Essence magazine honored four stellar women in Hollywood yesterday at its star-studded 17th annual ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood® Awards at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. The Oscar-week event was hosted by actor and hip hop heart throb Cliff “Method Man” Smith and celebrated Grammy award winner and Academy Award-nominated actress Danielle Brooks; six-time Grammy-nominated singer and The Little Mermaid actress Halle Bailey; acclaimed screenwriter and showrunner Nkechi Okoro Carroll and Hollywood power mogul Kathryn Busby, President of Original Programming for STARZ.
Highlights from the event include:
Zendaya, straight off her Dune 2 promo tour, slaying the Essence red carpet with a new bob haircut and accompanied by fashion legend Law Roach.
American Fiction star, Erika Alexander joined fellow actress, Kim Cole and renowned TV writer and producer, Yvette Lee Bowser, on the carpet for a nostalgic Living Single reunion moment. The show recently celebrated 30 years.
Black Love was also on full display on the red carpet with couples such as actor and rapper Joey Bada$$ and singer/actress Serayah arriving hand and hand. Also BET’s Sistas and Zatima actor, Devale Ellis and wife Khadeen Elli couldn’t keep their hands off each other on the carpet. Also hitting the Essence red carpet were actresses and twin sisters Tia Mowry and Tamera Mowry-Housley. I feel like I haven’t seen these two together in decades.
2024 honoree Halle Bailey shared a touching moment on stage with her sister, multi-hyphenate entertainer Chloe Bailey, as she described her greatest achievement, becoming a mother to her son Halo.
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Honoree Danielle Brooks received a standing ovation for her acceptance speech where she unexpectedly belted out the gospel song “I won’t complain.”
Grammy-winning artist Muni Long brought everyone to their feet closing the show with her hit song “Made for Me.”
The event drew an impressive crowd of notable celebrities, from esteemed actors and directors to music moguls and fashion icons, including: Mogul mom Tina Knowles; veteran actors Wendell Pierce, Hill Harper and Anthony Anderson; Love & Basketball’s Boris Kodjoe, singer/songwriter/dancer Normani; comedian and actress Leslie Jones; actresses Teyonah Parris, Letitia Wright, Marsai Martin, and Skai Jackson and Gabourey Sidibe; BMF star Da’Vinchi; DC Comics’ superhero Hawkman, Aldis Hodge; hip hop stars Doug E. Fresh and MC Lyte, filmmakers Gina Prince-Bythewood and Lena Waithe, television producer Mona Scott-Young, and many more.
Catch all of these festivities and red carpet moments from the 17th Annual ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood® Awards Ceremony on OWN, Friday, March 15th, at 9/8c and also stream the show on Max.
