Photos from the 7th American Black Film Festival Honors (ABFF Honors) at the SLS Hotel, Beverly Hills
Photos from the 7th American Black Film Festival Honors (ABFF Honors) at the SLS Hotel, Beverly Hills; Keke Palmer, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Aaron Pierre, Giancarlo Esposito, Marla Gibbs, Anthony Mackie, Regina King, Kelvin Harrison, Jr., Ava DuVernay, Aloe Blacc, Teyana Taylor & More
DOWNLOAD PHOTOS HERE
(TOP L to R: Keke Palmer, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Giancarlo Esposito;
MIDDLE: Giancarlo Esposito, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Jeff Friday, Marla Gibbs, Nicole Friday;
BOTTOM L to R: Aaron Pierre, Teyana Taylor & Aaron Pierre, Marla Gibbs & Angela Gibbs)
WHEN:
Monday, February 17, 2025
WHERE:
SLS Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Beverly Hills
WHO:
- 2025 ABFF Honors Honorees:
- Excellence in the Arts Award (Female)
- Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor
- Excellence in the Arts Award (Male)
- Giancarlo Esposito
- Renaissance Award
- Keke Palmer
- Hollywood Legacy Award
- Marla Gibbs
- Rising Star Award
- Aaron Pierre
- 2025 ABFF Honors Presenters:
- Ava DuVernay (Presented to Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor)
- Anthony Mackie (Presented to Giancarlo Esposito)
- Boots Riley (Presented to Keke Palmer)
- Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Presented to Aaron Pierre)
- Regina King (Presented to Marla Gibbs)
- Hosted By:
- Actress and comedian, Zainab Johnson
- ABFF Honors Executive Producers:
- Jeff Friday, Founder and CEO, NICE CROWD
- Nicole Friday, President, NICE CROWD
- Suzanne de Passe, Co Chairman, de Passe Jones Entertainment Group
- Rikki Hughes, Executive Producer, Magic Lemonade
- ABFF Honors Guests:
- Aloe Blacc
- Boots Riley
- Brandon T. Jackson
- Charles D. King
- Cory Hardrict
- Dondré Whitfield
- Elise Neal
- Lance Gross
- Larenz Tate
- LisaRaye McCoy
- Loretta Devine
- Michael Jai White
- Salli Richardson Whitfield
- Teyana Taylor
- Tika Sumpter
- Vanessa Bell Calloway
- Yvette Nicole Brown
- Yvonne Orji
The ceremony also included a special tribute to the Altadena Black community, honoring its legacy, resilience, and rich cultural heritage with a special performance from Altadena supporter Aloe Blacc.
ABFF Honors is the American Black Film Festival’s annual awards season gala dedicated to recognizing excellence in the motion picture and television industry. Founded in 2016, the ceremony pays tribute to Black artists who have made significant contributions to American entertainment through their work as well as those who champion diversity and inclusion in Hollywood.
ABFF Honors stems from the American Black Film Festival (ABFF), founded by Jeff Friday in 1997, the leading festival of its kind showcasing Black storytelling. Since its inception, the ABFF has been dedicated to supporting Friday’s conviction that Black artists deserve the same opportunities as their mainstream counterparts. Having premiered the work and encouraged the careers of many of today’s most successful filmmakers and actors, the ABFF has become the standard-bearer of excellence for Black American creativity.
ABFF Honors is executive produced by Nicole and Jeff Friday (NICE CROWD) in association with dePasse Jones Entertainment and Rikki Hughes (Magic Lemonade). Sponsors for the event include: Cadillac, Ally (Presenting), and Sony Pictures Entertainment, Fulton Films GA, Amazon MGM | Orion (Supporting), and SLS Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Beverly Hills (Industry) and California Film Commission (Contributing).
For more information about ABFF Honors visit www.abffhonors.com. Follow @AmericanBlackFilmFestival on Instagram and Facebook, and @ABFF on X.
About NICE CROWD
NICE CROWD is a Los Angeles-based live events company that develops and produces properties that showcase BIPOC culture and talent. The company’s flagship event is the American Black Film Festival, founded in 1997.
To learn more about NICE CROWD events, visit www.nicecrowd.com.
Media Contact:
[email protected]
