PASADENA, Calif. — Angela Bassett won entertainer of the year at Saturday's NAACP Image Awards on a night that also saw her take home an acting trophy for the television series “9-1-1.”
The Bassett-led Marvel superhero sequel “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” won best motion picture at the ceremony, which was broadcast live on BET from Pasadena, California.
Viola Davis won outstanding actress for the action epic “The Woman King,” a project she championed and starred in. Will Smith won for the slavery drama“Emancipation,” his first release since last year's Academy Awards, where he slapped comedian Chris Rock on stage before winning his first best actor trophy.
“I never want to not be brave enough as a woman, as a Black woman, as an artist," Davis said, referencing a quote from her character in the film, which she called her magnum opus. “I thank everyone who was involved with ‘The Woman King’ because that was just nothing but high-octane bravery.”
“Abbott Elementary” won for outstanding comedy series. Creator and series star Quinta Brunson invited her costars onstage and praised shows like “black-ish” for paving the way for her series.
The 54 NAACP Image Awards were presented Saturday in Pasadena, California, with Queen Latifah hosting. Serena Williams received the Jackie Robinson Sports award, which recognizes individuals in sports for high achievement in athletics along with their pursuit of social justice, civil rights and community involvement.
The ceremony, which honors entertainers, athletes and writers of color, was hosted by Queen Latifah. Special honorees included Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union and civil rights attorney Ben Crump.
Season six of Netflix's hit comedy premieres on July 27. Beth Dover, who plays prison administrator Linda Ferguson, tells Cheddar how the show addresses the harsh realities of the criminal justice system.
The coffee shots, which are being sold in 3,700 Walmarts across the country, claim to be a healthier energy alternative because they use organic beans from family-run farms in Columbia. “Consumers here are thirsty for the healthier wave of energy,” says CEO Neel Prekumar. “In the case of FORTO, it’s really about wholesome energy from organic coffee.”
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Market research firm SuperData estimates the uber-popular game has brought in $1 billion in revenue from in-app purchases, with gamers buying add-ons purely for cosmetics. "It does not make you have a better gun, it does not give you any advantage in terms of where you land on the map, it doesn't give you any special powers," says Eli Blumenthal, digital editor at USA Today.
The superhero franchise will launch its first virtual reality video game on July 26. The game, says Bill Rosemann, executive creative director at Marvel Games, will be a fully-immersive experience. "It unleashes that fantasy, that ultimate fantasy of being the Marvel character," he tells Cheddar. "You don't just look like Captain Marvel or Captain America. You have their powers."
Tim Baysinger, TV Reporter at The Wrap, claims fans will be the winners in the Disney-Fox deal. The reason? Marvel's cinematic powerhouse. He says the brand's unprecedented character development will allow Disney greater creative freedom: "Just look at what they did with Peter Parker."
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The gaming industry is known to be skewed towards boys and men. Laila Shabir, CEO and founder of Girls Make Games, is trying to change that through three-week summer camps for young girls. "Being represented in a medium like games...is extremely important," says Shabir.
Anna Blue and Corinne Foxx of 'Girl Up' think everyone should care about gender issues. The UN Foundation, Blue and Fox told Cheddar, wants to mobilize, train, and empower teens to solve gender bias.
Kate Mara, who played Zoe Barnes in Netflix's "House of Cards," explains how her character's underground demise changed her view on transportation.
