'The Equalizer,' 'Queen Sugar,' 'The Underground Railroad' honored by Black critics group

Amazon's "The Underground Railroad" and HBO's "Lovecraft Country" won top awards in the African American Film Critics Association's (AAFCA) third annual TV honors.

Programs produced by such luminaries as Queen Latifah and Ava DuVernay also are being honored, the organization announced Wednesday. Awards will be presented at an Aug. 21 ceremony in Los Angeles hosted by actress and comedian Yvette Nicole Brown.

"Lovecraft," canceled after one season, received two acting awards, with Jurnee Smollett taking Best Actress and Jonathan Majors named Best Actor. "Underground Railroad," based on Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer-winning novel, was named best limited series, with Barry Jenkins ("Moonlight") receiving the directing award.

OWN's "Queen Sugar," produced by DuVernay, won the drama series and writing categories, along with the AAFCA’s inaugural Impact Award.

Comedy series honors go to HBO's "A Black Lady Sketch Show," and CBS' "The Equalizer," which features Queen Latifah as star as well as executive producer, won as best new show.

HBO's “Exterminate All the Brutes” and Netflix's “High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America” received the docuseries prize, while Amazon's "Sylvie's Love" was named best movie.

“This year’s honorees reflect a healthy variety of content that is not only entertaining but also mirrors the diversity of storytelling within the Black community. The TV Honors jury recognizes a multitude of voices, both emerging and established, whose work attests to the heterogeneity of the Black experience,” AAFCA co-founder and President Gil Robertson said in a statement. He called the winners "“a robust slate that we believe is reflective of a new normal regarding diversity and inclusion for TV.”

AAFCA earlier announced special honors for Steve McQueen, Wanda Sykes, Naomi Ackie and Michaela Coel ("I May Destroy You"). Netflix's "Lupin" was cited as best international production, and HBO and HBO Max earned an award for a "long history of producing transformative diverse and inclusive programming."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Queen Latifah's 'The Equalizer,' Ava DuVernay's 'Queen Sugar' honored