Celebration of Black Cinema & Television 2026 Honorees Announced
(LOS ANGELES – Oct. 20, 2026) – The Critics Choice Association (CCA) announced today the full slate of honorees for the 9th annual Celebration of Black Cinema & Television, taking place Monday, November 16, 2026, in Los Angeles. The event honors standout performances and work, both onscreen and offscreen, from the Black entertainment community. Emmy-nominated actor and comedian Roy Wood Jr., known for his work on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Trevor Noah and CNN’s Have I Got News for You, will host this year’s event. The Celebration will premiere on the Critics Choice Association’s official YouTube channel in December 2026.
Honorees for this year’s Celebration of Black Cinema & Television will include the following:
Academy Honorary Award recipient, six-time Emmy winner, and two-time Tony nominee Debbie Allenwill receive the Icon Award, recognizing her extraordinary career and enduring cultural impact across nearly five decades, with more than 140 acting, producing, and directing credits. Her tribute will celebrate the legacy of A Different World and its 2026 Netflix sequel, bringing the Black college experience to a new generation. Allen produced the original series and directed 83 of its 144 episodes, helping shape a groundbreaking show that addressed HIV, colorism, and racism. She returns as executive producer and director of the sequel and reprises her role as Dr. Langhorne. The series has already been renewed for a second season.
Two-time Emmy Award winner and Critics Choice Award winner Quinta Brunson will receive the Groundbreaker Award for creating, executive producing, and starring in ABC’s Abbott Elementary, which premiered its sixth season on Oct. 7. Produced by Warner Bros. Television & 20th Television, the hit comedy has earned 37 Emmy nominations to date. Brunson made Emmy history in 2022 as the first solo Black woman to win for comedy writing, and in 2024 she became the first Black actress in more than 40 years to win Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.
Academy Award and Critics Choice Award nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor will receive the Vanguard Awardfor his work in A24’s psychological horror film Backrooms. Directed by Kane Parsons, the horror hit opened to $81.4 million domestically, shattering the previous record for an A24 opening weekend release and becoming its highest-grossing film to date, earning more than $400 million worldwide. Ejiofor leads the cast alongside Renate Reinsve in the adaptation of Parsons’ viral YouTube series.
Emmy and Grammy Award winner Chris Rock will receive the Director Award for A24’s Misty Green. The film marks Rock’s fourth narrative feature as a director. He also wrote, produced, and co-stars in the film, which stars Rosalind Eleazar in what many are calling a career-defining turn portraying an actress fighting to revive her career. The film, which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and began its theatrical rollout on Oct. 9, also features Daniel Kaluuya, Adam Driver, and Anna Kendrick.
Emmy Award winner Lamorne Morris will receive the Comedy Award for his work as Robbie Robertson in Prime Video’s superhero series Spider-Noir. The series earned 11 Emmy nominations, the most of any Prime Video series in 2026, and won five Emmy Awards. Viewers can watch the series in two distinct visual formats: Authentic Black & White and True-Hue Full Color.
Pulitzer Prize winner Katori Hall will be honored with the Showrunner Award for STARZ’s P-Valley. The series returns Dec. 4 for its highly anticipated third and final season with a two-episode premiere. Hall created the series from her own play and directed both premiere episodes. P-Valley is STARZ’s best-performing current original, with Season 2 averaging 11.6 million multiplatform viewers. Since its launch in 2020, P-Valley has garnered more than 236 million hours watched to date.
Jaafar Jackson will receive the Actor Award – Film for his critically acclaimed, crowd-pleasing portrayal of Michael Jackson in Lionsgate’s biographical film Michael, which marks his acting debut. The film set records not only for a music biopic—it became the first biopic of any kind to gross more than $1 billion worldwide and is the most successful release in Lionsgate history.
Emmy Award nominee Anthony Mackie will be honored with the Actor Award – Series for his work in Apple TV’s upcoming 12 12 12, which he also executive produces. Mackie plays a disgraced FBI agent locked in a cat-and-mouse game across Europe with Jamie Dornan’s career criminal, in the eight-episode heist drama. 12 12 12 premieres globally on Apple TV on Nov. 13.
Emmy Award nominee Stephan James will be honored with the Supporting Actor Award – Film for his portrayal of Carl Weathers in Amazon MGM Studios’ I Play Rocky. Directed by Academy Award winner Peter Farrelly, the film chronicles the making of the original Rocky and Sylvester Stallone’s determination to write and star in it. The biographical drama has a limited theatrical release starting on Nov. 6, followed by a wide release on Nov. 20.
Tony Award winner and Academy Award and Emmy nominee Sophie Okonedo will receive the Supporting Actress Award – Film for her performance in Independent Film Company’s coming-of-age drama Mouse, directed by Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson. The drama premiered in the Panorama section of the Berlin International Film Festival and opens in limited theatrical release Nov. 6, before expanding nationwide Nov. 13.
SAG Award and Critics Choice Award nominee Ato Essandoh will receive the Supporting Actor Award – Series for his work as Stuart Hayford in Netflix’s drama series The Diplomat. The political thriller was nominated for Outstanding Drama Series at the Emmys in 2025 and again in 2026, and returned for its fourth season on October 15.
Tony Award nominee Quincy Tyler Bernstine will receive the Supporting Actress Award – Series for her work as Nora Washington in Hulu’s Furious. Created by Elizabeth Meriwether, the thriller follows an FBI agent hunting a calculating female serial killer. Bernstine’s attention-grabbing performance has emerged as a standout in one of the most critically acclaimed new series of 2026.
STARZ will bestow on Quincy Tyler Bernstine’s award a special STARZ #TakeTheLead designation as part of its ongoing commitment to amplifying narratives by, about, and for women and underrepresented audiences.
Emerging filmmakers Arie Esiri and Chuko Esiri will receive the Breakthrough Director Award for NEON’s Clarissa, a reimagining of Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway set in contemporary Lagos, Nigeria. The film stars fellow Celebration of Black Cinema & Television honoree Sophie Okonedo alongside David Oyelowo, Ayo Edebiri, India Amarteifio, and Toheeb Jimoh. The film premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight section of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, becoming only the second Nigerian feature ever selected by the festival and opens in select theaters Dec. 11.
Jaalen Best will be honored with the Rising Star Award for his performance as Cassius Clay in Prime Video’s Muhammad Ali biographical drama series, The Greatest. It is the first authorized scripted series about Ali’s life, with executive producers including his widow Lonnie Ali, as well as Josh Wakely and Michael B. Jordan. The series premieres on Prime Video on Nov. 4.
“We are proud to announce that the celebration continues,” said Shawn Edwards, executive producer and writer of the Critics Choice Association’s Celebration of Black Cinema & Television. “At a time when there has been a direct assault on Black culture and Black history, the Critics Choice Association stands firmly committed to recognizing the best in Black cinema and television. This isn’t something that we have to do, it’s something that we want to do. Creating a space where these bold and visionary storytellers can come together for an evening and be honored is our privilege and something that we are firmly committed to doing each year.”
The Critics Choice Association’s Celebration of Black Cinema & Television will be produced by Madelyn Hammond, Javier Infante, and Ella Carlson of Hammond Infante Productions.
The Official Pre-Reception will be co-hosted by STARZ #TakeTheLead, which is committed to amplifying narratives by, about and for women and underrepresented audiences; and the Official After-Party will be co-hosted by Fairmont Century Plaza. The hotel combines the excitement of Los Angeles with Fairmont’s inviting comfort and sophisticated modern luxury. The event will feature signature cocktails from Milagro Tequila, the Official Spirit Sponsor. Made from 100% blue agave, Milagro Tequila celebrates the vibrant, artistic spirit of Mexico City and is renowned for its bright, fresh agave flavor and exceptional smoothness. Partners include KTLA, Creative Technology Group, and FIJI Water.
Follow the Critics Choice Association on Instagram and X @CriticsChoice, on TikTok @OfficialCriticsChoice, and on Facebook/CriticsChoiceAwards. Join the conversation using #CriticsChoice #CelebrateBlackCinema.
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About the Critics Choice Association (CCA)
Founded in 1995, the Critics Choice Association (CCA) is one of the largest critics organizations in the world, representing more than 500 media critics and entertainment journalists. It is known for presenting the annual Critics Choice Awards, honoring the finest in cinematic and television achievement for over three decades.
With a commitment to recognizing industry creatives and professionals across genres, CCA has expanded its slate of events over the years to include the Critics Choice Documentary Awards, Critics Choice Real TV Awards, and Critics Choice Super Awards. The CCA also produces a series of Celebration events to recognize historically underrepresented communities, including the Celebration of Black Cinema & Television, Celebration of Latino Cinema & Television, Celebration of AAPI Cinema and Television, and Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema and Television.
For more information, visit www.CriticsChoice.comand follow along on Instagram and X @CriticsChoice, on TikTok @OfficialCriticsChoice, and on Facebook/CriticsChoiceAwards.
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