The first Shadow and Act RISING Awards brunch was held Friday, February 22, in downtown Los Angeles, where we honored 32 of the entertainment industry’s rising stars in four categories: Actors/Actresses, Executives, Creators (filmmakers, writers, producers) and Behind-the-Scenes stars (stylists, make-up artists, publicists and crew members). Moonlight and If Beale Street Could Talk director and screenwriter Barry Jenkins received the 2019 Game-Changer Award and keynoted the event. (Watch his epic keynote speech here.)

Though it had been eight years between his first feature film, Medicine for Melancholy, and his follow-up, Moonlight, Jenkins said in his acceptance speech, “I never felt outside the culture because I didn’t have to look outside the culture for inspiration over the course of those eight years,” and, “That’s directly tied to Shadow and Act,” he said.

Shadow and Act Managing Editor Brooke Obie described the community-based awards show as “a family reunion.”

“For the past decade, Shadow and Act has been promoting and celebrating content created by and about people of African descent throughout the world. We’ve emerged as the premier digital destination for Black entertainment news, covering film, TV, webseries and Broadway, and the RISING Awards is the latest fulfillment of our mission,” she said.

Acting honoree Logan Browning, star of Dear White People on Netflix, said of her award:

“It is a dream really because ever since I have started working, Shadow and Act has always been in support of me. They feel like a big brother or big sister, always kind of cheering me on and sometimes in my career I’ve done things that aren’t in the biggest public eye of the industry, and Shadow and Act always makes me feel special and seen,” Browning told The Hollywood Reporter, who covered the event.

“Whatever walks across the stage is one thing, but I think what’s getting on the screen, what’s getting into audience’s hearts and minds as evidenced by a film with an all-Black cast grossing a billion dollars this year and then you go to Get Out and Hidden Figures the years before, it’s like, yeah the progress is definitely a runaway train, and there’s nothing that anybody can do about it,” Jenkins told The Hollywood Reporter.

The event was highlighted by Fox 11:

You can view the full list of honorees below, as well as photos from the event:

The 2019 Shadow and Act RISING Award Honorees | Photo: Jennifer Johnson Photography

ACTORS/ACTRESSES

Carvens Lissaint – Hamilton Broadway

Lil Rel – Get Out; Bird Box; Rel

Logan Browning – Dear White People

Lovie Simone – Greenleaf; Selah and the Spades

Marcus Scribner – Black-Ish

Nafessa Williams – Black Lightning

Tequan Richmond – Boomerang

Tetona Jackson – Boomerang

EXECUTIVES

Alana Mayo – Outlier Society, Head of Production

Franklin Leonard – The Blacklist, Founder

Jermaine Johnson – 3 Arts Management, Manager, Producer

John Agbaje – FX, Manager of Animated Series

Jon Gist – Universal, Director of Multicultural Publicity and Promotions

Joy Ganes – BBC Studios, VP, Business/Legal Affairs

Olivia Morris – TBS, Director of Development, Original Scripted Programming

Paige Simpson – Will Packer Studios, Manager of Scripted TV

CREATORS (writers, filmmakers, directors, producers, etc.)

Amanda Jones – Composer

Ben Cory Jones – Writer, Insecure; Showrunner, Boomerang

James Bland – Producer of Giants series

Kelley Kali – Filmmaker, Lalo’s House

Kemiyondo Coutinho – Filmmaker, Kyenvu

Lucien Christian – Writer, David Makes Man

Nijla Mu’min – Writer/Filmmaker, Jinn

Sam Bailey – Writer/ Director- Web Series, You’re So Talented

BEHIND-THE-SCENES STARS

Apuje Kalu – Wardrobe Stylist

Bryon Javar – Wardrobe Stylist

Candis Welch – Executive Assistant

Evan Seymour – Allied Global Marketing, Multicultural Publicity Team Lead

James Ward, III – OWN, Senior Manager, Communications

Jennifer Austin – Wardrobe Stylist

Larry Sims – Hair Stylist

Takisha Sturdivant-Drew – Hair Stylist

RISING Award Recipients Nafessa Williams ('Black Lightning') and Logan Browning ('Dear White People') | Photo: Jennifer Johnson Photography — RISING Award Recipients Nafessa Williams (‘Black Lightning’) and Logan Browning (‘Dear White People’) | Photo: Jennifer Johnson Photography

RISING Award Recipients and stars of BET's 'Boomerang,' Tequan Richmond and Tetona Jackson | Photo: Jennifer Johnson Photography — RISING Award Recipients and stars of BET’s ‘Boomerang,’ Tequan Richmond and Tetona Jackson | Photo: Jennifer Johnson Photography

RISING Award Recipient Franklin Leonard speaking at the brunch. | Photo: Jennifer Johnson Photography

Actress Keesha Sharp ('Lethal Weapon') attends the pre-brunch reception ahead of the RISING Awards. | Photo: Jennifer Johnson Photography — Actress Keesha Sharp (‘Lethal Weapon’) attends the pre-brunch reception ahead of the RISING Awards. | Photo: Jennifer Johnson Photography

RISING Award receipient Lil Rel Howery | Photo: Jennifer Johnson Photography — RISING Award recipient Lil Rel Howery | Photo: Jennifer Johnson Photography