Tony, Emmy, and Grammy award-winning actress and singer Cynthia Erivo has been tapped to receive the “Rising Star Award” at the 2020 ABFF Honors. The fourth annual ceremony, hosted by actor and comedian Deon Cole, will take place on Sunday, February 23, 2020 at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles.
ABFF Honors is the American Black Film Festival’s awards season gala dedicated to saluting excellence in the motion picture and television industry. The event celebrates Black culture by paying tribute to individuals who have made significant contributions to American entertainment through their work, as well as those who champion diversity and inclusion in Hollywood.
In addition to the acclamations, the show presents a competitive award for “Movie of the Year” and a “Classic Television Award” in recognition of a time-honored series that has made an indelible impact on audiences.
Each year, ABFF Honors presents a “Rising Star Award” in recognition of an individual’s recent success and future promise in the film and television industry. Previous recipients have included Tiffany Haddish (“Kids Say the Darndest Things”), Issa Rae (“Insecure”) and Ryan Coogler (“Black Panther”).
Erivo’s credits include Drew Goddard’s “Bad Times at the El Royale” and director Steve McQueen’s drama “Widows,” which she played opposite Viola Davis. She made her Broadway debut reprising her starring role as “Celie”, which she first played in 2013 at London’s Menier Chocolate Factory, in the critically acclaimed revival of The Color Purple and can be seen in Kasi Lemmons’ “Harriet.”
She is also in production playing Aretha Franklin in the next installment of the Emmy-winning global anthology series “Genius: Aretha.” The British actress can next be seen in the HBO series “The Outsider,” which will premiere on January 12, 2020. Upcoming, Erivo will star alongside Daisy Ridley and David Oyelowo in the highly anticipated sci-fi thriller, “Chaos Walking” and will also star in John Ridley’s Needle in a Timestack, alongside Orlando Bloom, Freida Pinto and Leslie Odom Jr.
In addition, Erivo is set to executive produce and star in Warner Brothers’ musical take on the American folk tale “Rip Van Winkle.”
“When an artist as talented as Cynthia Erivo shares their gifts with the world, we have to recognize their brilliance. We are delighted to present Ms. Erivo with the 2020 ABFF Honors ‘Rising Star Award.’ Her versatility and ability to push boundaries is undeniable and deserves to be celebrated,” says Nicole Friday, Executive Producer.
By Samantha Ofole-Prince/Photo by Royalty Images
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