AAFCA announces TV honors for Pearlena Igbokwe, Alex Kurtzman, Warner Bros Television Group
The African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) today announced its special achievement honorees for the 4th Annual AAFCA TV Honors who will be celebrated at an invitation-only, in-person luncheon on August 20 at the SLS Hotel in Los Angeles.
Launched in 2019, the AAFCA TV Honors recognize outstanding achievement in television and streaming with a special emphasis on entertainment representing the Black diaspora. The organization will bestow special achievement honors to several industry leaders including Universal Studio Group Chairman Pearlena Igbokwe who will receive the Ashley Boone Award, Alex Kurtzman who will receive AAFCA’s Ally Award, and AAFCA’s Inclusion Award will go to the Warner Bros. Television Group. WBTVG Chairman Channing Dungey will accept the award on behalf of the studio.
On July 18 the AAFCA will announce winners in 14 categories, including best actor, best actress, best comedy series, best drama series and more. Those winners will be recognized and celebrated alongside the honorees at the August 20 event.
Morgan Stanley is once again the presenting sponsor of the AAFCA TV Honors. Over the past several years, Morgan Stanley has served as a dedicated supporter of AAFCA’s ongoing efforts and activities. “It remains a key mission for our company to support the creative community and platforms that amplify Black voices,” stated Sandra L. Richards, Head of Morgan Stanley Global Sports & Entertainment and Segment Sales & Engagement. “We’re proud to once again join AAFCA in celebrating the achievements of these extraordinary individuals and organizations.”
“AAFCA is so excited to be honoring Pearlena, Alex and Warner Bros. Television Group for their achievements,” stated AAFCA co-founder and president Gil Robertson IV. “In the ever-changing landscape of television, their creativity and progressive leadership is the foundation on which our industry is built and provides inspiration to all of us.”
Named after the trailblazing studio executive Ashley A. Boone, this award is presented to an executive who has distinguished themselves within the industry with excellence. Igbokwe is Chairman, Universal Studio Group (USG), where she leads four powerhouse studios: Universal Television, Universal Content Productions (UCP), Universal Television Alternative Studio and Universal International Studios that produce over 3,000 hours of programming currently airing or streaming around the globe. Notable USG projects under her purview include “Hacks,” “Russian Doll,” “Never Have I Ever,” “Girls5eva,” “The Equalizer,” “The Umbrella Academy,” “Dr. Death,” “Gaslit,” “Made in Chelsea,” “Clickbait,” “We Are Lady Parts,” “Making It” and longtime NBC favorite “Hollywood Game Night.”
The Ally Award is presented to an individual or company in recognition of their commitment to diversity/inclusion in their projects. Alex Kurtzman is one of the leading creative voices in the entertainment industry. Through his production company, Secret Hideout and his work as an executive producer, writer and director, Kurtzman is dedicated to developing and producing a wide array of sophisticated and compelling content across all platforms. Kurtzman’s credits include the award-winning “Star-Trek: Discovery,” the critically acclaimed “Star Trek: Picard,” and most recently “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” and “The Man Who Fell From Earth,” co-writing some of the decade’s biggest films including “Star Trek,” “Star Trek: Into Darkness,” “The Amazing Spider Man 2,” “Transformers” and directing films such as “The Mummy” and “People Like Us.
Photo Credits: Maarten de Boer/Universal Studio Group; James Dimmock/CBS
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
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