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 20th at the SLS Hotel in Los Angeles. Launched in 2019 with tremendous success, 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 18th 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 20th 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.”
Photo Credit: Maarten de Boer/Universal Studio Group
ABOUT PEARLENA IGBOKWE – ASHLEY BOONE AWARD RECIPIENT
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.”
Photo Credit: James Dimmock/CBS
ABOUT ALEX KURTZMAN – ALLY AWARD RECIPIENT
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.”
ABOUT WARNER BROS. TELEVISION GROUP – INCLUSION AWARD RECIPIENT
The Inclusion Award recognizes an organization with a demonstrable commitment to inclusion in their programming and corporate activities. Warner Bros. Television Group (WBTVG) oversees and grows the entire portfolio of Warner Bros.’ television businesses, including live-action scripted and unscripted programming, as well as animation. WBTVG production divisions include Warner Bros. Television, which produces live-action scripted comedies, dramas, limited series, and original movies; Warner Bros. Unscripted Television, which delivers unscripted and alternative series, documentaries, talk shows, and podcasts through three production units, Warner Horizon Unscripted Television, Telepictures, and Shed Media; and animated series from Warner Bros. Animation, Cartoon Network Studios, and Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe. As of July 2022, these divisions are producing more than 110 series for Warner Bros. Discovery’s HBO Max, external streaming services, cable, the broadcast networks, and the first-run syndication marketplace in the U.S. Select current signature WBTVG programs include “Abbott Elementary,” “All American,” “All American: Homecoming,” “All Rise,” “The Bachelor” franchise, “Bob♥️Abishola,” “The Cleaning Lady,” “Craig of the Creek,” “The Flash,” “The Flight Attendant,” “Gossip Girl,” “Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai,” “The Jennifer Hudson Show,” “Kung Fu,” “Mathis Family Matters,” “Queen Sugar,” “The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip,” “Riverdale,” “The Sex Lives of College Girls,” “Ted Lasso,” “Titans,” “The Voice,” “Young Sheldon” and more.
ABOUT AAFCA
Established in 2003, AAFCA is the premier body of Black film critics in the world, actively reviewing film and television, with a particular emphasis on entertainment highlighting the Black experience in the US and throughout the rest of the African Diaspora. For more information on AAFCA and its programs visit http://AAFCA.com.
ABOUT MORGAN STANLEY
Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) is a leading global financial services firm providing a wide range of investment banking, securities, wealth management and investment management services. With offices in 41 countries, the Firm’s employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, institutions and individuals. For more information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com.
An Atlanta-based actress, model, writer, and screenwriter, Miranda started her career on stage in high school. She figured out that acting and writing were two passions of hers that allowed her to constructively express her emotions through character and narrative. In 2022, she packed up her cat and everything she owned to move across the US to Atlanta to further pursue opportunities in the entertainment industry. She is currently working on a novel and the screenplay adaptation for the novel, and enjoys designing graphics.
