The 16th Annual ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards Luncheon took place on March 9, drawing Hollywood’s best and brightest Black professionals to Beverly Hills for a celebratory afternoon honoring the Black women who have shaken up the industry over the past year.
This year’s honorees included Emmy-winning actress Sheryl Lee Ralph, director Gina Prince-Bythewood, Freeform and Onyx Collective Exec Tara Duncan, and actresses Danielle Deadwyler and Dominique Thorne, presented by Quinta Brunson, Viola Davis, Yara Shahidi, Chinonye Chukwu, and Ryan Coogler with Daniel Kaluuya respectively.
The crowd was also treated to a private, stripped-down performance by Chlöe, hitting the stage for a powerhouse vocal performance.
Besides the star-studded stage, the room was filled with Black excellence in entertainment at each of its tables, including star sightings like Marsai Martin, Teyana Taylor, Ruth E. Carter, and Tia and Tamera Mowry, to name a select few.
Take an insider look at the red carpet, backstage, and in-luncheon encounters that punctuated an afternoon of black excellence.
Tia Mowry, Tamera Mowry-Housley
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 09: (L-R) Tia Mowry-Hardrict and Tamera Mowry-Housley attend the 2023 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 09, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Arnold Turner/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
Larenz Tate, Adrian Holmes
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 09: (L-R) Larenz Tate and Adrian Holmes attend the 2023 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 09, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
16th Annual Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 09: Honorees are featured on large covers of ESSENCE during the 2023 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 09, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Arnold Turner/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 09: Daniel Kaluuya speaks onstage during the 2023 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 09, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
Marsai Martin, Kandi Buruss
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 09: (L-R) Marsai Martin and Kandi Burruss attend the 2023 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 09, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
Teyana Taylor, Lena Waithe
Teyana Taylor and Lena Waithe at the Essence 16th Annual Black Women in Hollywood Awards held at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 9, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)
Holly Robinson Peete, Vanessa Bell Calloway, and Gina Prince-Bythewood
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 09: (L-R) Holly Robinson Peete, Vanessa Bell Calloway, and Gina Prince-Bythewood attend the 2023 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 09, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 09: Yara Shahidi speaks onstage during the 2023 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 09, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
Emayatzy Corinealdi, Patina Miller
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 09: (L-R) KiKi Layne and Dominique Thorne attend the 2023 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 09, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
Ryan Destiny, Keith Powers
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 09: Ryan Destiny and Keith Powers attend the 2023 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 09, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Arnold Turner/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
Victoria Rowell, Mona Scott-Young, Sidra Smith, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Tressa Azarel Smallwood, and Yandy Smith-Harris
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 09: (L-R) Victoria Rowell, Mona Scott-Young, Sidra Smith, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Tressa Azarel Smallwood, and Yandy Smith-Harris attend the 2023 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 09, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Arnold Turner/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
Quinta Brunson, Naturi Naughton, and Dominique Thorne
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 09: (L-R) Quinta Brunson, Naturi Naughton, and Dominique Thorne attend the 2023 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 09, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Arnold Turner/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 09: Chlöe performs onstage during the 2023 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 09, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 09: Chlöe performs onstage during the 2023 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 09, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
Elise Neal, Vivica A. Fox, Claudia Jordan
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 09: (L-R) Elise Neal, Vivica A. Fox, and Claudia Jordan attend the 2023 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 09, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Arnold Turner/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
Amber Riley, Mona Scott-Young
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 09: Amber Riley and Mona Scott Young attend the 2023 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 09, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Arnold Turner/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
Dominique Thorne, Ryan Coogler
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 09: (L-R) Dominique Thorne and Ryan Coogler attend Essence 16th Annual Black Women in Hollywood Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 09, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by JC Olivera/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images)
Daniel Kaluyya, Ruth E. Carter
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 09: (L-R) Daniel Kaluuya and Ruth E. Carter attend Essence 16th Annual Black Women in Hollywood Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 09, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by JC Olivera/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 09: Quinta Brunson speaks onstage during the 2023 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 09, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
Sheryl Lee Ralph, Quinta Brunson
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 09: (L-R) Honoree Sheryl Lee Ralph accepts an award from Quinta Brunson onstage during the 2023 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 09, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 09: Chinonye Chukwu speaks onstage during the 2023 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 09, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
Ryan Coogler, Daniel Kaluyya
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 09: (L-R) Ryan Coogler and Daniel Kaluuya attend the 2023 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 09, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 09: Host Boris Kodjoe speaks onstage during the 2023 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 09, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
Quinta Brunson, Sheryl Lee Ralph
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 09: (L-R) Quinta Brunson and Sheryl Lee Ralph attend the 2023 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 09, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
Kellee Stewart, Niecy Nash-Betts
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 09: (L-R) Kellee Stewart
and Niecy Nash-Betts attend the 2023 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 09, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Arnold Turner/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
Viola Davis, Chloe Bailey
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 09: (L-R) Viola Davis and Chlöe attends the 2023 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 09, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Robin L Marshall/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
