Smollet to Receive Chairman’s Award at the NAACP Image Awards

Jussie Smollett is the Chairman of the awards…

The 32-year-old Brazilian-America actor/singer, who portrays singer-songwriter Jamal Lyon on Fox’s hit drama Empire, is set as one of eight recipients of the NAACP Chairman’s Award.

Jussie Smollet

The honor, which will be presented at the 47th annual NAACP Image Awards next month, is given in recognition of special achievement and distinguished public service.

Along with his role on Empire, Smollett is a longtime activist on behalf of civil rights, HIV/AIDS awareness and other social justice causes since age 15. He volunteers with such nonprofits as the Black AIDS Institute, Artists for a New South Africa and United Negro College Fund. Recently he interrupted his performance at the BET Awards to speak out about the Supreme Court decision allowing gay marriage.

“It is a rare privilege for me to present the NAACP Chairman’s 2016 Award to an outstanding group of trailblazing leaders all under the age of 50 who have given voice and vision to the mantra that black lives matter,” said Roslyn Brock, Chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors. “The five individuals and three organizations have raised awareness of social, educational, and economic injustice from college campuses, church pulpits and the streets, and exemplify what this award symbolizes: ‘Courage Will Not Skip this Generation.’”

The Chairman’s Awards will be presented February 5 during the Image Awards ceremony at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. A two-hour version of the show will air at 9:00 pm ET on TV One.

Blacc Receives Two NAACP Image Award Nominations

Aloe Blacc may be the man to beat…

The 35-year-old Panamanian American singer-songwriter has landed two NAACP Image Award nods, making him this year’s most nominated Latino entertainer.

Aloe Blacc

Presented by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the awards honor outstanding people of color in film, television, music and literature.

Blacc, earning his first-ever Image Award nominations, received a nod for Outstanding New Artist, where he’s up against
Erica Campbell, Jhene Aiko, Liv Warfield and the 
3 Winans Brothers.

Additionally, he scored a nomination in the Outstanding Song category for his smash hit single “The Man.”

Meanwhile, Sofia Vergara has earned fourth NAACP Image Award nomination the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series category for her star-making role as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett on ABC’s Modern Family. The 42-year-old Colombian actress, ranked as one of the most powerful women in the world by Forbes, won the award in 2011.

Zoe Saldaña picked up a nomination in the Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance for her voice work on Guillermo del Toro’s animated film The Book of Life. The 35-year-old half-Dominican/half-Puerto Rican American actress voices the character of Maria in the CGI romantic comedy, which is set during the Mexican holiday of the Day of the Dead.

Other Latinos nominated for a 2015 NAACP Image Award include Scandal’s Guillermo Diaz, Dora and Friends: Into the City’s Fatima Ptacek, Soledad O’Brien and Rosie Perez.

The 46th annual NAACP Image Awards will be handed out on February 6 in a ceremony telecast live by TV One.

Here’s the full list of categories with Latino nominees:

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)

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 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 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 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
Brigette 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 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 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 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 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 – 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)

De Sousa Returning for the Third “Best Man” Film, “The Best Man Wedding”

Melissa De Sousa is returning for Best Man duty…

The 46-year-old Panamanian American actress, who starred as Shelby in 1999’s The Best Man and 2013’s The Best Man Holiday, is returning as part of the ensemble cast for the next installment in the franchise.

Melissa De Sousa

Written and directed by Malcolm D. Lee, the third film in the series will be titled The Best Man Wedding and feature the group getting back together for a most unexpected nuptials.

The film, from Universal Pictures, is slated for release on April 15, 2016.

The previous film in the franchise, $17 million sequel The Best Man Holiday, was a hit right out of the gate, with a $30 million opening in November. It was the fifth-largest bow for an R-rated romantic comedy, the second-highest for an urban romantic comedy and the sixth-biggest for an urban-themed film overall.

In addition to De Sousa, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Film at the NAACP Image Awards for her performance in the first film, Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs, Regina Hall, Terrence Howard, Sanaa Lathan, Nia Long, Harold Perrineau and Monica Calhoun also starred in Best Man Holiday and The Best Man.

BET Confirms Second Season Order of “Being Mary Jane,” Starring Vidal and Gabrielle Union

It’s another year of being for Lisa Vidal

During its upfront in New York, BET has confirmed the renewal of its freshman series Being Mary Jane, which stars the 48-year-old Puerto Rican actress in a series regular role, for a second season.

Lisa Vidal and Gabrielle Union in Being Mary Jane

The series centers on successful talk show host Mary Jane Paul (portrayed by Gabrielle Union), her professional and private family life, while searching for “Mr. Right.”

Being Mary Jane, the network’s first one-hour original drama, is a bona fide smash, earning wide critical acclaim and the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Television Movie. It became the season’s No. 1 Tuesday primetime show on any network.

In addition to Union and Vidal, who portrays Kara Lynch, a lead producer at SNC and Mary Jane’s friend, the series also stars Richard Roundtree, Stephen Bishop, Margaret Avery, Richard Brooks, B.J. Britt, Raven Goodwin, Aaron D. Spears and LaTarsha Rose.

Ali Wins NAACP Image Awards for Her Performance on “The Young and the Restless”

It pays to be a member of the young and the restless… At least for Tatyana Ali.

The 35-year-old half- Afro-Panamanian actress and R&B singer took home the Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama trophy at the 45th NAACP Image Awards, which were held Saturday at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. Ali’s win was announced at a pre-show ceremony on Friday.

Tatyana Ali

It’s the fourth consecutive win in the daytime television actress category for Ali, who has portrayed Roxanne on a recurring basis on The Young and the Restless since 2007.

Ali ranks second behind The Young and the Restless alum Victoria Rowell for the total number of wins in the category. Powell, who portrayed Drucilla Winters on the CBS daytime drama from 1990-2007, has won 11 trophies for her previous work on the soap opera.

The NAACP Image Awards were broadcast live on TV One and hosted by Anthony Anderson.

Click here for the complete list of winners.

Cuarón’s “Gravity” Earns Two International Awards from the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts

Alfonso Cuarón’s latest project is officially an award-winning hit Down Under…

The 52-year-old Mexican filmmaker, who earned an NAACP Image Award nomination and several BAFTA Award nods this week, took home Best Direction trophy at the AACTA International Awards.

Gravity

Cuarón picked up the award from the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) for helming the 3D sci-fi thriller Gravity, starring Sandra Bullock.

In addition, Cuarón’s blockbuster hit film received the AACTA International Award for Best Film.

The space odyssey, based on a story written by Cuarón and his son Jonás Cuarón, pushed the known boundaries of cinematography and technologies to illustrate a tense story of skill and survival set in zero gravity. A team of world renowned VFX artists worked with Cuarón to realize his extraordinary vision including visual effects supervisor Tim Webber and Australian VFX House Rising Sun Pictures.

Winners were announced at an intimate awards ceremony in Los Angeles hosted by multi-award winner and AACTA president Geoffrey Rush.

Maxwell Earns Four NAACP Image Award Nominations

Maxwell’s critically acclaimed collaboration with Alicia Keys is paying dividends…

The 40-year-old half-Puerto Rican R&B singer leads the pack of Latinos nominated for prizes at this year’s NAACP Image Awards, earning three of his four nods for his song with Keys “Fire We Make.”

Maxwell

Maxwell will face-off against three-time nominee Bruno Mars in the Outstanding Male Artist
category. They’ll compete against Charlie Wilson, John Legend and Justin Timberlake for the award.

In the Outstanding Music Video category, the official clips for Maxwell’s duet with Keys “Fire We Make” and Mars’ hit song “Treasure” earned Image Awards love. The other nominees include music videos for India.Arie’s “Cocoa Butter,” John Legend’s “Made to Love” and “Q.U.E.E.N.,Janelle Monáe and Erykah Badu’s collaboration.

Lastly, Maxwell’s duet with Keys “Fire We Make” and Mars’ “Treasure” are up for Outstanding Song. The other nominees include John Legend’s “All of Me,” Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines”  featuring T.I. & Pharrell and “Q.U.E.E.N.” by Janelle Monáe feat. Erykah Badu.

Maxwell’s final nomination comes in the Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration category, again for his single “Fire We Make” with Keys. The pair are up against fellow Latino nominees Mariah Carey and Miguel for their hit collaboration “#Beautiful.” The other nominees: “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke, T.I. & Pharrell, “Hurt You” by Toni Braxton and Babyface and  “Suit & Tie” by Justin Timberlake featuring Jay-Z.

In the Outstanding World Music Album category, Gloria Estefan earned a nod for her recently released American standards album, The Standards. The Cuban singer is up against Lady Ele’s Coming from a Lady, Emeli Sande’s Live At The Royal Albert Hall, Natalie Cole’s Natalie Cole en Español and Laura Mvula’s Sing To The Moon.

Other Latino/a nominees include Modern Family’s Sofia Vergara for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, The Young and the RestlessTatyana Ali for Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series, Scandal’s Guillermo Diaz for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and Alfonso Cuarón and Jonás Cuarón for Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture for their blockbuster hit Gravity.

NAACP’s Image Awards will take place on February 22, airing live on the East Coast On TVOne and tape-delayed on the West Coast from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.

Here’s a complete look at this year’s nominees:

TELEVISION

Outstanding Comedy Series
“House of Lies” (Showtime)
“Modern Family” (ABC)
“Real Husbands of Hollywood” (BET)
“The Game” (BET)
“The Soul Man” (TV Land)

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
Andre Braugher – “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (FOX)
Cedric The Entertainer – “The Soul Man” (TV Land)
Don Cheadle – “House of Lies” (Showtime)
Dulé Hill – “Psych” (USA Network)
Kevin Hart – “Real Husbands of Hollywood” (BET)

Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series
Aisha Tyler – “Archer” (FX Networks)
Mindy Kaling – “The Mindy Project” (FOX)
Niecy Nash – “The Soul Man” (TV Land)
Tasha Smith – “Tyler Perry’s For Better or Worse” (OWN)
Wendy Raquel Robinson – “The Game” (BET)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Boris Kodjoe – “Real Husbands of Hollywood” (BET)
Jerry “J B Smoove” Brooks – “Real Husbands of Hollywood” (BET)
Morris Chestnut – “Nurse Jackie” (Showtime)
Nick Cannon – “Real Husbands of Hollywood” (BET)
Tracy Morgan – “30 Rock” (NBC)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Anna Deavere Smith – “Nurse Jackie” (Showtime)
Brandy Norwood – “The Game” (BET)
Nia Long – “House of Lies” (Showtime)
Rashida Jones – “Parks and Recreation” (NBC)
Sofia Vergara – “Modern Family” (ABC)

Outstanding Drama Series
“Boardwalk Empire” (HBO)
“Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC)
“Scandal” (ABC)
“The Good Wife” (CBS)
“Treme” (HBO)

Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series
James Pickens, Jr. – “Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC)
LL Cool J – “NCIS: Los Angeles” (CBS)
Michael Ealy – “Almost Human” (FOX)
Shemar Moore – “Criminal Minds” (CBS)
Wendell Pierce – “Treme” (HBO)

Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
Chandra Wilson – “Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC)
Kerry Washington – “Scandal” (ABC)
Khandi Alexander – “Treme” (HBO)
Nicole Beharie – “Sleepy Hollow” (FOX)
Regina King – “SouthLAnd” (TNT)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Columbus Short – “Scandal” (ABC)
Guillermo Diaz – “Scandal” (ABC)
Jeffrey Wright – “Boardwalk Empire” (HBO)
Joe Morton – “Scandal” (ABC)
Michael Kenneth Williams – “Boardwalk Empire” (HBO)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Archie Panjabi – “The Good Wife” (CBS)
Debbie Allen – “Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC)
Diahann Carroll – “White Collar” (USA)
Taraji P. Henson – “Person of Interest” (CBS)
Vanessa L. Williams – “666 Park Avenue” (ABC)

Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
“Being Mary Jane” (BET)
“Betty & Coretta” (Lifetime)
“CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story” (VH1)
“Luther” (BBC America)
“Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight” (HBO)

Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
Chiwetel Ejiofor – “Dancing on the Edge” (Starz)
Danny Glover – “Muhammad Ali’s Greatest (HBO)
Idris Elba – “Luther” (BBC America)
Malik Yoba – “Betty & Coretta” (Lifetime)
Omari Hardwick – “Being Mary Jane” (BET)

Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
Angela Bassett – “American Horror Story: Coven” (FX Networks)
Angela Bassett – “Betty & Coretta” (Lifetime)
Gabourey Sidibe – “American Horror Story: Coven” (FX Networks)
Gabrielle Union – “Being Mary Jane” (BET)
Keke Palmer – “CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story” (VH1)

Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series
Aaron D. Spears – “The Bold and the Beautiful” (CBS)
Kristoff St. John – “The Young and the Restless” (CBS)
Lawrence Saint Victor – “The Bold and the Beautiful” (CBS)
Redaric Williams – “The Young and the Restless” (CBS)
Tequan Richmond – “General Hospital” (ABC)

Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series
Angell Conwell – “The Young and the Restless” (CBS)
Christel Khalil – “The Young and the Restless” (CBS)
Karla Mosley – “The Bold and the Beautiful” (CBS)
Kristolyn Lloyd – “The Bold and the Beautiful” (CBS)
Tatyana Ali – “The Young and the Restless” (CBS)

Outstanding News/ Information – (Series or Special)
 “Justice for Trayvon” (BET)
“Mandela: Freedom’s Father” (BET)
“Oprah: Where Are They Now?” (OWN)
“The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.” (PBS)
“Unsung” (TV One)

Outstanding Talk Series
“Oprah’s Lifeclass” (OWN)
“Oprah’s Next Chapter” (OWN)
“Steve Harvey” (Syndicated)
“The Arsenio Hall Show” (Syndicated)
“The Queen Latifah Show” (Syndicated)

Outstanding Reality Series
“Iyanla: Fix My Life” (OWN)
“Shark Tank” (ABC)
“Sunday Best” (BET)
“The Voice” (NBC)
“Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s” (OWN)

Outstanding Variety Series or Special
“12 Years A Slave: A TV One Special with Cathy Hughes” (TV One)
“Black Girls Rock!” (BET)
“Key & Peele” (Comedy Central)
“Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth” (HBO)
“Oprah’s Master Class” (OWN)

Outstanding Children’s Program
“2013 HALO Awards” (Nickelodeon/TeenNick)
“A.N.T. Farm” (Disney Channel)
“Dora the Explorer” (Nickelodeon)
“Postcards: Mandela” (The Africa Channel)
“Wynton Marsalis: A YoungArts MasterClass” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance in a Youth/ Children’s Program – (Series or Special)
China Anne McClain – “A.N.T. Farm” (Disney Channel)
Eric I. Keyes, III – “Live Life and Win!” (Syndicated)
Fatima Ptacek “Dora the Explorer” (Nickelodeon)
Karan Brar – “Jessie” (Disney Channel)
Zendaya – “Shake It Up” (Disney Channel)

RECORDING

Outstanding New Artist
Ariana Grande
Candice Glover
K. Michelle
RaVaughn Brown
Zendaya

Outstanding Male Artist
Bruno Mars
Charlie Wilson
John Legend
Justin Timberlake
Robin Thicke

Outstanding Female Artist
Beyoncé
India.Arie
Janelle Monáe
Ledisi
Mary J Blige

Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration
“#Beautiful” – Mariah Carey feat. Miguel
“Blurred Lines” – Robin Thicke feat. T.I. & Pharrell
“Fire We Make” – Alicia Keys feat. Maxwell
“Hurt You” – Toni Braxton feat. Babyface
“Suit & Tie” – Justin Timberlake feat. Jay-Z

Outstanding Jazz Album
“Summer Horns” – Dave Koz, Gerald Albright, Mindi Abair, Richard Elliot
“The Beat” – Boney James
“The Messenger” – Kevin Eubanks
“The Morning After: A Musical Love Journey” – Najee
“The Songs of Stevie Wonder” – SFJAZZ Collective

Outstanding Gospel Album – (Traditional or Contemporary)
“20 Year Celebration Volume 1 – Best For Last” – Donald Lawrence “Best Days Deluxe Edition” – Tamela Mann
“Good God” – Shirley Caesar
“Music From the Motion Picture Black Nativity” – Various

Outstanding World Music Album
“Coming from a Lady” – Lady Ele
“Live At The Royal Albert Hall” – Emeli Sande
“Natalie Cole en Español” – Natalie Cole
“Sing To The Moon” – Laura Mvula
“The Standards” – Gloria Estefan

Outstanding Music Video
“Cocoa Butter” – India.Arie
“Fire We Make” – Alicia Keys feat. Maxwell
“Made To Love” – John Legend
“Q.U.E.E.N.” – Janelle Monáe feat. Erykah Badu
“Treasure” – Bruno Mars

Outstanding Song
“All Of Me” – John Legend
“Blurred Lines ” – Robin Thicke feat. T.I. & Pharrell
“Fire We Make” – Alicia Keys feat. Maxwell
“Q.U.E.E.N.” – Janelle Monáe feat. Erykah Badu
“Treasure” – Bruno Mars (Atlantic Records)

Outstanding Album
“20/20 Experience – The Complete Experience” – Justin Timberlake “Blurred Lines” – Robin Thicke
“Love In The Future” – John Legend
“Love, Charlie” – Charlie Wilson
“The Electric Lady” – Janelle Monáe (Bad Boy/Atlantic)

LITERATURE

Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction
“A Deeper Love Inside: The Porscha Santiaga Story” – Sister Souljah “Anybody’s Daughter” – Pamela Samuels Young
“Little Green: An Easy Rawlins Mystery” – Walter Mosley
“Never Say Never: A Novel” – Victoria Christopher Murray
“Who Asked You?” – Terry McMillan

Outstanding Literary Work – Non-Fiction
“Bartlett’s Familiar Black Quotations: 5,000 Years of Literature, Lyrics, Poems, Passages, Phrases, and Proverbs from
Voices Around the World” – Retha Powers
“Envisioning Emancipation: Black Americans and the End of Slavery” – Deborah Willis, Barbara Krauthamer
“High Price: A Neuroscientist’s Journey of Self-Discovery That Challenges Everything You Know About Drugs and
Society” – Carl Hart
“Letters to an Incarcerated Brother: Encouragement, Hope, and Healing for Inmates and Their Loved Ones” – Hill
Harper
“The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross” – Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Donald Yacovone

Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author
“Better Than Good Hair – The Curly Girl Guide to Healthy Gorgeous Natural Hair!” – Nikki Walton with Ernessa T.
Carter
“Ghana Must Go” – Taiye Selasi
“Nine Years Under” – Sheri Booker
“On The Come Up” – Hannah Weyer
“The Returned” – Jason Mott

Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/ Auto-Biography
“Buck: A Memoir” – MK Asante
“Duke: A Life of Duke Ellington” – Terry Teachout
“Kansas City Lightning: The Rise and Times of Charlie Parker” – Stanley Crouch
“Mom & Me & Mom” – Maya Angelou
“The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks” – Jeanne Theoharis

Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional
“Do I Look Like An ATM? A Parent’s Guide to Raising Financially Responsible African American Children” – Sabrina
Lamb
“Plan D: How to Lose Weight and Beat Diabetes (Even If You Don’t Have It)” – Sherri Shepherd with Billie Fitzpatrick
“Recruiting and Retaining Culturally Different Students in Gifted Education” – Donna Y. Ford, Ph.D.
The Entrepreneur Mind: 100 Essential Beliefs, Characteristics, and Habits of Elite Entrepreneurs” – Kevin D. Johnson
“The Vegucation of Robin: How Real Food Saved My Life” – Robin Quivers

Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry
“Chasing Utopia: A Hybrid” – Nikki Giovanni
“Hum” – Jamaal May
“The Cineaste: Poems” – A. Van Jordan
“The Collected Poems of Ai” – Ai
“Turn Me Loose: The Unghosting of Medgar Evers” – Frank X Walker

Outstanding Literary Work – Children
“I’m A Pretty Little Black Girl!” – Betty K. Bynum (Author), Claire Armstrong-Parod (Illustrator)
“Knock Knock: My Dad’s Dream for Me” – Daniel Beaty (Author), Bryan Collier (Illustrator)
“Martin & Mahalia: His Words, Her Song” – Andrea Davis Pinkney (Author), Brian Pinkney (Illustrator)
“Nelson Mandela” – Kadir Nelson
“You Never Heard of Willie Mays?!” – Jonah Winter (Author), Terry Widener (Illustrator)

Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens
“Courage Has No Color, The True Story of the Triple Nickles: America’s First Black Paratroopers” – Tanya Lee
Stone
“God’s Graffiti: Inspiring Stories for Teens” – Romal Tune
“Invasion” – Walter Dean Myers
“Raising the Bar” – Gabrielle Douglas
“Serafina’s Promise: A Novel In Verse” – Ann E. Burg

MOTION PICTURE

Outstanding Motion Picture
“12 Years A Slave”
“Fruitvale Station”
“Lee Daniels’ The Butler”
“Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”
“The Best Man Holiday”

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Chadwick Boseman – “42″
Chiwetel Ejiofor – “12 Years A Slave”
Forest Whitaker – “Lee Daniels’ The Butler”
Idris Elba – “Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom”
Michael B. Jordan – “Fruitvale Station”

Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
Angela Bassett – “Black Nativity”
Halle Berry – “The Call”
Jennifer Hudson – “Winnie Mandela”
Kerry Washington – “Tyler Perry Presents Peeples”
Nicole Beharie – “42″

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Cuba Gooding Jr. – “Lee Daniels’ The Butler”
David Oyelowo – “Lee Daniels’ The Butler”
Morris Chestnut – “The Best Man Holiday”
Terrence Howard – “Lee Daniels’ The Butler”
Terrence Howard – “The Best Man Holiday”

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Alfre Woodard – “12 Years A Slave”
Lupita Nyong’o – “12 Years A Slave ”
Naomie Harris – “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”
Octavia Spencer – “Fruitvale Station”
Oprah Winfrey – “Lee Daniels’ The Butler”

Outstanding Independent Motion Picture
“Blue Caprice”
“Dallas Buyers Club” (
“Fruitvale Station”
“The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete”
“The Trials of Muhammad Ali”

Outstanding International Motion Picture
“Call Me Kuchu”
“High Tech, Low Life”
“La Playa D.C.”
“Lion Ark”
“War Witch”

DOCUMENTARY

Outstanding Documentary – (Theatrical)
“20 Feet from Stardom”
“Call Me Kuchu”
“Free Angela and All Political Prisoners”
“Girl Rising”
“The New Black”

Outstanding Documentary – (Television)
“Beyoncé: Life Is But a Dream”
“Dark Girls”
“Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic ”
“Venus Vs.”
“Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley”

WRITING

Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series

Erica Montolfo-Bura – “The Game” – In Treatment
Karin Gist – “House of Lies” – Sincerity is an Easy Disguise in This Business
Mara Brock Akil – “The Game” – The Blueprint I & II
Ralph Farquhar, Chris Spencer – “Real Husbands of Hollywood” – Rock, Paper, Stealers (
Vincent Brown – “A.N.T. Farm” – influANTces

Outstanding Writing in a Dramatic Series
Aaron Rahsaan Thomas – “SouthLAnd” – Babel
Chitra Elizabeth Sampath, Damian Kindler – “Sleepy Hollow” – Sanctuary
Janine Sherman Barrois – “Criminal Minds” – Strange Fruit
Karin Gist – “Revenge” – Mercy
Sara Hess – “Orange is the New Black” – Blood Donut

Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture – (Theatrical or Television)

Alfonso Cuarón, Jonás Cuarón – “Gravity”
Brian Helgeland – “42″
Danny Strong – “Lee Daniels’ The Butler”
John Ridley – “12 Years A Slave”
Ryan Coogler – “Fruitvale Station”

DIRECTING

Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series
Anton Cropper – “House of Lies” – Sincerity Is an Easy Disguise in This Business
Eric Dean Seaton – “Mighty Med” – Saving The People Who Save People
Millicent Shelton – “The Hustle” – Rule 4080
Paris Barclay – “Glee” – Diva
Stan Lathan – “Real Husbands of Hollywood” – Rock, Paper, Stealers

Outstanding Directing in a Dramatic Series
Carl Franklin – “House of Cards” – Chapter 11
Ernest Dickerson – “Treme” – Dippermouth Blues
Millicent Shelton – “The Fosters” – Clean
Regina King – “SouthLAnd” – Off Duty
Rob Hardy – “Criminal Minds” – Carbon Copy

Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture – (Theatrical or Television)
Jono Oliver – “Home”
Justin Chadwick – “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”
Lee Daniels – “Lee Daniels’ The Butler”
Malcolm D. Lee – “The Best Man Holiday”
Steve McQueen – “12 Years A Slave”

Chanchez’s “The Game” Renewed for Seventh Season

Hosea Chanchez still has plenty of game at BET

The cable network has renewed the 31-year-old Afro-Dominican American actor’s hit series The Game for a seventh season.

Hosea Chanchez

Chanchez, who earned an NAACP Image Award nomination last year for his performance as quarterbacking football player Malik Wright on The Game, has seen the series gain wider success since moving from the CW to the BET in 2011.

The Game broke records and made history when it premiered on BET in 2011 with 7.7 million viewers tuning in that night, making BET the home of the #1 sitcom debut in the history of cable television.

In 2013, Lauren London and Jay Ellis will be joining the cast, while Brandy will return in her expanded role as Chardonnay, aka Mrs. Jason Pitts along with series favorites Chanchez, Coby Bell and Wendy Raquel Robinson.

BET says season seven will bring even more sexy drama as the cast negotiates the ups and downs of love and football. 

Calleros to Participate in Fox’s Writers Intensive Program

Sal Calleros’ professional life is about to get intensive…

The Latino writer, who was most recently a story editor on ABC’s Private Practice, has been selected as one of the 10 finalists to participate in the Fox network’s Fox Writers Intensive, an advanced writers program for experienced writers from diverse backgrounds.

Sal Calleros

The finalists were chosen from more than 400 nominations and submissions by talent representation and arts organizations, including the National Hispanic Media Coalition, the Sundance Institute, the New York Foundation for the Arts, Outfest, Film Independent, the NAACP, Women in Film LA and the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment and Visual Communications.

Calleros, who graduated from the ABC Writing Fellowship in 2006, says his first true writing gig was for the domestic violence clinic in the San Fernando courthouse, drafting restraining orders to prevent harassment, molestation and abuse. He also worked three years in Family Law, and as a court interpreter, giving him a wealth of legal and life experience, perspective and stories.

Calleros and his fellow finalists will spend the next 13 weeks attending seminars and workshops with executives, writers and showrunners. At the conclusion of the intensive, Fox will select one finalist as the Fox Writers Intensive Fellow, whose submitted original script will be purchased and developed jointly by Fox Broadcasting Co., 20th Century Fox Television and FX. The Fox Writers Intensive Fellow will be announced across all Fox entertainment businesses and will receive one-on-one meetings with network and studio heads, as well as priority staffing efforts across Fox properties.

Ali Wins Third Consecutive NAACP Image Award…

Tatyana Ali could be on her way to becoming the next Victoria Rowell

The 34-year-old part-Panamanian actress/singer picked up her third consecutive NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series during Friday’s awards show from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Tatyana Ali

The former The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star, who won the award for her recurring role as Roxanne on CBSThe Young and the Restless, is the first actress to win the award more than two consecutive times since Rowell, best known for her portrayal of Drucilla Winters on The Young and the Restless.

Rowell first picked up the award six times in a row, from 1994-1999. She then won the award four consecutive times, from 2003-2006. In all, Rowell won the award 11 times.

Ali, who is currently starring on BET’s Second Generation Wayans,  was the only Hispanic artist to win an NAACP Image Award this year. Bruno Mars, the most-nominated Latino this year, went home empty-handed.