The magazine hosted its 10th annual Black Women in Hollywood awards on February 23 at the Beverly Wilshire. Intended to honor and celebrate Hollywood's most impactful African-American women, this year's honorees included Janelle Monáe, Issa Rae, Aja Naomi King, and Yara Shahidi. The full gala will be televised on March 5 on OWN.
Essence's Candace Montgomery and Agenc’s Cara Kleinhaut—who have been working together since the event's inception—transformed the awards from a daytime luncheon to an evening gala for the first time this year. “Moving to the evening and making it black-tie … allowed an instant elevation to the event,” said Montgomery. “Time will tell whether or not this will remain an evening event.”
Show development and production—including the overall design and fabrication as well as the eye-catching stage backdrop and set design—was also handled by AgenC in partnership with the Essence event team.
In the main ballroom, the focal point was artwork from visual artist and filmmaker Mickalene Thomas, which flanked each side of the stage. “Integrating Mickalene Thomas was a career high for me because her work celebrates, highlights, and empowers women,” said Montgomery. “She agreed to work with us between museum installations and her busy schedule. It's a testament to how far the event has come and the excitement it attracts.”
In addition, large floral centerpieces were created by R. Jack Balthazar, and dinner was catered by the Beverly Wilshire.
Another new aspect to the Essence awards was a Facebook Live stream of the red carpet, as well as a new Snapchat Discover partnership where fans could follow along live. Agenc and the Essence event team created a teal-colored step-and-repeat adorned with stars, which added a glamorous effect to the arrivals area.
“[We wanted to] put women first throughout every element,” said Montgomery. “Yes, the event and the brand are built on celebrating women, but my goal was to also focus on the production elements being female-first as well—kind of like Beyoncé's all-girl band."
The third annual Toast to the Arts, an intimate dinner hosted by rapper and actor Common, was held on February 24 at Ysabel restaurant in West Hollywood. The evening honored filmmakers Ava DuVernay, Barry Jenkins, Raoul Peck, and Ezra Edelman.
As guests arrived at the restaurant, they were greeted by a custom floral wall designed by Massah David, a partner at MVD Inc. The wall was built by Step and Repeat L.A.
