Legendary music producer/composer Quincy Jones and film producer Jason Blum will be honored by the African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) as members of its 2019 Special Achievement honorees.
Jones’ work has become a part of the cultural fabric of our lives and featured in numerous television shows and films. He is the second-most winning person in Grammy history with 27 Grammys under his belt. His work can be heard in classics such as Roots and Michael Jackson’s iconic Thriller record, which is the highest-selling album of all time. Jones has also been a film producer, lending his backing to films such as The Color Purple.
“Quincy Jones is a cultural icon,” said AAFCA co-founder Shawn Edwards in a statement. “For nearly 70 years, he has helped shape pop culture as a music composer and producer as well as a film/TV composer and producer. His creative influence is unparalleled. He has molded the arts, film and music with a force that we may never witness again in our lifetime and given back all along the way.”
Blum, head of Blumhouse Productions, has produced Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman as well as Jordan Peele’s Get Out. Peele is continuing his relationship with Blumhouse with his upcoming horror film, Us, starring Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke.
“Jason Blum is a visionary creatively and in business. Through Blumhouse, he has rebirthed the horror genre, favoring both horror and specialty films like BlacKkKlansman that inclusively reflect or make us think about the world today,” said CEO Gil Robertson in a statement.
Also being honored is jazz innovator Buddy Bolden, who will posthumously receive the AAFCA Pioneer Award. Bolden’s life will be further explored in the upcoming documentary by Daniel Pritzker, Bolden. Netflix film production head Tengo Nagenda, Searching director Aneesh Chaganty will be given the Breakthrough Film Award, and HBO vice president of talent development and programming Kelly Edwards are also among this year’s Special Achievement honorees.
“I am thrilled that AAFCA is honoring Jason, the legendary Quincy Jones, jazz pioneer Bolden and the other great creatives, in front of and behind the camera, that continue to make our industry and our world great,” said Robertson.
Six of the honorees, including Bolden and Crazy Rich Asians, will receive their awards February 2 at the California Yacht Club in Marina Del Rey. Jones and Blum, as well as AAFCA’s Best Picture recipient Black Panther, will be honored at the 10th Annual AAFCA Awards February 6 at the Taglyan Complex in Hollywood.
READ MORE:
Rashida Jones Speaks On What She Hopes Her Father— And The World— Learns From ‘Quincy’
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