Author Archives: Sonya's Spotlight
← Older posts Newer posts →25TH ANNUAL TRUMPET AWARDS
January 23, 2017Black-ish, Angie Tribeca star and two-time EMMY® nominated writer and actor Deon Cole and Rosewood, The Real Husbands of Hollywood and seven-time NAACP Image Award nominated actress Nicole Ari Parker host an exciting night of inspiration, history and crowd-rousing performances at the 25th Annual Trumpet Awards, the prestigious annual event celebrating African-American achievements and contributions, set to world premiere on Sunday, January 29 at 9:00pm ET on Bounce. Bounce recently acquired all assets of The Trumpet Awards and now owns, produces and exclusively premieres the star-studded ceremony, this year held at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta, Georgia on Saturday, January 21, 2017. Highlights from the show include: Lifetime Achievement Trumpet Award-winning New Edition being saluted by R&B bands Jagged Edge, Silk and The Transitions with a medley of the iconic group’s hits including “Candy Girl,” Mr. Telephone Man” and “Cool It Now” that had the audience dancing in the aisles. Regina Belle, BJ The Chicago Kid and Kenny Lattimoreperforming “A Whole New World,” “Feel the Fire” and “If Ever You’re in My Arms Again” to honor Trumpet Legend Award recipient Peabo Bryson. A show-stopping all-star Gospel Music Tribute featuring Shirley Caesar, Erica Campbell, Jekalyn Carr, Le’Andria Johnson, Travis Greene and Canton Jones. Tamela Mann,Lalah Hathaway and Keke Wyatt bringing the house down in individual performances. A memorable spoken-word presentation by Iman Cezanne and Javon Johnson which elicited thunderous applause and brought the audience to their feet. Honorees at this year’s ceremony also included: Daytime EMMY® nominee Wendy Williams, who was presented with the Trumpet Award for Entertainment; former NBA great Dikembe Mutombo, recognized with the Humanitarian Trumpet Award; Martin Luther King III, presented with the Impact Trumpet Award and fashion blogger Gabi Gregg who was given the Trailblazer Trumpet Award. Among the presenters and special guests: Vanessa Bell Calloway, Lou Gossett, Jr., David Mann, Bill Withers, Ed Lover, Ed Gordon, Gary Owen, Erica Ash and Willie Moore, Jr. In a very special tribute, civil rights icon and founder of the Trumpet Awards Xernona Clayton was presented with the distinguished Golden Trumpet Award in recognition of her unparalleled leadership, ability to affect change and steadfast …
Posted in 57th NAACP Image Awards, In The Spotlight | Leave a comment‘Atlanta’ Wins Golden Globe for Best TV Series Comedy
January 9, 2017January 8, 2017 | 05:28PM PT FX’s critically acclaimed “Atlanta” has won the Golden Globe for best television series comedy in its first year of eligibility.The win continues a five-year streak of first-time nominees taking the prize, following Amazon’s “Mozart In the Jungle” (a first-time nominee in its second season) and “Transparent,” Fox’s “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” and HBO’s “Girls.” “Atlanta,” created by and starring “Community” veteran Donald Glover, is the first FX series to ever land a nomination in the category. It triumphed over a formidable slate of nominees including “Mozart,” “Transparent,” ABC’s “Black-ish,” and HBO’s “Veep.” “This is incredible,” Glover said in disbelief. “I want to thank Atlanta and all the black folks in Atlanta, for real. For being alive and being amazing people.” Since its Sept. 6 bow, “Atlanta” has emerged as one of the strongest new contenders on the small screen awards scene, landing key nominations from the Producers Guild and Writers Guild in recent weeks and was the only half-hour series besides “Veep” to crack AFI’s top 10 TV list. The series also ranked as the best reviewed new show of the year on Metacritic, and topped Variety critic Sonia Saraiya’s picks for the best TV of 2016. Source: http://variety.com/2017/tv/awards/atlanta-wins-golden-globe-for-best-tv-series-comedy-1201953614/
Posted in In The Spotlight | Leave a commentHIDDEN FIGURES in theaters Now
January 9, 2017Synopsis: HIDDEN FIGURES is the incredible untold story of Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughn (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae)—brilliant African-American women working at NASA, who served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, a stunning achievement that restored the nation’s confidence, turned around the Space Race, and galvanized the world. The visionary trio crossed all gender and race lines to inspire generations to dream big. Sonya’s Spotlight Covers HIDDEN FIGURES VIP SCREENING & SOUNDTRACK LISTENING PARTY W/PHARRELL & JANELLE MONAE: http://sonyasspotlight.com/hidden-figures-vip-screening-soundtrack-listening-party-wpharrell-janelle-monae/ SITE: HiddenFiguresMovie.com FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/HiddenFigures TWITTER: www.twitter.com/HiddenFigures INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/hiddenfiguresmovie/ #HiddenFigures
Posted in Movie News | Leave a commentTaraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe Radiate on Essence¹s February 2017 Cover
January 6, 2017The leading ladies of Hidden Figures — Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe — chat with Essence about the significance of the film, their character’s impact on American history and the importance of sisterhood. Essence’s February 2017 issue hits newsstands Friday, January 13th. Please link back to Essence.com. Additional quotes from the story are below. Hidden Figures is in theaters everywhere Friday, January 6. (Photo credit: Warwick Saint/Essence) QUOTES: Taraji P. Henson on the significance of sharing this story: “When I was growing up, people told me out of their mouths math and science are for boys. I was told that over and over. Like, no one showed me how to fall in love with numbers. If I had a teacher like Mrs. Johnson, who knows, I might be on the moon…” Janelle Monáe on sisterhood in the film: “They knew that they were stronger together…I think they would not have achieved the level of success they did had they not had one another…” Octavia Spencer on the impact of her character: “This woman is the mother of all girls who code – Black, White, Latin, Asian, Indian. It all began with Dorothy Vaughn.”
Posted in Music | Leave a commentUNCF Atlanta Mayor’s Masked Ball 2016
December 27, 2016The 33rd Annual UNCF Atlanta Mayor’s Masked Ball , UNCF’s signature fundraising gala and premier social event of the holiday season, was held Saturday, December 17, at the Marriott Marquis in downtown Atlanta. Founded 33 years ago by Mrs. Billye S. Aaron and hosted by former Mayor Andrew Young during his first administration, the Mayor’s Masked Ball is supported by major corporate partners and friends of UNCF. Hosted annually by the sitting mayor, each year, more than 1,200 guests from the greater metro Atlanta community, along with nationally- acclaimed celebrities including, recording artists, entertainers and public officials attend. This year’s UNCF Atlanta Mayor’s Masked Ball was hosted by The Honorable Kasim Reed, Mayor, City of Atlanta Dr. Michael L. Lomax, President and CEO, UNCF Maurice E. Jenkins, Jr., Executive Vice President, National Development, UNCF Justine Norman Boyd – Regional Development Director. Celebrity Host for the event was Comedian J. Anthony Brown, and singer, drummer, and percussionist, Sheila E. brought attendees out of their seats and on to the dance floor with her electrifying performance, which included a Prince Tribute. Even singing sensation Usher Raymond was out of his seat during Shelia E.’s performance, videoing Sheila E. and himself and posting for his Instagram fans “Live.” Other celebrity guests who attended the UNCF Atlanta Mayor’s Masked Ball included Angie Stone (who joined Sheila E. on stage and sang) Tyrese, Future,Young Jeezy, Ambassador Andrew Young, Hank Aaron, Roger Bobb, Jermaine Dupri, and Phaedra Parks, just to name a few. Although it was my sixth year attending the UNCF Atlanta Mayor’s Masked Ball, where I’m usually interviewing attendees and taking celeb shots for my web magazine (blog), Sonya’s Spotlight, this year I decided to take the journalist/blogger hat off and mingle and party more. I even got the courage to dance on stage with …
Posted in R&B Pop Culture, In The Spotlight | Leave a commentRead SHAYLA’S CATCH – Chapter 9 – Ahhh Sookie Sookie Now
December 25, 2016SHAYLA’S CATCH Adult, Urban Fiction – Sexual Content & Language SHAYLA’S CATCH is a work of fiction. NFL team names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Copyright © 2015 by Sonya Jenkins. Any use, reproduction or divulgence of the contents of this material without prior consent is strictly prohibited. Chapter 9 Chapter Nine Ahhh Sookie Sookie Now! 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 . . . Happy New Year!” I shouted to the top of my lungs and raised my champagne glass high, as I watched the Times Square crowd in New York go wild. I couldn’t believe that I was actually celebrating New Year’s Eve alone – watching Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rock & Eve hosted by Ryan Seacrest. I had worked all day long at Saks and had hurried home after work to take down my Christmas tree and holiday decoration before the New Year rolled in. Connie had always stressed the importance of taking down Christmas decoration before the New Year as a way of releasing the old and bringing in the new. Her mother, Granny Tula, had brainwashed her to believe that if you left your Christmas tree up into the New Year, you’d have the same problems from the previous year. Call me superstitious, but I definitely wanted to rid myself of all of the calamities I had experienced in 2011. I was ready for a fresh start. I had made it through the week by going home with Connie to Macon for four days after Christmas. Although I felt as though I was running away from my problems, I also knew that …
Posted in JAZZ IN THE GARDENS 2026, In The Spotlight | Leave a commentLION BABE’S JILLIAN HERVEY (Daughter of Vanessa Williams) GRACES COVER OF ESSENCE MAGAZINE
December 11, 2016LION BABE’S JILLIAN HERVEY COVERS ESSENCE MAGAZINE’S JANUARY 2017 ISSUE ISSUE INCLUDES 3 SEPARATE COVERS, INCLUDING ONE WITH HER MOTHER, VANESSA WILLIAMS For sensational singer and actress Vanessa Williams and her gorgeous daughter, Lion Babe’s Jillian Hervey, fierceness runs in the family—but so does staying true to who you are at any age. In the cover story, Vanessa + Jillian, the stunning duo chat with Essence about being in the business, the sacredness of family and loving the skin you’re in. Plus, visit Essence.com to see a bonus solo cover for each star! QUOTES: Vanessa Williams: ON HER UPCOMING “DAYTIME DIVAS” CHARACTER [BASED ON STAR JONES’ BOOK, SATAN’S SISTERS]: “She’s no joke. She’s smart, she’s connected, she’s witty. She’s dynamic. She gets things done. There are a lot of parallels with Star’s life…” KEYS TO HER SUCCESSFUL 30-YEAR CAREER: “When they yell, ‘Cameras ready!’ I am the first one there. The director and producer notice. I take whatever I’m doing seriously…” ON DEALING WITH PAIN: “You have to go through the fire. Avoiding the pain is why most people never resolve it. You have to dig deep, sit in it and ugly-cry. Pretending it’s not there and keeping busy are a way of avoiding it…” Jillian Hervey: ON EMBRACING HER HAIR AT AN EARLY AGE: “Once I claimed my natural hair, I was like, ‘Okay, now I feel much more open to try singing and other ways of performing…’ ON STANDING UP FOR HERSELF…AND HER LOOK [EXCERPT]: “I never saw myself as always having that hair. Ever. That wasn’t the plan. That was the label. They were like, ‘You need the hair, you need the hair, you need the hair!…” When the duo signed to Interscope Records, the label loved her video look so much that it insisted she …
Posted in Music | Leave a commentSTAR on Fox Wednesdays at 9PM
November 30, 2016The debut of FOX’s original series STAR starring Queen Latfah, Lenny Kravitz and Tyrese aired after Empire on Wednesday, December 14th at 9PM with 6.7 million viewers . To kick off 2017 right, STAR returned January 4th. Just in case you missed the early episodes, check out clips from the show along with a few images. Sonya’s Spotlight will update weekly on STAR. #STAR
Posted in In The Spotlight, Sports & Inspiration | Leave a commentHIDDEN FIGURES VIP SCREENING & SOUNDTRACK LISTENING PARTY W/PHARRELL & JANELLE MONAE
November 23, 2016In celebration of HIDDEN FIGURES, celebrities and social influencers attended HIDDEN FIGURES Screening & Soundtrack Listening Party at Means Street Studio in Atlanta hosted by DJ Drama, Don Cannon and DJ Senseon Wednesday, November 16th. The event was attended by celebrities including: Pharrell, Janelle Monae, Usher, Ludacris, Big Krit, DC Young Fly, Jasmine Guy and many more. _________________________________________________________ Janelle Monáe Private Dinner x Spelman College Convocation In celebration of HIDDEN FIGURES, Janelle Monáe hosted a private dinner with Stem Leaders on Tuesday, November 15th in Atlanta at Livingston Restaurant + Bar. Janelle also spoke to students at Spelman Convocation at Spelman College for a special HIDDEN FIGURES Q&A Discussion on Thursday, November 17th. Photo Credit by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for 20th Century Fox #HiddenFigures
Posted in Streaming, In The Spotlight | Leave a commentFENCES starring DENZEL WASHINTON and VIOLA DAVIS in theaters on CHRISTMAS DAY
November 22, 2016FENCES Paramount Studios In Theaters December 25, 2016 Directed By: Denzel Washington Produced By: Todd Black, Scott Rudin, Denzel Washington Written By: August Wilson (screenplay), Executive Producers: Molly Allen, Eli Bush, Jason Cloth, Aaron L. Gilbert, Charles King, Kim Roth Starring: Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Mykelti Williamson, Russel Hornsby & many more. Synopsis: African American father struggles with race relations in the United State while trying to raise his family in the 1950s and coming to term with the events of his life. #FencesMovie
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