Tonight at the 4th Annual American Black Film Festival (ABFF) Honors, the preeminent
awards event celebrating Black culture and artists who have made distinguished contributions to the entertainment industry through their work or as champions of diversity and inclusion in Hollywood, Academy AwardⓇ winner Jamie Foxx (“Ray,” “Just Mercy,” “Django Unchained”) received the prestigious “Excellence in the Arts” Award. Foxx’s “Django Unchained” co-star Leonardo DiCaprio made a surprise appearance to present Mr. Foxx with his award.
Additional honorees from the night, hosted by Deon Cole (“Black-ish”), included Academy Award winner Louis Gossett, Jr. (“Watchmen,” “An Officer and a Gentleman”) with the Hollywood Legacy Award presented by CCH Pounder; EmmyⓇ Award winning producer, writer, and actress, Lena Waithe (“The Chi,” “Boomerang,” “Queen & Slim”) with the prestigious Industry Renaissance Award presented by Justin Simien and Melina M, Academy Award nominee Cynthia Erivo (“Harriet”) with the Rising Star Award presented by Tiffany Haddish and “The Wire” with the Classic Television Award presented by Chris Spencer. Just Mercy was also recognized as “Movie of the Year,” which was presented by ABFF General Manager, Nicole Friday and special guest Morgan Freeman.
