Photos: Jon M. Chu, Jennifer Hudson, & More Attend ABFF Honors Gala

On Monday, February 16, 2026, Jon M. Chu, Keke Palmer, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Jennifer Hudson, and more gathered at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills for the 10th ABFF Honors, the American Black Film Festival’s annual awards season gala dedicated to recognizing excellence in the motion picture and television industry.

Honorees this year included Dwayne Johnson, who received the Entertainment Icon Award, Angela Bassett who recieved the Excellence in the Arts Award, Jennifer Hudson who received the Renaissance Award, Damson Idris who received the Horizon Award, Salli Richardson-Whitfield who received the Evolution Award and a special tribute for the Creative Team Behind Sinners, including Ryan Coogler, Zinzi Coogler, and Sev Ohanian.

Presenters included Chu, Palmer, Ralph, Jerry Bruckheimer, Mario Van Peebles, Michael B. Jordan, and Wunmi Mosaku. Comedian KevOnStage served as the host. Check out photos from the event below.

Founded in 2016, ABFF Honors 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 Financial (Presenting), Sony Pictures Entertainment, Andscape, Amazon, Amazon MGM Studios (Silver), Morgan Stanley Global Sports & Entertainment, HBO Max, Warner Bros. Television Group, Warner Bros. Pictures (Bronze), SLS Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Beverly Hills (Contributing), and Variety (Media).

Photo Credit Kelvin Bulluck/Aaron J. Thornton /ABFF