ABFF Honors Kerry Washington, Courtney B. Vance, Charles D. King, And Janelle Monáe

Charles D. King, Kerry Washington, Courtney B. Vance, and Janelle Monáe- Jerritt Clark / Pascal Le Segretain / Leon Bennett / Stringer / Axelle / Bauer-Griffin

During the 2023 American Black Film Festival (ABFF) Honors ceremony, Kerry Washington, Courtney B. Vance, Charles D. King, and Janelle Monáe will each receive special accolades recognizing excellence in the film and television industries. The ABFF is an independent film festival that predominantly highlights Black people working in the entertainment business. It is conducted to award films that stand out in their representation of the Black experience and to celebrate the accomplishments of cinema actors of African ancestry.

The Excellence in the Arts Honor (Female) will be given to Washington, an Emmy winner and SAG and Golden Globe-nominated actor, director, and producer; Vance, a two-time Emmy winner, will accept the Excellence in the Arts Honor (Male). King, the founder and CEO of MACRO, will get the Industry Leadership Award, while Monáe, a producer, actor, and eight-time Grammy nominee, will receive the Renaissance Award. The 1997 drama Eve's Bayou by Kasi Lemmons will get the Classic Cinema Award.

The fifth ABFF Honors will be held on March 5, 2023, and will be emceed by comedian, actor, and writer Deon Cole. The ceremony and non-televised dinner will be executive produced by Nicole and Jeff Friday (under their ABFF Ventures company) in collaboration with Rikki Hughes (for Magic Lemonade) and de Passe Jones Entertainment.