The 8th American Black Film Festival (ABFF) Honors announced today that actor and producer Dwayne Johnson will receive the Entertainment Icon Award. Presented by NICE CROWD, the 2026 ABFF Honorswill take place on Monday, February 16 at the SLS hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. The intimate, non-televised dinner will bring together ABFF honorees and festival partners.
The ABFF Honors Entertainment Icon Award is presented to a multitalented artist in recognition of groundbreaking commercial success in multiple entertainment disciplines including television, film, and live performance.
As previously announced, the evening will honor powerhouse talent Jennifer Hudson, host of The Jennifer Hudson Show with the Renaissance Award, trailblazing director and executive producer Salli Richardson-Whitfield with the Evolution Award, and critically acclaimed actor Damson Idris with the Horizon Award.
ABFF Honors will also pay a special tribute to the creative team behind the motion picture Sinners — the extraordinary cinematic achievement from acclaimed filmmakers Ryan Coogler, Zinzi Coogler, and Sev Ohanian, starring Michael B. Jordan. The event will be hosted by New York Times best-selling author and award-winning comedian KevOnStage.
“Dwayne Johnson is the very definition of an entertainment icon,” said NICE CROWD CEO and President Jeff Friday and Nicole Friday. “From his trailblazing career in sports entertainment to his extraordinary success in film and television, he has become one of the most influential and beloved figures in global culture. His journey embodies the power of perseverance, authenticity, and charisma — values that reflect the spirit of ABFF. We are thrilled to honor him with this year’s Entertainment Icon Award and to celebrate his incredible contributions to the world of entertainment.”
Dwayne Johnson is an actor, producer, entrepreneur, and one of the most influential global entertainers of the 21st century, with his films surpassing $14 billion at the worldwide box office. Through Seven Bucks Productions, he stars in and produced A24’s The Smashing Machine, and is currently filming the next installment of the Jumanjifranchise and will soon be seen in Disney’s Moana Live Action. Up next, he’ll reunite with Benny Safdie for Lizard Music, and will star in and produce Martin Scorsese’s Hawaii-set crime drama with Leonardo DiCaprio and Emily Blunt, drawn from a book Johnson is co-authoring about Wilford “Nappy” Pulawa, the first and only Hawaiian mob boss. Additional upcoming projects include A24 and Darren Aronofsky’s psychological thriller Breakthrough. Johnson’s most celebrated roles include Luke Hobbs in the Fast & Furiousfranchise and Maui in Disney’s Moana and Moana 2, with the latter surpassing $1B globally.
ABFF Honors is the American Black Film Festival’s annual awards season gala dedicated to recognizing excellence in the motion picture and television industry. Founded in 2016, the ceremony pays tribute to Black artists who have made significant contributions to American entertainment through their work as well as those who champion diversity and inclusion in Hollywood.
ABFF Honors stems from the American Black Film Festival (ABFF), founded by Jeff Friday in 1997, the leading festival of its kind showcasing Black storytelling. Since its inception, the ABFF has been dedicated to supporting Friday’s conviction that Black artists deserve the same opportunities as their mainstream counterparts. Having premiered the work and encouraged the careers of many of today’s most successful filmmakers and actors, the ABFF has become the standard-bearer of excellence for Black American creativity.
ABFF Honors is executive produced by Jeff Friday, Nicole Friday (NICE CROWD) and Rikki Hughes (Magic Lemonade) in association with dePasse Jones Entertainment. Sponsors for the event to date include: Ally (Presenting), and Sony Pictures Entertainment (Supporting), and SLS Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Beverly Hills(Contributing).
For more information about ABFF Honors visit www.abffhonors.com.
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Source: ameyawdebrah.com/
