Kelvin Harrison Jr. (‘Genius: MLK/X,’ ‘Chevalier’) to receive Rising Star Award at American Black Film Festival Honors

The 6th American Black Film Festival (ABFF) Honors announced today that Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Nat Geo’s ‘Genius: MLK/X,’ ‘Chevalier’) is the recipient of the 2024 Rising Star Award which is presented to a contemporary artist in acknowledgement of their recent success and future promise in the film and television industry. The 2024 ABFF Honors is presented by NICE CROWD and will take place on Sunday, March 3rd at the SLS hotel in Beverly Hills, hosted by actor and comedian Tommy Davidson. Guests at the intimate, non-televised dinner will include ABFF honorees and festival partners.

As previously announced, the ABFF Honors will also celebrate legendary performer Garrett Morris; Academy Award nominated, Emmy nominated and Golden Globe-winning actress Taraji P. Henson; Tony, Emmy, AFI, and Golden Globe Award-winning actor Jeffrey Wright, and groundbreaking writer and producer Mara Brock Akil. The ABFF Fan Favorite Movie of the Year will also be announced at the show. Nominees in that category include: “A Thousand and One,” directed by A.V. Rockwell; “American Fiction,” directed by Cord Jefferson; “Origin,” directed by Ava DuVernay; “The Color Purple,” directed by Blitz Bazawule; “They Cloned Tyrone,” directed by Juel Taylor; “The Equalizer 3,” directed by Antoine Fuqua.

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“It is amazing to see ABFF honorees, past and present, thrive in the industry,” said NICE CROWD CEO and President Jeff and Nicole Friday. “As we move towards tomorrow, we want to spotlight the next generation of luminaries. We are thrilled to celebrate Kelvin Harrison Jr. as our Rising Star honoree alongside Garrett, Taraji, Jeffrey, and Mara.”

In a press release, ABFF stated, “Kelvin Harrison Jr. is known for bringing to life some of the most dynamic and diverse characters on screens both big and small. In the past couple of years, Kelvin has been recognized for his incredible talents as a SAG Award winner along with the ensemble cast of 2020’s Oscar nominated “The Trial Of The Chicago 7.” In 2019 he captivated audiences in the drama “Luce” in which he leads as the title character opposite Octavia Spencer, Tim Roth and Naomi Watts. The film first premiered in competition at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and was released to great critical acclaim resulting in Independent Spirit Award and BAFTA nominations for both Harrison and the film. That same year, Kelvin starred in the A24 drama “Waves” which garnered early Oscar buzz coming out of the Telluride and Toronto Film Festivals. ‘Waves’ was his second film with director Trey Edward Shults and reviews singled out his performance as ‘brilliant’, ‘excellent’ and a ‘knockout’, which earned him multiple nominations and awards. He is currently starring in ‘Genius: MLK/X’ as Martin Luther King Jr.”

SEE ‘Genius: MLK/X’ trailer: Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Aaron Pierre team up to ‘fight against oppression’ [WATCH]

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 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 (Presenting), Amazon MGM Studios (Premier), Sony Pictures Entertainment (Supporting) and Fulton Films (Supporting).

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