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← Older posts Newer posts →Trumpet Awards 2016 – Celebs Share Moments Via Instagram
January 25, 2016In spite of a wintry mix in Atlanta earlier in the day, the 24th Annual Trumpet Awards hosted by “The Best Man” and ABC sitcom “Uncle Buck” actress Nia Long and “Think Like A Man Too” and “The Perfect Match” star Terrence J. brought out the who’s who in the areas of religion, politics, public service, law, entrepreneurialism, and entertainment to the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta on Saturday, January 23. Honorees, performers and presenters included Ne-Yo, Will Packer, Salt-N-Pepa, George Wallace, the African American Women in the United States Congress, Regina Hall, Bryshere “Yazz” Gray, MC Lyte, Tatyana Ali, Michael Ely and Andra Day, among many others. The Annual Trumpet Awards was created to celebrate and honor African American achievers and those who support the African American experience. The Awards honor accomplishments in diverse fields including law, medicine, business, politics, the Arts, civil rights, sports, entrepreneurship and entertainment. Enjoy a few Instagram posts shared by attendees below. More Trumpet Award Photos STAY TUNED FOR MORE PHOTOS
Posted in In The Spotlight, 57th NAACP Image Awards | Leave a commentSaints & Sinners to Premiere March 6 on Bounce TV
January 15, 2016Vanessa Bell Calloway, Clifton Powell, Gloria Reuben, Keith Robinson, Christian Keyes, Richard Lawson, Jasmine Burke and More Cast in Bounce TV’s First Original Dramatic Series Saints & Sinners Production Underway in Atlanta, Series Premiere Set for Sun. March 6 at 9:00 p.m. (ET) Following the success of scripted comedy series, Bounce TV — the nation’s first and only broadcast television network designed for African-American (AA) audiences and TV’s fastest-growing AA network — is expanding into hour-long drama with Saints & Sinners, which will center around the pursuit of power, intertwined with deceit, greed, corruption and murder – all set against the backdrop of a large southern church. Bounce TV today announced the leading cast of the series and that the eight-episode first season of Saints & Sinners will be seen Sunday nights at 9:00 p.m. (ET) starting March 6. The show is currently in production in and around Atlanta, GA. Greater Hope Baptist Church is the heartbeat of Cypress, GA a southern town outside Atlanta which evolved into a city over the years. The church began as a 10-member congregation when the Civil Rights Movement was at its height and being young, black and alone at night was a hazard of circumstance. As times changed, the congregation grew and so did its influence in Cypress. When a violent murder rocks the community, the church that holds the secrets of the entire town is at risk of imploding. For it seems at Greater Hope, only God and the Devil can tell the difference between a saint and a sinner. BEHIND-THE-SCENES PHOTOS Gloria Reuben as Mayor Pamela Clayborne. David Banner as Pastor Darryl Greene. Jasmine Burke (left) as Dr. Christie Johnson and Vanessa Bell Calloway as Lady Ella. Gloria Reuben as Mayor Pamela Clayborne and Richard Dawson (right) as Pastor Evan Johnson. Afemo Omilami (center) as …
Posted in TV | Leave a commentATLANTA ADVANCE SCREENING OF OF RIDE ALONG 2
January 14, 2016Universal Pictures hosted an advance screening of the highly anticipated new sequel, RIDE ALONG 2, on Wednesday, January 13th at Regal Atlantic Station in Atlanta, with a special introduction by cast members TIKA SUMPTER, SHERRI SHEPHERD and PRODUCER WILL PACKER. The screening was well attended by Atlanta’s top influencers including: Mayor Kasim Reed Councilman Kwanza Hall Porsha Williams (Bravo’s Real Housewives of Atlanta and DISH Nation) Shamea Morton (Bravo’s Real Housewives of Atlanta) Mama Joyce & Aunt Bertha (Bravo’s Real Housewives of Atlanta) Demetria McKinney (Bravo’s Real Housewives of Atlanta) Roger Bobb(Producer) Stevie J (VH1’s Love & Hip Hop Atlanta) Egypt Sherrod (HGTV’s Flipping Virgins) Monyetta Shaw (VH1’s Hollywood Exes) Rock City a.k.a. R. City (Music Duo) Polow Da Don (Music Producer) Iman Benson (ABC’s Uncle Buck) Rodney Perry (Comedian) Rickey Smiley (The Rickey Smiley Morning Show/DISH Nation & TV One’s Rickey Smiley For Real) Gary With Da Tea (The Rickey Smiley Morning Show and DISH Nation) Headkrack (The Rickey Smiley Morning Show and DISH Nation) Wanda Smith (V-103’s The Ryan Cameron Morning Show with Wanda Smith) Check out the photos from the Atlanta screening below: Photos by Paras Griffin for Getty for Universal Pictures #RideAlong2
Posted in MOTIVATION, In The Spotlight | Leave a commentRIDE ALONG 2 In Theaters January 15
January 11, 2016Synopsis: Kevin Hart and Ice Cube lead the returning lineup of Ride Along 2, the sequel to the blockbuster action-comedy that gave us the year’s most popular comedy duo. As his wedding day approaches, Ben (Kevin Hart) heads to Miami with his soon-to-be brother-in-law James (Ice Cube) to bring down a drug dealer who’s supplying the dealers of Atlanta with product. Official Site: www.ridealong.com Cast: Ice Cube, Kevin Hart, Tika Sumpter, Benjamin Bratt, Ken Jeong, Olivia Munn Director: Tim Story VIEW PHOTOS FROM ATLANTA ADVANCE SCREENING OF RIDE ALONG 2 by clicking link below : http://sonyasspotlight.com/atlanta-advance-screening-of-of-ride-along-2/
Posted in Cinema | Leave a comment32nd Annual UNCF Mayor’s Masked Ball – Atlanta’s Holiday Soirée
December 22, 2015The 32nd Annual UNCF Mayor’s Masked Ball brought out A-list celebrities, dignitaries, civic and elected officials at the Marriott Marquis Atlanta Hotel, Saturday, December 19, 2015. Highlights of the annual fundraising gala and premier social event of the holiday season included a VIP Masked Award Reception, Silent Holiday Auction, Red Carpet Parade of Stars and Dignitaries, Elegant Dining, Parade of Masks, Dancing and Live entertainment by Johnny Gill. PHOTOS by Johnathan Marshall Captions Being Updated. Check back. About UNCF UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students’ education and development through scholarships and other programs, strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 20 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 900 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized motto, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”® Learn more at www.UNCF.org.
Posted in MOTIVATION, Photos, In The Spotlight | Leave a commentGrammy Nominated Singer Johnny Gill to Perform at UNCF Mayor’s Masked Ball in Atlanta
December 10, 2015Four-time Grammy nominated R&B recording artist Johnny Gill will provide live entertainment for the 32nd Annual UNCF Mayor’s Masked Ball on Saturday, December 19, 2015 at the Marriott Marquis Atlanta Hotel. The annual fundraising gala and premier social event of the holiday season will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a VIP Masked Award Reception, Silent Holiday Auction, Red Carpet Parade of Stars and Dignitaries, Elegant Dining, Parade of Masks, Dancing and Live entertainment by Johnny Gill. Started by Billye Aaron along with former Mayor Andrew Young in 1983, the Ball is hosted by the city’s current Mayor and is largely supported by local corporate and civic entities. A much anticipated holiday event that raises unrestricted dollars for UNCF’s support for local students, the Ball attracts a diverse array of attendees from across the area, including local celebrities, dignitaries, civic and elected officials. Johnny Gill’s new album, Game Changer, was released on his label, J Skillz Records in partnership with Caroline Music/Capitol Records. Game Changer features songs produced by GRAMMY®Award-winners Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Tony Dixon, Chuck Harmony, Claude Kelly, and Vidal Davis. The first single, “Behind Closed Doors,” peaked at No. 6 on Billboard’s Urban Adult Contemporary charts. His latest single, “Game Changer,” produced by Baby face and includes additional songwriting by Anthony Hamilton, is quickly risingup the charts, currently on Billboard’s Top 20. As a musician, songwriter and singer and member of R&B groups New Edition and LSG along with Keith Sweat and the late Gerald Levert, Washington, D.C. born Gill is perhaps best celebrated for his self-titled 1990 Motown album produced by mega producing duos LA Reid and Baby Face and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis that delivered hits like “My My My” and “Rub You The Right Way” and reached #1 on the top 100 R & B …
Posted in MOTIVATION | Leave a commentTHE HATEFUL EIGHT in theater December 25th (Christmas Day!)
December 8, 2015SYNOPSIS: In THE HATEFUL EIGHT, set six or eight or twelve years after the Civil War, a stagecoach hurtles through the wintry Wyoming landscape. The passengers, bounty hunter John Ruth (Russell) and his fugitive Daisy Domergue (Leigh), race towards the town of Red Rock where Ruth, known in these parts as “The Hangman,” will bring Domergue to justice. Along the road, they encounter two strangers: Major Marquis Warren (Jackson), a black former union soldier turned infamous bounty hunter, and Chris Mannix (Goggins), a southern renegade who claims to be the town’s new Sheriff. Losing their lead on the blizzard, Ruth, Domergue, Warren and Mannix seek refuge at Minnie’s Haberdashery, a stagecoach stopover on a mountain pass. When they arrive at Minnie’s, they are greeted not by the proprietor but by four unfamiliar faces. Bob (Bichir), who’s taking care of Minnie’s while she’s visiting her mother, is holed up with Oswaldo Mobray (Roth), the hangman of Red Rock, cow-puncher Joe Gage (Madsen), and Confederate General Sanford Smithers (Dern). As the storm overtakes the mountainside stopover, our eight travelers come to learn they may not make it to Red Rock after all… THE HATEFUL EIGHT marks a continuation of the long-standing relationship between the celebrated filmmaker and the Weinsteins, who have collaborated on all of Tarantino’s films from RESERVOIR DOGS through DJANGO UNCHAINED. The lead cast for THE HATEFUL EIGHT will include: Samuel L. Jackson (DJANGO UNCHAINED), Kurt Russell (ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK), Jennifer Jason Leigh (MRS. PARKER AND THE VICIOUS CIRCLE), Walton Goggins (Justified), Demian Bichir (A BETTER LIFE), Tim Roth (RESERVOIR DOGS), Michael Madsen (RESERVOIR DOGS), and Bruce Dern (NEBRASKA). Written and directed by Tarantino, THE HATEFUL EIGHT is produced by Richard N. Gladstein, Stacey Sher and Shannon McIntosh. Harvey Weinstein, Bob Weinstein and Georgia Kacandes are executive producing, and …
Posted in Movie News | Leave a commentKendrick Lamar Tops Grammy Nominations
December 8, 2015The awards show will air on CBS on Monday, Feb. 15, 2016 The nominations for the 58th annual Grammy Awards were announced on Monday morning. Kendrick Lamar scored a leading 11 nominations, with Taylor Swift and The Weeknd each earning seven nominations. Drake scored five nominations. Lamar, Swift and The Weeknd will face off in the category of album of the year, going up against Alabama Shakes and Chris Stapleton. Swift’s “Blank Space” is also up for record of the year, as is The Weeknd’s “Can’t Feel My Face.” They’re up against D’Angelo and the Vanguard’s “Really Love”; “Uptown Funk,” from Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars; and Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud.” Lamar and Swift will also vie for the song of the year Grammy, with Lamar’s “Alright” going up against Swift’s “Blank Space.” Other nominees in the category, which awards the songwriter, are Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush,” Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth’s “See You Again” and Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud.” The best new artist nominees are Courtney Barnett, James Bay, Sam Hunt, Tori Kelly and Meghan Trainor. Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth’s Furious 7 soundtrack hit “See You Again” scored three nominations, including ones for song of the year, best pop duo/group performance and best song written for visual media. Two songs from the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack — Ellie Goulding’s “Love Me Like You Do” and The Weeknd’s “Earned It” — also scored multiple nominations. “Love Me Like You Do” is up for best pop solo performance and best song written for visual media. “Earned It” is up for best R&B performance, best R&B song and best song written for visual media. Meanwhile, Dr. Dre’s Straight Outta Compton-inspired release Compton is up for best rap album. The best song written for visual media category includes a number …
Posted in In The Spotlight, 57th NAACP Image Awards | Leave a comment47TH NAACP Image Awards to Air LIVE on Friday, February 5, 2016 on TV One
December 8, 2015The nominees for the 47th NAACP Image Awards were announced December 8 during a press conference from The Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills, CA. The categories and nominees were announced by Guillermo Díaz (Scandal), Tika Sumpter (The Haves and the Have Nots), Danielle Nicolet (Born Again Virgin), Marsai Martin (Black-ish), and Miles Brown (Black-ish). In addition, the event was live streamed and special commentary was provided by Nischelle Turner (Entertainment Tonight). The NAACP Image Awards celebrates the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature and film and also honors individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors. Winners will be announced during the two-hour star-studded event, which will broadcast LIVE on TV ONE on Friday, February 5, 2016 at 9pm/8c as a two-hour special. A one-hour pre-show will air live from the red carpet at 8pm/7c. “The Image Awards celebrates individuals who model principles of hard work, perseverance, and community empowerment and with the announcement of this year’s nominees the NAACP continues to spotlight the achievements of those in our community,” stated Roslyn M. Brock, Chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors. “We have enjoyed a great collaboration with TV One and look forward to working with them again this year to create a memorable evening of entertainment.” “The NAACP Image Awards has become more than just a ceremony, but an institution for artists and social justice warriors of color to be recognized and celebrated,” stated Cornell William Brooks, President and CEO, NAACP. “As the Image Awards continues to grow and evolve, the principles of social justice will remain at its core.” ABC and BET lead the nominees in the TV categories with 28 and 13 nominations respectively, followed by FOX with 12. In the recording category, Columbia Records leads with 10 nominations, …
Posted in In The Spotlight | Leave a commentConcussion In Theaters Christmas Day
December 7, 2015Will Smith stars in Concussion, a dramatic thriller based on the incredible true David vs. Goliath story of American immigrant Dr. Bennet Omalu, the brilliant forensic neuropathologist who made the first discovery of CTE, a football-related brain trauma, in a pro player and fought for the truth to be known. Omalu’s emotional quest puts him at dangerous odds with one of the most powerful institutions in the world. In Pittsburgh, accomplished pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu uncovers the truth about brain damage in football players who suffer repeated concussions in the course of normal play. Director:Peter Landesman Writers:Peter Landesman, Jeanne Marie Laskas (GQ article “Game Brain”) Stars: Will Smith, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Alec Baldwin | See full cast and crew Source: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3322364/plotsummary
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