Cynthia Erivo To Receive 'Rising Star Award' at the 2020 ABFF Honors

Today, ABFF Ventures announced Cynthia Erivo will receive the "Rising Star Award" at the 2020 ABFF Honors. The fourth annual ceremony, hosted by actor and comedian Deon Cole, will take place on Sunday, February 23, 2020 at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles.

ABFF Honors is the American Black Film Festival's awards season gala dedicated to saluting excellence in the motion picture and television industry. The event celebrates Black culture by paying tribute to individuals who have made significant contributions to American entertainment through their work, as well as those who champion diversity and inclusion in Hollywood. In addition to the acclamations, the show presents a competitive award for "Movie of the Year" and a "Classic Television Award" in recognition of a time-honored series that has made an indelible impact on audiences.

Each year, ABFF Honors presents a "Rising Star Award" in recognition of an individual's recent success and future promise in the film and television industry. Previous recipients have included Tiffany Haddish (Kids Say the Darndest Things), Issa Rae (Insecure) and Ryan Coogler (Black Panther).

Cynthia Erivo is a Tony®, Emmy®, and Grammy® award-winning actress who burst onto West End and Broadway stages in The Color Purple and has taken the big screen by storm. Erivo's film debut was in 2018 in Drew Goddard's Bad Times at the El Royale. She then went on to star as "Belle" in Steve McQueen's drama Widows, opposite Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez and Elizabeth Debicki. Erivo made her Broadway debut reprising her starring role as "Celie", which she first played in 2013 at London's Menier Chocolate Factory, in the critically acclaimed revival of The Color Purple.

Erivo currently stars in Kasi Lemmons' Harriet, bringing the legacy of Harriet Tubman to the big screen. She will soon start production starring as Aretha Franklin in the next installment of the Emmy-winning global anthology series Genius: Aretha. Erivo can next be seen in the HBO series The Outsider, which will premiere on January 12, 2020. Upcoming, Erivo will star alongside Daisy Ridley and David Oyelowo in the highly anticipated sci-fi thriller, Chaos Walking. She will also star in John Ridley's Needle in a Timestack, alongside Orlando Bloom, Freida Pinto and Leslie Odom Jr. In addition, Erivo is set to executive produce and star in Warner Brothers' musical take on the American folk tale "Rip Van Winkle."

"When an artist as talented as Cynthia Erivo shares their gifts with the world, we have to recognize their brilliance. We are delighted to present Ms. Erivo with the 2020 ABFF Honors 'Rising Star Award.' Her versatility and ability to push boundaries is undeniable and deserves to be celebrated," says Nicole Friday, Executive Producer.

The 2020 ABFF Honors is executive produced by ABFF Ventures founder Jeff Friday, Nicole Friday, Suzanne de Passe and Rikki Hughes.

The confirmed sponsors to date include American Airlines, Cadillac, and Hilton (Red Carpet Sponsors); Prudential Financial and Sony Pictures Entertainment (Supporting Sponsors).