Angela Bassett to Receive 'Excellence in the Arts Award' at ABFF Honors

Actress, director, and executive producer Angela Bassett will receive the Excellence in the Arts Award from The 8th American Black Film Festival (ABFF) Honors. Presented by NICE CROWD, the 2026 ABFF Honors will take place on Monday, February 16 at the SLS hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. 

The ABFF Honors Excellence in the Arts Award recognizes a highly acclaimed artist for their body of work and distinguished career achievements.

As previously announced, the evening will also honor Dwayne Johnson with the  Entertainment Icon Award, 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.

In addition, ABFF Honors will pay special tribute to the creative team behind the motion picture Sinners, the cinematic achievement from 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. 

“Angela Bassett is the embodiment of excellence,” said NICE CROWD CEO and President Jeff Friday and Nicole Friday. “Her body of work is both extraordinary and enduring, defined by performances that are fearless, powerful, and deeply human. She has set a standard for artistic integrity and cultural impact that continues to inspire generations, and we are honored to celebrate her remarkable career with the Excellence in the Arts Award.”

Angela Bassett is an Honorary Oscar recipient and Emmy Award–winning actress, director, and executive producer whose career spans decades of iconic, culture-shaping performances. Her film work includes Malcolm X, Waiting to Exhale, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, What’s Love Got to Do With It—which earned her an Academy Award nomination—Black Panther, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Mission: Impossible – Fallout, Damsel, and Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. Bassett’s return as Queen Ramonda in Wakanda Forever earned her Golden Globe and Critics Choice Awards, along with Academy Award, SAG, and BAFTA nominations, and the Variety Creative Impact in Acting Award.

On television, Bassett stars in and executive produces ABC’s hit drama 9-1-1 and won her first Emmy for Outstanding Narrator for the NatGeo docu-series Queens. She has been named to the TIME 100 and TIME Women of the Year, and her honors include multiple Emmy nominations, a SAG Award, two Golden Globes, 16 NAACP Image Awards, the BLACK GIRLS ROCK! Icon Award, Critics Choice Career Achievement Award, AAFCA TV Honor, and Glamour’s Women of the Year Award.

A Disney Legend, Bassett also directs and produces through Bassett Vance Productions, which is partnered with 20th Television. A graduate of Yale University, where she earned both her B.A. and M.F.A., she has received multiple honorary doctorates in recognition of her enduring impact on film, television, and culture.

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. 

Photo Credit: DAndre Michael