Celebration of Black Cinema & Television 2026 Honorees
Debbie Allen will receive the Icon Award when the Critics Choice Association holds its ninth annual Celebration of Black Cinema & Television on Nov. 16 in Los Angeles. Quinta Brunson, Chris Rock, Jaafar Jackson and Anthony Mackie are among the 15 artists joining her on this year's honoree list.
Roy Wood Jr. returns to host. The ceremony will premiere on the Critics Choice Association's YouTube channel in December.
Allen's tribute arrives in a big year for her. She is back on A Different World, the show she produced and helped define, directing 83 of its original 144 episodes. In Netflix's new sequel series she serves as executive producer and returns as Dr. Langhorne. (Read my review of the new A Different World.)
Shawn Edwards, the event's executive producer and writer, framed this year's celebration against a hard backdrop. He pointed to "a direct assault on Black culture and Black history," and said that honoring the best in Black film and television "isn't something that we have to do, it's something that we want to do."
The 2026 honorees
Icon Award: Debbie Allen
Groundbreaker Award: Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Vanguard Award: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Backrooms (A24)
Director Award: Chris Rock, Misty Green (A24)
Breakthrough Director Award: Arie Esiri and Chuko Esiri, Clarissa
Showrunner Award: Katori Hall, P-Valley (STARZ)
Comedy Award: Lamorne Morris, Spider-Noir (Prime Video)
Actor Award, Film: Jaafar Jackson, Michael (Lionsgate)
Actor Award, Series: Anthony Mackie, 12 12 12 (Apple TV)
Supporting Actor Award, Film: Stephan James, I Play Rocky (Amazon MGM Studios)
Supporting Actress Award, Film: Sophie Okonedo, Mouse
Supporting Actor Award, Series: Ato Essandoh, The Diplomat (Netflix)
Supporting Actress Award, Series: Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Furious (Hulu)
Rising Star Award: Jaalen Best, The Greatest (Prime Video)
What stands out
The list runs from veterans to first-timers. Allen has shaped Black television for decades, while the Esiri twins and Jaalen Best are being recognized near the start of their careers.
It is also a strong year for performers stepping into larger-than-life roles. Jaafar Jackson plays his uncle Michael Jackson in Lionsgate's Michael, and Stephan James is honored for I Play Rocky.
Television gets equal weight. Katori Hall's P-Valley and Quinta Brunson's Abbott Elementary remain two of the most distinct voices on the small screen, and Brunson's Groundbreaker Award recognizes a show that changed what a network sitcom can look like.
The Celebration of Black Cinema & Television has become one of the season's most important rooms for Black artists. It honors the work on its own terms, not as an afterthought to the wider awards race.
Cup of Soul will have more as the ceremony approaches.
