The 2016 NAACP Image Awards

Every year, everyone says the best thing a person can say about a show “this is the best year yet”.  Take a look at some clips and judge for yourself:

Here’s Anthony Anderson’s hilarious opening to the show:

Stallone gives a surprise appearance at the Image Awards:

Michael B. Jordan wins Best Actor:

Straight Out Of Compton wins Best Picture:

Michael B. Jordan wins Entertainer of The Year:

Anthony Anderson as NWA-era Cube next to the very real thing!

You never know who you will bump into backstage…I’d love to see these two in a movie together!

Bill Vaughan’s Tasty Clips: Image Awards Turn Heads

February 11, 2016 by: Bill Vaughan, Entertainment Writer

Actor O’Shea Jackson Jr. shows off the hardware he won at the 47th annual NAACP Image Awards Feb. 5 in Pasadena. Jackson won the award for best supporting actor in a movie for ‘Straight Outta Compton’ and Henson won the award for best actress in a television drama series for ‘Empire.’ (Photo courtesy of Bill Jones Photo Service)

The producers of the non-televised evening one of the 47th annual NAACP Image Awards should find a way to broadcast that as well. There was no shortage of head turners and industry leaders at the Pasadena Convention Center. That is where many of the nation’s top authors, screenwriters, artists, producers, television shows and musicians are lauded.

My table alone consisted of diverse nominees such as “Whitney” screenwriter Shem Bitterman, “Chasing Freedom” illustrator Michele Wood and Kekla Morgan of the best teen literary work “X.” Other big winners that evening were “Black-ish,” “Empire,” “Creed,” “Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s,” and Jill Scott.

The next evening, aired on TV One, was a much tighter affair. Host Anthony Anderson may be up for an Emmy for his deft handling of the show. Timely jokes about Stacy Dash, “Aunt Viv” Janet Hubert and Ben Carson kept the crowd in stitches.

Though not a part of the festivities, Will Smith (with wife Jada Pinkett Smith) was treated like royalty in the house.  During all the breaks in the broadcast, a who’s who of entertainment giants in the house made a bee line to his seat, often ignoring pleas to sit down before the show went live again.

The after party had a number of next-generation stars in attendance including Chadwick Boseman (“Gods of Egypt”), Teyonah Parris (“Chi-Raq”), Aunjanue Ellis (“The Book of Negroes”), Ronreaco Lee (“Survivor’s Remorse”) Abraham Attah (“Beasts of No Nation”), Jimmy Jean Louis (“Joy”) and Ro Brooks (“The Haves and the Have Nots”).

With the champagne flowing, comic actress/reality star Kym Whitley hosted the evening’s performances led by James Wright Chanel and Boyz II Men, who have a Las Vegas residency through 2020! They showed incredible versatility in picking up instruments and ripping into songs by the Beatles, Nirvana and Bob Marley.

“That’s what’s up,” said breakout film star O’Shea Jackson Jr. about veteran actor Carl Weathers calling him the biggest Oscar snub in this column. “I’m talked out about this thing,” Jackson admitted. “I’ll just say that if the Academy Awards are truly about film, [“Straight Outta Compton”] should’ve been recognized more.”

When asked about what’s next for him, Jackson dropped some real scoop. He mentioned being earmarked for John Ridley’s “L.A. Riots” movie and that he was “trying to get in shape for this thing Denzel [Washington] is directing.”  Hmmm. The next project Denzel is helming is a HBO adaptation of August Wilson’s “Fences” with Viola Davis!

Something seemed to set off Michael B. Jordan, who won Entertainer of the Year, when suddenly he jumped up, kissed his mom goodbye, and started barking at folks while storming out of his section. Jussie Smollett (“Empire”) and sister Jurnee Smollett-Bell (“Underground”) must’ve seen it coming as they hastily left just prior.

With the controversy over a lack of diversity and an alleged boycott swirling, Oscars producer Reginald Hudlin put on the widest smile and told me he had no worries at all about this year’s Academy Awards show. He hopes the introduction of a thank you ticker during acceptance speeches will keep things moving.

Here’s the whole show!

The African American Film Critics Association Honor Me With The Excellence Award

Ryan Coogler, Reginald Hudlin, John Singleton honored by African American film critics

Honorees and directors Ryan Coogler, left, and John Singleton attend the seventh annual AAFCA Awards. (Imeh Akpanudosen / Getty Images for AAFCA)

By Tre’vell Anderson

“I am an endangered species, but I sing no victim’s song. I am a woman. I am an artist and I know where my voice belongs.”

These words, borrowed from jazz singer Dianne Reeves’ “Endangered Species,” rang out in Hollywood’s Taglyan Complex on Wednesday night as actress Sheryl Lee Ralph belted them from the stage. Quite fittingly, they embody the purpose of the African American Film Critics Assn. which, for the seventh year, hosted an awards dinner to honor its selection of the year’s best films and television shows. And with a broader conversation about diversity unfolding in the entertainment industry, the organization’s importance was placed front and center.

“For all of us here who are filmmakers, creators, [we know that] black product is always devalued,” said Reginald Hudlin, producer of this year’s Oscars ceremony. “It’s always seen as a piece of business, not a piece of art. So the importance of [black] film critics, of us being able to critique and respect our own work is really crucial.”

Hosted by Terrence J and Nischelle Turner, the night attracted some of the most influential names in black Hollywood. What seems like a reincarnation of the Black Oscars, the gathering honored a diverse lot of 10 films the association believed to be the best of the last year. Those films included “Straight Outta Compton,” which took home the top prize; “Creed” and “Beasts of No Nation” along with “The Danish Girl,” “Carol” and “The Martian.” Shows including “Survivor’s Remorse,” “black-ish” and “How to Get Away with Murder” were also recognized. “Creed’s” Ryan Coogler was named best director.

Individual honors were presented to Hudlin, famed director John Singleton and Jeff Clanagan of Codeblack Films. Clanagan’s words, while accepting the Ashley Boone award for his work in marketing and distribution, received much applause for its direct approach to addressing ways black Hollywood can respond to the broader industry’s lack of diversity. “We should be doing for ourselves versus always chasing the studios when they’re saying no,” he said. “Don’t take no for an answer. Our culture transcends and travels worldwide.”

Clanagan suggested content creators make use of the Internet and social media as platforms to get their productions out to the world.

And when people say that black films aren’t good business decisions?

“This notion [that] our movies don’t travel overseas is [expletive],” he said. “There are audiences over there and they want to see us, [so much so that] they get it on bootleg.”

As for what studios can do, HBO Films’ president Len Amato had an idea during his acceptance speech for the Cinema Vanguard Award.

“Diverse initiatives and programming are no longer altruistic endeavors,” he said. “The country is changing and the industry must change with it. It makes good business sense.”

Terrence J perhaps summed up the evening the best, which can be applied to why awards shows that celebrate people of color and their cultural productions are important.

“This is an opportunity for us to celebrate each other, for us to encourage each other and for us to continue to motivate each other in the creative journeys we’re on,” he said.

And if you were looking for Hudlin to comment on the Academy Awards…

“Someone wanted me to say something about the Oscars…,” he began. “It’s on Feb. 28. Please watch the show. It’s going to be fantastic.”