By Bill Vaughan
Entertainment Writer
Cynthia Erivo, Keke Palmer, Kendrick Lamar, Kevin Hart and Shannon Sharpe have been nominated for Entertainer of the Year for the 56th NAACP Image Awards to be revealed Feb. 21, from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, airing live on BET and CBS.
With a theme this year of “Our Stories, Our Culture, Our Excellence,” “The Piano Lesson” leads in motion picture categories with 14 nominations followed by “The Book of Clarence” with six nominations.
“Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist” leads across the television categories with nine nominations. Netflix also leads with an impressive 64 nominations.
Ayo Edebiri is leading the television and streaming categories with four nominations — three for her role in “The Bear” and one for “Saturday Night Live.” Palmer earned four total nominations, including Entertainer of the Year, recognition for her role in “Password,” her performance in “The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy,” and her podcast “Baby, This is Keke Palmer.”
GloRilla received the most nominations in the music recording categories, earning six nominations followed closely by Doechii, Lamar and Usher, earning four nominations each.
“We look forward to celebrating the brilliance of Black talent and creativity whose stories shape culture, ignite change, and inspire generations,” said Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP. “Through film, music, literature and more, their voices weave a rich tapestry that honors our heritage, celebrates our identity and proves that storytelling is a powerful force for driving true progress.”
By visiting www.naacpimageawards.net, the public can vote to determine the winners in select categories. Voting closes on Feb. 7, at midnight eastern time.
AWARDS SEASONED: Colman Domingo and Clarence Maclin (“Sing Sing”), Denzel Washington (“Gladiator II”), Marianne Jean-Baptiste (“Hard Truths”), Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (“Nickel Boys”), Idris Elba (“Hijack”), Sofia Vergara (“Griselda”), Pedro Almodóvar (“The Room Next Door”), “The Piano Lesson,” “Luther: Never Too Much,” and “Piece By Piece” are in the running for this year’s “Movies For Grownups Awards” to be held at the Beverly Wilshire on Jan. 11. The ceremony will be filmed for airing on PBS’ “Great Performances” Feb. 23.
AT THE MOVIES: Gerard Butler (“Plane,” “… Has Fallen” series) and O’Shea Jackson Jr. (“Straight Outta Compton,” “Godzilla: King of the Monsters”) return in the sequel to 2018’s action-heist hit “Den of Thieves.” In “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera,” Butler’s Big Nick is back on the hunt in Europe and closing in on O’Shea’s Donnie, who is embroiled in the treacherous and unpredictable world of diamond thieves and the infamous Panther mafia, as they plot a massive heist of the world’s largest diamond exchange. The film, shot on location in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, is produced by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson.
TICKET WATCH: A$AP Rocky, Quavo, Sexyy Red, YG, Playboi Carti and Peso Pluma are among the 75 acts announced for Rolling Loud California set for March 15 and 16 at Hollywood Park. For ticket information, visit: cali.rollingloud.com.
TASTY QUIP: “Yes, I can be strong and poised and all those things. But I can also be funny and have a laugh and be soft and joyful. We all have that in us. We have light and dark, and we have soft and hard. Hopefully people can see the three-dimensional being in front of them.” – CYNTHIA ERIVO (“Wicked”) to The Wrap
CLIPPETTES: Katt Williams: Heaven on Earth Tour comes to Toyota Arena Jan. 11 as The Stylistics and Sons of Champlin are at The Wiltern; Lee Fields & Monophonics at the Fonda Theatre; and the Lee Ritenour Band kick off two evenings at Catalina Bar and Grill …
Jazz Is Dead presents Meshell Ndegeocello at the Lodge Room Jan. 14 and 15. Tickets were only available at press time for the late show on the latter date so check with the venue …
Also on Jan. 14, pianist/composer Gerald Clayton hosts the weekly series “Tuesday Happenings” at Sam First. The house band performs one set at 7:30 p.m. followed by a jam session from 9:30-11 …
Vibrato Grill presents A Night of Timeless Jazz with Freda Payne opening the songbook of Ella Fitzgerald on Jan. 15. Meanwhile, the California African American Museum presents their Inspire LA: Mayoral Speaker Series with Mayor Karen Bass in conversation with Bryan Stevenson, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative. Enjoy a reception and visit CAAM exhibitions before the talk begins at 6 p.m. …
Pete Escovedo Latin Jazz Orchestra headline Jan. 16 at Vibrato Grill & Jazz while Keith Sweat croons at Pechanga Resort & Casino.
TASTY QUIP: “Much of what we consume — especially kids — visually influences how we see the world. When the heroic good guy is nearly always white and canon white bad guys are made black for “representation” it is a visual story of white good guys beating up black bad guys.” – Former Marvel showrunner BEAU DeMAYO (“X-Men ‘97”) on the race swapping of comic villains such as Kang the Conqueror, Mordo, High Evolutionary, Electro, and now Norman Osborne/Green Goblin for the upcoming cartoon “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man” for movie and TV adaptations
TC ON TV: Jan. 10 – “Today” (NBC): Hoda Kotb’s farewell show. “Drew Barrymore” (Syn): Mary J. Blige “Critics Choice Association 7th Annual Celebration of Black Cinema & Television” (Starz): Jay Pharoah hosts the proceedings honoring Tyler Perry, Malcolm D. Lee, Regina King, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Steve McQueen, Natasha Rothwell, Kris Bowers, Cynthia Erivo, John David Washington, Wendell Pierce, Jharrel Jerome, Ryan Destiny, Michael Rainey Jr., and directors Angela Patton and Natalie Rae (“Daughters”). “Bill Maher: Is Anyone Else Seeing This?” (HBO): The “Real Time” host takes to the stage of Chicago’s CIBC Theater to offer up his scathing commentary on the hypocrisies of both conservative and liberal politics, as well as trends in modern parenting, sex and dating, and religion.
Jan. 11 – “Terror Comes Knocking: The Marcela Borges Story” (Lifetime): Based on a true story, Dascha Polanco (“Orange is the New Black”) stars as the pregnant housewife who faced insurmountable odds to protect her family from their violent captors.
Jan. 12 – “Delicious Miss Brown” (Food): “Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner” “30th Annual Critics Choice Awards” (E!): For the third consecutive year, Chelsea Handler will return as host for the ceremony presented live from Barker Hangar at the Santa Monica Airport.
Jan. 13 – “Independent Lens” (PBS): “Without Arrows” showcases the events, choices, and relationships that shape the legacy of a Lakota family.
Jan. 14 – “Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy” (Peacock): Insiders break their silence in this 90-minute all-new documentary telling the story of Sean Combs‘ early years and his decades-long transformation to Puffy and then to Diddy, with crucial insight into the forces that shaped the man and may have made him a monster. Features candid, revealing interviews with his childhood friend, his former bodyguard, a “Making the Band” winner, and speaking out for the first time singer/songwriter/producer Al B. Sure!, who was Diddy’s label mate at Uptown Records and in a relationship with Kim Porter before she began dating Diddy. “Finding Your Roots” (PBS): Henry Louis Gates Jr. visits tiny towns in Calabria, Italy, to trace the roots of talk show host Joy Behar (“The Voice”) and actor Michael Imperioli (“The Sopranos”), revealing the challenges that their ancestors faced — and overcame — on both sides of the Atlantic.
Jan. 15 – “With Love, Meaghan” (Netflix): Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex invites friends and famous guests to a beautiful California estate, where she shares cooking, gardening and hosting tips. “Scam Goddess” (Freeform/Hulu): Calling out a warning to all fraudsters, fakers, cons, and crooks: the award-winning book and podcast hosted by comic actress Laci Mosley (“A Black Lady Sketch Show,” “iCarly”) is coming to the small screen.
Jan. 16 – “Unstoppable” (Prime): The inspiring true story of Anthony Robles (Jharrel Jerome) who was born with one leg but whose indomitable spirit and unbreakable resolve empowered him to defy the odds and pursue his wrestling dreams. With Jennifer Lopez, Don Cheadle, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña, and Robles himself. “Sesame Street” (MAX): The longest-running children’s series returns for its 53rd season with 35 brand-new episodes! “SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night” (Peacock): Featuring more than 60 contributors, including SNL alumni, and covering decades of SNL history, this special offers a behind-the-scenes look at some of the most iconic hallmarks of the American late night comedy institution. “Hollywood Squares” (CBS): Tyra Banks, Sheryl Underwood, Leslie Jones, Tiffany Haddish, Sam Jay, Thomas Lennon, Margaret Cho, RuPaul and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog
END QUOTE: “What you got to figure out is you. Your story. You as is, you are worthy. They say the only two people that you owe anything to is your 6-year-old self and your 80-year-old self.” – VIOLA DAVIS accepting the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes
As featured in the Los Angeles Wave and Independent, Tasty Clips is one of the leading entertainment columns in the nation, serving nearly one million weekly readers. Bill Vaughan may be reached at tastyclips@yahoo.com, via Twitter @tastyclips, or Instagram @tasty_clips.
