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Essence Black Women Event Honors Gina Prince-Bythewood And Others

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Essence Black Women Event Honors Gina Prince-Bythewood And Others
Photo By Robin L Marshall/Getty Images for Essence

The Essence Black Women event in Hollywood is an annual luncheon that honors black performers as well as visionary directors and creators who work behind the cameras. The 16th iteration of the award took place Thursday and honored Hollywood’s many great contributors, such as Danielle Deadwyler for Till, Gina Prince-Bythewood for her newest film, The Woman King, and Sheryl Lee Ralph for Abbott Elementary. The event formally highlighted black women’s contribution to the industry in the eras that have passed and the ones that are to come. The current year’s contributions were also looked up to and celebrated. 

The Event

The event was hosted by Boris Kodjoe, the German-Ghanian actor who is famous for many shows and films. Essence has been a brave and bold platform for the representation of Black representation. It all began in 1970 when Hollywood was raw and brand new. Essence magazine’s founders and creators were hence applauded for their vision and ahead-of-time thinking that brought so much attention to the people of color associated with Hollywood. Dominique Thorn, who played Riri Williams in Marvel’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, lauded Essence’s efforts in her acceptance speech which she began with a prayer:

“this world is overly eager to forget, ignore, overlook, endanger, misuse, misunderstand and otherwise brutalize the Black woman. Yet in that same world, Essence stands – and has stood – proud and immovable to amplify our truths … to honor our mystique and to celebrate our successes.” Said Thorne, who was overjoyed and emotional at the moment.

Essence Magazine has been a place of refuge as well as a brand that firmly stands behind its contributors and artists. Supermodel Beverly Johnson recounted her experience of stepping into the industry and how her initial shoots were with magazines like Glamour, Vogue, and of course, Essence:

 “Essence Magazine and I started the same year. It’ll be 50 years for me in 2024,” she said. “What I always knew as I traveled throughout the world as this token Black model was that I had a home in Essence. I always knew it would be there for me.” 

Being a Black model in the early days was not easy for anyone. Johnson has hence become an idol and a legend in her field, and it’s all because of the safety and comfort of the platform that Essence provided her with. Now, Essence is looking forward to showing the newer generations the impact Black women have had in multiple industries. It’s all a part of their brand-new vision for the company. Executive director and vice-president of content Danielle Cadet talked about Essence’s future direction:

 “The brand has such an incredible foundation and I’m really interested in taking it into the next chapter and serving that audience of Millenial and Gen Z Black women who are entering into a different phase of life,” said Cadet.

Another brilliant talent present at the ceremony was Arsema Thomas, who plays the role of a young Agatha Danbury in the Netflix series Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. She had things to say about her show and what the audience could expect from it:

“Bridgerton is so light and beautiful and fun with the balls and the gowns, [but] Queen Charlotte is about the back story. It’s about what had to happen so that this kind of community could even exist. You see all the hard work and struggle that it took to make that world, so I think it’s just a bit more grounded in reality. It’s going to be a different feel, like a different texture.” She said about the upcoming season.

As an award-winning author, Stacey Connor has authored five novels. Her book, 'Where No Gods Came' went on to win both the Minnesota Book Award and the Michigan Literary Prize. It was picked by Barnes and Nobles for its Discover Great New Writers selection.

Awards

2023 Oscars Executive Producers Talk About The Show And Returning Next Year

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Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner in oscar

The 2023 Oscars are already being called perhaps the best evening celebrating Hollywood in the past decade, with multiple stars making comebacks and finally getting the recognition and rewards they deserve. Two actors from the 1992 film Encino Man were not only nominated but also won the Oscars in their respective categories. 

These were none other than Brendan Fraser and Ke Huy Quan, who won Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, respectively. Among other winners were Michelle Yeoh and Jamie Lee Curtis, who won Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress for their roles in Everything Everywhere All at  Once. The Oscars were executive produced by award show masters Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner, who talked about the show and other details in an interview.

Producers And Oscars

Producers And Oscars

The two got candid about how they expected to deliver the show and if it came to fruition or not. Overall, they felt convinced that they had done a great job even though their expectations may have been too high. The two were also pleased with Jimmy Kimmel’s un-slappable performance as the host of the evening.

“I haven’t read anything yet, so I hope I feel good in a half-hour! But we always say the metric is, “Do we feel that we produced the show that we set out to produce?” Because we set a high bar for ourselves,” said Kirshner. “I really feel that we delivered on what we said we would do — honoring the crafts and showing off the movies that were out there this year — and Jimmy scored, I thought.”

Weiss also mentioned that the vibe of the room was “really cool.” He felt that the buzz around the Oscars and the excitement in the room were pretty amazing. The two mentioned how they hadn’t seen any ratings so far, but they hoped that the ratings would be +7, which is a high number without a doubt. This would mean people watched the show live but will also watch it after recording or saving it on their devices later this week.

They mentioned how creating an interactive and immersive set was one of their biggest priorities:

“… for months we’ve been designing the set to be an immersive experience for the audience,” said Weiss. “So a winner’s name is announced, and as they’re walking up to the stage, pictures from their movie were surrounding the audience.”

Jimmy Kimmel

It was earlier announced by the Academy that they were looking to sign a multi-year deal with producers as well as the host of the evening. This could mean that Weiss and Kirshner would return next year along with this year’s host, Jimmy Kimmel. However, when posed with the question, the executive producers laughed it off since they didn’t really have an answer. So it remains ambiguous if they will actually return for next year’s Oscars.

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List of Winners At The 2023 Oscars

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The 2023 Oscars were a beauty to behold. Great films were celebrated like never before, and representation was rather at the forefront. Films like Everything Everywhere All at Once took home multiple awards, while foreign films like RRR won awards that they rightfully deserved. This time around, Jimmy Kimmel hosted the Oscars. In his opening monologue, he joked about the infamous slap last year as well as the winner card fumble from the year before that. Thankfully, this time around, no controversy was found, and the award ceremony was not dragged down by inglorious moments. Here’s a list of the major winners of the evening. 

Winners

Everything Everywhere All at  Once was the big winner at the 2023 Oscars. Michelle Yeoh took home the award as Best Actress for the film. She was overjoyed and inspirational in her conduct and speech. 

“For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibilities,” she said as she accepted the award. “This is proof that dreams come true. And ladies…never let anybody tell you that you are past your prime.”

A truly inspirational figure, Yeoh has done everything to deserve that award. Other actors from the film, including Jamie Lee Curtis and Ke Huy Quan, also won awards in their respective categories of best supporting actress and actor.

“My journey started on a boat. I spent a year in a refugee camp. And somehow, I ended up here on Hollywood’s biggest stage. They say stories like these only happen in the movies. I cannot believe it’s happening to me,” said Huy Quan as he tearfully accepted his Oscar.

The film also won best picture as well as the award for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. Other than that, All Quiet On The Western Front won Best International Foreign Film. Brendan Fraser was the winner of Best Actor for his monumental role in The Whale. 

Best Sound went to Top Gun: Maverick and Best Original Song went to the Indian film RRR’s song Naatu Naatu which was also performed live at the Oscars. Overall, it has been a brilliant day of well-deserving candidates winning their awards and becoming etched in history for a long time to come. Here is the complete list of winners at the 2023 Oscars:

Best Picture:

Everything Everywhere All at Once—Winner
Creator: Jordan Strauss | Credit: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

Everything Everywhere All at Once—Winner

The Banshees of Inisherin

Tár

The Fabelmans

Top Gun: Maverick

All Quiet on the Western Front

Elvis

Avatar: The Way of Water

Triangle of Sadness

Women Talking

Best Director

Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert — Everything Everywhere All at Once—Winner
Credit: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images

Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert — Everything Everywhere All at Once—Winner

Ruben Östlund — Triangle of Sadness

Martin McDonagh — The Banshees of Inisherin

Todd Field — Tár

Steven Spielberg — The Fabelmans

Best Actor

Brendan Fraser Wins Oscar For Best Male Actor
Credit: Rodin Eckenroth

Brendan Fraser — The Whale—Winner

Paul Mescal — Aftersun

Bill Nighy — Living

Colin Farrell — The Banshees of Inisherin

Austin Butler — Elvis

Best Actress

Michelle-Yeoh-—-Everything-Everywhere-All-at-Once—Winner.jpg
Credit: Rodin Eckenroth

Michelle Yeoh — Everything Everywhere All at Once—Winner

Andrea Riseborough — To Leslie

Michelle Williams — The Fabelmans

Cate Blanchett — Tár

Ana de Armas — Blonde

Best Supporting Actor

Ke Huy Quan — Everything Everywhere All at Once—Winner
Credit: Rodin Eckenroth / Stringer, Source: Getty Images

Ke Huy Quan — Everything Everywhere All at Once—Winner

Brian Tyree Henry — Causeway

Judd Hirsch — The Fabelmans

Brendan Gleeson — The Banshees of Inisherin

Barry Keoghan — The Banshees of Inisherin

Best Supporting Actress

Jamie Lee Curtis—Everything Everywhere All at Once—Winner
Credit: Rodin Eckenroth / Stringer, Source: Getty Images

Jamie Lee Curtis—Everything Everywhere All at Once—Winner

Hong Chau — The Whale

Stephanie Hsu — Everything Everywhere All at Once

Angela Bassett — Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Kerry Condon — The Banshees of Inisherin

Best Animated Feature Film

Guillermo del Toro
Credit: Arturo Holmes, Source: Getty Images

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio—Winner

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

The Sea Beast

Turning Red

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

Best Documentary Feature

Navalny—Winner

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed

All That Breathes

Fire of Love

A House Made of Splinters

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

An Irish Goodbye—Winner
Credit: Rodin Eckenroth , Source: Getty Images

An Irish Goodbye—Winner

Le Pupille

The Red Suitcase

Ivalu

Night Ride

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

All Quiet on the Western Front—Winner

Empire of Light

Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths

Elvis

Tár

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

The Whale—Winner

All Quiet on the Western Front

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

The Batman

Elvis

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Ruth Carter
Source: Getty Images

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever—Winner

Everything Everywhere All at Once

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

Elvis

Babylon

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM

All Quiet on the Western Front—Winner

Close

The Quiet Girl

Argentina, 1985

EO

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT

The Elephant Whisperers—Winner
Credit: Rodin Eckenroth / Stringer, Source: Getty Images

The Elephant Whisperers—Winner

Haulout

The Martha Mitchell Effect

Stranger At the Gate

How Do You Measure a Year?

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse—Winner

My Year of Dicks

Ice Merchants

An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe I

The Flying Sailor

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

All Quiet on the Western Front—Winner
Credit: Rodin Eckenroth / Stringer, Source: Getty Images

All Quiet on the Western Front—Winner

Babylon

Avatar: The Way of Water

Elvis

The Fabelmans

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

All Quiet on the Western Front—Winner

The Banshees of Inisherin

Babylon

The Fabelmans

Everything Everywhere All at Once

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Avatar- The Way of Water
Credit: Rodin Eckenroth / Stringer, Source: Getty Images

Avatar: The Way of Water—Winner

The Batman

All Quiet on the Western Front

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Top Gun: Maverick

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Everything Everywhere All at Once—Winner

The Fabelmans

Tár

Triangle of Sadness

The Banshees of Inisherin

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Women Talking—Winner
Credit: Rodin Eckenroth / Stringer, Source: Getty Images

Women Talking—Winner

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Top Gun: Maverick

All Quiet on the Western Front

Living

BEST SOUND

Top Gun: Maverick—Winner

Elvis

All Quiet on the Western Front

The Batman

Avatar: The Way of Water

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

Naatu Naatu—RRR—Winner

Naatu Naatu—RRR—Winner

“Hold My Hand” — Top Gun: Maverick

“Applause” — Tell It Like a Woman

“Lift Me Up” — Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

“This Is a Life” — Everything Everywhere All At Once

BEST FILM EDITING

BEST FILM EDITING
Credit: Rodin Eckenroth / Stringer, Source: Getty Images

Everything Everywhere All at Once—Winner

The Banshees of Inisherin

Tár

Elvis

Top Gun: Maverick

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Ruth Carter Just Became The First Black Woman To Win Two Oscars

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Ruth Carter

Ruth E. Carter is a 62-year-old veteran American costume designer. She’s had a vast career and a playing field that spans far above and below her recent projects. She has previously worked in over 30 films where she put her best foot forward and showcased her talent. 

Straight out of Hampton University, Carter showed brilliance in her field of work. She has previously worked on Malcolm X, Spike Lee’s passion project, as well as Amistad, perhaps a lesser-known Steven Spielberg film. While the legendary costume designer has been nominated for an Oscar a total of four times, she made history at the 2023 Oscars as she became the very first black woman to have two Oscars to her name.

Carter and Black Panther

Ruth Carter in black panther

Ruth Carter has also worked on the original Black Panther film that starred the late Chadwick Boseman. At the time, Carter won the academy award in the same category as Black Panther and became the first African-American to win an award for costume design. And now, for the sequel of the same film, the designer made history by holding the golden lady not just once but twice.

“Nice to see you again,” Carter said as she took the stage. “Thank you to the Academy for recognizing the superhero that is a Black woman. She endures, she loves, she overcomes, she is every woman in this film.”

Said Carter, the designer, was also honoring the memory of her late mother, who recently passed away at the age of 101. In her acceptance speech, she also looked up and asked the late Chadwick Boseman to take care of her mother. 

She later thanked the academy as well as Kevin Feige and the producers behind Marvel and Black Panther for having great trust in her. She is a true icon and a celebrity to never forget.

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