drake (Epic Records)

Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Traditional)
Alicia Keys feat. Jill Scott – Jill Scott (RCA Records)
Chloe x Halle – Wonder What She Thinks Of Me (Columbia Record/ Parkwood)
Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis feat. Babyface – He Don’t Know Nothin’ Bout It (BMG)
Kem feat. Toni Braxton – Live Out Your Love (Motown Records)
Ledisi and PJ Morton – Anything For You (Listen Back Entertainment/BMG)

Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Contemporary)
Alicia Keys feat. Khalid – “So Done” (RCA Records)
Big Sean feat. Nipsey Hussle – “Deep Reverence” (Def Jam Recordings/G.O.O.D Music)
Chloe x Halle – “Do It” (Columbia Record/ Parkwood)
Jhené Aiko feat. H.E.R. – “B.S”. (Def Jam Recordings)
Megan Thee Stallion feat. Beyoncé – “Savage Remix” (300 Entertainment / 1501 Certified Ent. LLC)

Outstanding International Song
“Blessed” – Buju Banton (Roc Nation Records)
“Lockdown” – Original Koffee (Promise Land Recordings)
“Pressure (Remix)” – Original Koffee feat. Buju Banton (Promise Land Recordings)
“Tanana” – Davido feat. Tiwa Savage (RCA Records/Sony Music U.K./Davido Worldwide Entertainment)
“Temptation” – Tiwa Savage (Motown Records)

Outstanding Producer of the Year
Donald Lawrence
Hit-Boy
Jathan Wilson
Sean Keys
TM88

LITERATURE

Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction
Black Bottom Saints – Alice Randall (HarperCollins Publishers)
Lakewood – Megan Giddings (HarperCollins Publishers)
Riot Baby – Tochi Onyebuchi (TorDotCom Publishing, imprint of Tom Doherty Associates)
The Awkward Black Man – Walter Mosley (Grove Atlantic)
The Vanishing Half – Brit Bennett (Riverhead Books)

Outstanding Literary Work – Nonfiction

A Black Women’s History of the United States – Daina Berry (Beacon Press)

A Promised Land – Barack Obama (Crown)

Driving While Black – Gretchen Sorin (W. W. Norton & Company)

Long Time Coming: Reckoning with Race in America – Michael Eric Dyson (St. Martin’s Press)

We’re Better Than This – Elijah Cummings (HarperCollins Publishers)

Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author

A Knock at Midnight – Brittany Barnett (Penguin Random House)

Greyboy: Finding Blackness in a White World – Cole Brown (Skyhorse)

Lakewood – Megan Giddings (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)

MOTION PICTURE

Outstanding Motion Picture
Bad Boys For Life (Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Entertainment)
Da 5 Bloods (Netflix)
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix)
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)
One Night In Miami… (Amazon Studios)

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Anthony Mackie – The Banker (Apple)
Chadwick Boseman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)
Delroy Lindo – Da 5 Bloods (Netflix)
Forest Whitaker – Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix)
Will Smith – Bad Boys For Life (Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Entertainment)

Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
Issa Rae – The Photograph (Universal Pictures)
Janelle Monáe – Antebellum (Lionsgate)
Madalen Mills – Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix)
Tracee Ellis Ross – The High Note (Focus Features)
Viola Davis – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Aldis Hodge – One Night In Miami… (Amazon Studios)
Chadwick Boseman – Da 5 Bloods (Netflix)
Clarke Peters – Da 5 Bloods (Netflix)
Colman Domingo – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)
Glynn Turman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Anika Noni Rose – Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix)
Gabourey Sidibe – Antebellum (Lionsgate)
Nia Long – The Banker (Apple)
Phylicia Rashad – Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix)
Taylour Paige – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)

Outstanding Independent Motion Picture
Emperor (Universal Home Video)
Farewell Amor (IFC Films)
Miss Juneteenth (Vertical Entertainment)
The 24th (Vertical Entertainment)
The Banker (Apple)

Outstanding International Motion Picture
Ainu Mosir (ARRAY)
His House (Netflix)
Night of the Kings (Neon)
The Last Tree (ArtMattan Productions)
The Life Ahead (La vita davanti a se) (Netflix)

Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture
Dayo Okeniyi – Emperor (Universal Home Video)
Dominique Fishback – Project Power (Netflix)
Jahi Di’Allo Winston – Charm City Kings (HBO Max)
Jahzir Bruno – The Witches (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Madalen Mills – Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix)

Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture
Da 5 Bloods (Netflix)
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix)
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)
Soul (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
The Banker (Apple)

Outstanding Animated Motion Picture
Onward (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Over the Moon (Netflix)
Scoob! (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Soul (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Trolls World Tour (Universal Pictures)

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance – Motion Picture
Ahmir-Khalib Thompson aka Questlove – Soul (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Angela Bassett – Soul (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Chris Rock – The Witches (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Jamie Foxx – Soul (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Phylicia Rashad – Soul (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

Outstanding Short Form. (Live Action)
Baldwin Beauty (Powderkeg Media)
Black Boy Joy (Film Independent Project Involve )
Gets Good Light
Home
Mr. & Mrs. Ellis (AMB Productions)

Outstanding Short Form (Animated)
Canvas (Netflix)
Cops and Robbers (Netflix)
Loop (Pixar Animation Studios)
Windup (Unity Technologies)

Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Motion Picture)
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

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

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 º “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 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)

Hispanically Yours

Celebrating the Latino Influence

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