African American Film Critics (AAFCA) TV honors include Viola Davis, Kenya Barris, Sterling K. Brown, ‘Insecure’

Erik Anderson August 5, 2020

Comedian/actress Aida Rodriguez will host the virtual event on August 22nd

The African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) today announced the virtual edition of its 2^nd Annual AAFCA TV Honors, celebrating the best in Black television. Launched last year with tremendous success, AAFCA was at the forefront in honoring Ava DuVernay’s When They See Us, including recognizing breakout star Jharrel Jerome’s performance.

This year, the AAFCA will honor a number of outstanding shows, creators and performers, including ABC’s Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson-produced For Life for Best Drama and HBO’s Insecure for Best Comedy. Emmy winners Viola Davis (How To Get Away with Murder, ABC) and Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us, NBC) will be honored as Best Actress and Best Actor respectively. Emmy nominee Jeremy Pope and Laura Harrier, who star in Netflix limited series Hollywood, will be honored as Breakout Performers.

TV trailblazer Kenya Barris will receive the organization’s ICON Award for his groundbreaking contributions to television, beginning with the creation of black-ish on ABC and now #blackAF on Netflix. The award will be presented by Rashida Jones. Macro Television Studios will receive the organization’s Inclusion Award recognizing an organization with a demonstrable commitment to inclusion in their programming and corporate activities. Best YA honors go to Never Have I Ever (Netflix) with the Best Animated prize going to Central Park (AppleTV+). HBO’s Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children and The Last Dance from ESPN Films/Netflix will receive top documentary honors. The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel (Lifetime) was named Best TV Movie. I Promise, the inspiring documentary series on Quibi, chronicling the first year of LeBron James launching the I Promise School in his hometown, will receive the organization’s inaugural award for Best Short Form.

“In a time of such uncertainty, we have witnessed how powerful the medium of television and streaming is,” stated AAFCA co-founder and President Gil Robertson. “We couldn’t be more proud to honor shows and performances that uplift and inspire at a time when we all need entertainment the most. We are especially grateful to have partners like Morgan Stanley as well as the ongoing support of the entertainment community at large helping us with our year-round activities that highlight not only film, television and journalism, but also diversity, inclusion and equality.”

In recognition of the devastating impact of the global pandemic, AAFCA will feature first responders, ranging from essential frontline workers like healthcare personnel and firefighters, to government leaders, alongside Hollywood stars, as AAFCA TV Honors presenters. “As an organization, with a passion for community awareness and outreach,” Robertson stated, “we could not ignore the heroic efforts of those in our larger community during this unprecedented time. This is just a small gesture to recognize them in some way and convey our tremendous gratitude.”

The full list of recipients:

2020 AAFCA TV HONORS AWARD RECIPIENTS

TV Icon – Kenya Barris
Inclusion Award – MACRO Television Studios
Best Actress – Viola Davis, How To Get Away With Murder (ABC)
Best Actor – Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us (NBC)
Best Drama – For Life (ABC)
Best Comedy – Insecure (HBO)
Best TV Movie – The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel (Lifetime)
Breakout Performers – Jeremy Pope / Laura Harrier, Hollywood (Netflix)
Best YA – Never Have I Ever (Netflix)
Best Animated – Central Park (Apple TV+)
Best Documentary – Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children (HBO) and The Last Dance (ESPN Films/Netflix)
Best Short Form – I Promise (Quibi)

The AAFCA TV Honors will stream via invitation only at 11:30am PT on Saturday, August 22. A surf & turf brunch will be provided for guests to enjoy during the broadcast catered by STK Steakhouse. The catered lunch and cocktails, provided by Cocktail Courier, will be delivered to all virtual guests the morning of the show adding to the festive experience. The show will later live on The AAFCA Channel on YouTube for others to enjoy. A portion of the AAFCA TV Honors proceeds will be donated to the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) COVID-19 Relief Fund.

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Erik Anderson

Erik Anderson is the founder/owner and Editor-in-Chief of AwardsWatch and has always loved all things Oscar, having watched the Academy Awards since he was in single digits; making lists, rankings and predictions throughout the show. This led him down the path to obsessing about awards. Much later, he found himself in film school and the film forums of GoldDerby, and then migrated over to the former Oscarwatch (now AwardsDaily), before breaking off to create AwardsWatch in 2013.

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.