Auli’i Cravalho to Participate in Special Pasifika Entertainment Advancement Komiti Panel Discussion

Auli’i Cravalho will discussing her PEAK performance levels next month…

The Pasifika Entertainment Advancement Komiti (PEAK) has announced their PEAK Conversations panel, sponsored by Amazon MGM Studios, with the 23-year-old part-Puerto Rican actress/singer among the panelists.

Auliʻi CravalhoTaking place in Los Angeles on May 1, the first celebration of Pasifika women in Hollywood will feature and highlight the achievements of the Moana and Mean GirlsRuPaul’s Drag Race winner Sasha Colby, and Great Scott Productions founder Naomi Scott with moderation by Moana 2 and Thai Cave Rescue screenwriter Dana Ledoux Miller.

The talanoa (or discussion) will focus on issues specific to Pasifika women and their journeys in the entertainment industry.

“May is AAPI Heritage Month yet you’ll find Pasifika (or Pacific Islander) people are rarely prioritized and often erased in celebrations despite us being named in them. Most AAPI organizations have no Pasifika staff or even board members so it’s why PEAK exists. We’re the only Pasifika-led organization doing this work who will advocate for us the way we do. We’re all about uplifting our most marginalized voices so for this event, it made perfect sense to highlight our women who are the backbone of our communities, yet they experience the most disparity when it comes to opportunities and pay,” said Kristian Fanene Schmidt, Co-Founder and Executive Director of PEAK.

The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) reports that on average, for every dollar white non-Hispanic men make, Fijian women earn $0.73, Chamorro women earn $0.66, Samoan women earn $0.63, Native Hawaiian women earn $0.62, and Tongan women earn $0.59.

“I’ve been working a really long time to try to get into positions where I can help other Pasifika writers and creators tell stories and get into rooms. It feels like I finally have that opportunity and have more influence in what gets out there. So I hope to use this moment to show people what we’re capable of and how we can really do anything,” says Ledoux Miller, who is also a Co-Founder of PEAK.

PEAK’s mission is to redefine and expand Pasifika entertainment so that our creatives can thrive, evolve, and drive innovative storytelling that honors the richness and diversity across Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia.

America Ferrara to Receive Groundbreaker Award at Critics Choice Association’s Celebration of Cinema & Television: Honoring Black, Latino and AAPI Achievements

America Ferrara is receiving a special Critics Choice honor…

The 39-year-old Honduran American Golden Globe– and Emmy-winning actress is among the honorees for the Critics Choice Association’s Celebration of Cinema & Television: Honoring Black, Latino and AAPI Achievements.

America FerreraHosted by Nicco Annan, the event is slated for December 4 at the Fairmont Century Plaza.

Unlike last year, when the CCA held separate ceremonies for Black, Latino and AAPI Achievements, this year, because of the strikes, the CCA is presenting a one-time-only combination show, featuring more than 20 honorees who created some of this year’s most acclaimed films and television shows.

“For the last few years, the CCA has hosted individual Celebrations of Black, Latino and AAPI Cinema & Television. CCA will return to individual shows in 2024, but doing this special celebration allows us to continue the CCA’s tradition of supporting inclusion and creativity in our industry,” said CCA CEO Joey Berlin. “I am extremely proud to recognize this diverse group of honorees together on this one special night.”

This year’s honorees include:

Emmy Award-winning actor and producer Edward James Olmos who will receive the Icon Award for his incredible career including Zoot Suit, Selena, Stand and Deliver, Blade Runner, Miami Vice and most recently FX’s Mayans M.C.

Emmy Award-winning actress, producer and advocate Sheryl Lee Ralph will receive the Career Achievement Award for her extensive work in film & television with over 100 credits including ABC’s Abbott Elementary as well as Instant Mom, Ray DonovanMoesha, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, Mistress, The Distinguished Gentlemen and To Sleep with Anger.

The Comedy Trailblazer Award will be bestowed upon comedian and actor Ken Jeong, whose notable credits include The Masked SingerThe AfterpartyCommunityCrazy Rich Asians, I Can See Your Voice and The Hangover franchise.

Emmy Award-winning actor Jeffrey Wright will be honored with the Visionary Award for his performance in Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios’ American Fiction.

Emmy- and SAG Award-winning actress America Ferrara will accept the Groundbreaker Award for her performances in Warner Bros.’ Barbie and Sony Pictures/Black Bear Pictures’ Dumb Money.

Oscar-nominated Charles D. King will receive the Producer Award for his most recent work on Netflix’s They Cloned Tyrone.

Award-winning director, producer, actress and advocate Eva Longoria will be recognized with the Breakthrough Director Award (Film) for her feature directorial debut, Searchlight Pictures’ Flamin’ Hot.

Greta Lee will receive the Actress Award (Film) for her performance in A24’s film Past Lives, while Colman Domingo will be recognized with the Actor Award (Film) for his performance in Netflix’s Rustin.

The Ensemble Award will be awarded to Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Fantasia Barrino, H.E.R., Halle Bailey, Phylicia Pearl Mpasi, Domingo and Corey Hawkins for their performances in Warner Bros.’ The Color Purple.

Actress Da’Vine Joy Randolph will be honored with the Supporting Actress Award (Film) for her performance in Focus Features’ The Holdovers.

Emmy-nominated narrative filmmaker and documentarian Allen Hughes will be celebrated with the Documentary Series Award for his work directing FX’s Dear Mama.

Oscar-nominated filmmaker and playwright Kemp Powers will be honored with the Animation Award for his directorial work on Sony Pictures’ film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

Animator and filmmaker Makoto Shinkai will accept the International Animation Award for Crunchyroll/Sony Pictures’ film Suzume.

Actor and producer Damson Idris will receive the Actor Award (TV) for his performance in FX’s Snowfall.

Current Emmy-nominated actress and comedian Jessica Williams will be recognized with the Supporting Actress Award (TV) for her performance in Apple TV+’s Shrinking.

Actor Oscar Montoya will be honored with the Supporting Actor Award (TV) for his performance in Starz’s Minx.

Breakthrough Performance Awards will be bestowed upon Teyana Taylor for her performance in Focus Features’ A Thousand and One, Emmy-nominee Camila Morrone for her performance in Prime Video’s Daisy Jones & The Six, and Charles Melton for his performance in Netflix’s May December.

Current multiple Emmy-nominated director and writer Lee Sung Jin will be honored with the Breakthrough Director Award (TV) for his work on Netflix’s series Beef.

Receiving the Rising Star Awards will be Xolo Mariduena for his performance in Warner Bros.’ The Blue Beetle, and current Emmy nominee Keivonn Woodard for his performance in HBO’s The Last of Us.

Jhené Aiko to Appear on “See Us Unite for Change — The Asian American Foundation in Service of the AAPI Community” Special

Jhené Aiko is ready to unite…

The 33-year-old part-Spanish American R&B singer, who is part Japanese, will perform on a television special produced by The Asian American Foundation, the newly formed organization launched to improve AAPI advocacy.

Jhené Aiko

Entitled “See Us Unite for Change — The Asian American Foundation in Service of the AAPI Community,” the special will air on May 21 on a number of channels, including MTV, BET, VH1 and Comedy Central, as well as Facebook Watch.

Other performers include Sting and Saweetie.

TAAF’s launch comes as anti-AAPI hate and violence persist at alarming rates. Actor Ken Jeong will host the special, which will include appearances by Daniel Dae Kim and Lisa Ling and “will feature testimonials from leading Asian American public figures, as well as individuals working to enact change on the ground,” organizers said.

The TV special coincides with TAAF’s See Us Unite campaign, which launched Thursday and is designed to expand support for the AAPI community. The Ford Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, The Henry Luce Foundation and the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation have partnered with TAAF for the campaign, and funds raised will benefit several grassroot-led efforts, including Stop AAPI Hate and Asian Americans Advancing Justice.

Aiko is one of R&B’s top stars and has achieved multi-platinum status with songs like “Sativa,” “While We’re Young” and “The Worst.”