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All Def Movie Awards Honor ‘Uncelebrated’ Talent Of Black Hollywood

By Ny MaGee
Published on: 15:52 PST, Feb 28, 2016

In response to #OscarsSoWhite, Russell Simmons launched the All Def Movie Awards to celebrate diversity in motion picture. While the 88th Academy Awards was airing on ABC, Fusion aired a one-hour TV special of the ceremony. Hosted by Tony Rock, brother of Oscars host Chris Rock, the All Def Movie awards included Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Bad Muh F–ka and Best Black Survivor in a Movie. The event featured a Black Carpet for celebrity presenters, arrivals and VIP guests.

Some of the guests that attended the ceremony were Tyrese Gibson, Nick Cannon, Terry Crews, Marlon Wayans, Vivica A. Fox, Eva Marcelle, Sannaa Lathan, Snoop Dogg, Robert Townsend, Michael Ealy, Gary Owen, and Jerrod Carmichael. Simmons inked a five-year deal with Fusion to air the awards, and the network made the decision to air it opposite the Oscars. The ADMA Awards will replay on Fusion’s cable network and stream on Fusion.net, YouTube, Facebook, Apple TV, and Roku.

“The All Def Movie Awards are meant to fill a generational and cultural void–just as the MTV Movie Awards did,” Sanjay Sharma, President and CEO of ADD said. “FUSION is the perfect partner to celebrate the uncelebrated, and use comedy to encourage honest dialogue and action.”

“It’s not about winning, it’s about celebrating,” Ice Cube said as he accepted the first Best Picture All Def Movie Award for Straight Outta Compton.

“I don’t expect a 90-year-old Academy member to see ‘Straight Outta Compton’ or vote for it. I’m more concerned that in 2016 there continues to be a stunning lack of diversity in the studios, in the green light process, in the decisions of what films and television series get made, and what actors get chosen. This needs to be addressed institutionally,” Russell Simmons, founder and chairman of All Def Digital, said in a statement. “The All Def Movie Awards are not the Black Oscars, but they could be. This will be a fun, entertaining and hopefully thought-provoking celebration of the uncelebrated.”

The Most Quoted Movie went to Friday. Best Helpful White Person went to Christoph Waltz, and Most Likely to Steal Your Girl went to stripper-turned-activist Amber Rose.

Best Actor went to Michael B. Jordan for his performance in Creed, Best Actress went to Sanaa Lathan for The Perfect Guy. Will Smith and Norman Lear were honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Vanguard Award, respectively.

All honorees and award winners were given golden statues called “The Goldie,” inspired by the 1973 film The Mack. Ice Cube posted his trophy on Twitter.

“Four weeks ago, this was an idea. In 10 days, the real thing has come together,” said Sharma. “We’re a multiplatform company. We’re nimble in our DNA. We took the franchise in comedy that we built; we noticed it was all right there in front of us, like the end of ‘The Usual Suspects.’ We thought, ‘Why don’t we take the opportunity to turn this event that’s near the Oscars and hosted by Tony Rock?'”

“This is not a shot at the Oscars,” Rock started the show saying. “This is just our awards show done our way. Everything’s better when we add our flavor on it.”

Meanwhile, E! Online reports that Tony’s brother Chris held nothing back when it came to addressing the #OscarsSoWhite controversy during his opening Oscar monologue Sunday night. The comedian took a jab at Jada Pinkett Smith and others who opted to boycott the ceremony, noting how a lack of diversity among nominees has been a problem long before this year’s show.

“What happened this year? People went nuts. Spike [Lee] got mad. Jada went mad. Will [Smith] went mad. Everyone went mad!” Chris Rock said about all the celebs wanting to protest the Oscars. “Jada said she’s not coming. I was like, ‘isn’t she on TV show?’ Jada’s gonna boycott the Oscars? Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna’s panties. I wasn’t invited!”

The All Def Movie Awards taped in Los Angeles last week, and the public was allowed to vote online for two categories (Best Picture and Most Quoted Movie). The annual event promises to be “a celebration of people who otherwise would not be celebrated.”

The 2016 ADMA winners are as follows: (via Variety)

Best Picture
Straight Outta Compton
Accepted by Ice Cube and O’Shea Jackson

Best Helpful White Person
Christoph Waltz
Presented by Snoop Dogg and accepted by Robin Thicke

Best Bad Muh F–ka Award
Denzel Washington
Presented by Terry Crews

Vanguard Award
Norman Lear
Presented by Jerrod Carmichael

Most Quoted Movie
Friday
Presented to Ice Cube

Lifetime Achievement Award
Will Smith
Presented by Tyrese Gibson

Best Black Survivor in a Movie
Ice Cube as Danny Rich in Anaconda
presented by Gary Owen

Most Likely to Steal Your Girl Award
Amber Rose

Best Actress
Sanaa Nathan
The Perfect Guy

Best Actor
Michael B. Jordan
Creed

Best Director
Ryan Coogler
Creed

[Images courtesy Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP]

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