Tara Duncan, Sheryl Lee Ralph Honored at ‘Essence’ Black Women In Hollywood Awards

By R. Thomas Umstead
published

Gina Prince-Bythewood, Danielle Deadwyler, Dominique Thorne also feted at annual awards event

Onyx Collective President Tara Duncan and actress Sheryl Lee Ralph were among the honorees at the Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards luncheon Thursday celebrating excellence in creating and distributing Black images and stories across multiple platforms. 

Duncan, a 2022 Multichannel News Wonder Woman of Los Angeles honoree who oversees content development for the Hulu-based Onyx Collective content brand, and the 2022 Emmy Award-winning Ralph, who stars in ABC’s Abbott Elementary, were honored along with film actresses Dominique Thorne (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) and Danielle Deadwyler (Till), and The Woman King movie creator Gina Prince-Bythewood for their extraordinary achievements within the entertainment industry, according to Essence.

Also: Tara Duncan’s Hitting the Right Notes: Multicultural Perspectives

Thursday’s Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards ceremony will be streamed March 13 on the EssenceStudios.com and Essence.com websites at 7 pm (ET), the company said.

Also: OWN To Debut Essence Magazine Documentary Series

“For more than a decade and a half, Essence has championed the Black Woman in Hollywood Awards to commemorate the Black women who are the story makers, storytellers, story-doers, and story-sharers that cultivate the entertainment ecosystem that the world cherishes and loves deeply,” Essence Ventures LLC President and CEO Caroline Wanga said in a statement. “We are privileged to have this sacred platform that illuminates the ongoing accomplishments of Black women at our annual luncheon in its 16th year since inception." ■ 

R. Thomas Umstead
R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.