Meet The Honorees Of The 2017 Black Women In Hollywood Awards

This year, ESSENCE magazine is celebrating its 10th annual Black Women In Hollywood Awards ceremony. The women's magazine announced today that, in celebration of this milestone in the event’s history, they are changing the format from a luncheon to an evening gala. Gabrielle Union is hosting. This basically sounds like the most lit event in the entire awards season. ESSENCE also announced this year’s honorees and it is basically my Black Girl Dream Team fantasy league picks. Aja Naomi King, who plays the overachieving Michaela Pratt in How to Get Away with Murder; Yara Shahidi, who is looking at her own Blackish spinoff; Issa Rae, who brought us the highs (fashion, music, and some amazing sex scenes) and lows (#Lawrencehive) of HBO’s Insecure; and Janelle Monae, who, through Moonlight and Hidden Figures, is proving that she is just as good of an actress as she is a singer, are all being honored at this year’s event. These are the accolades we have been waiting for. Vanessa K. De Luca, editor-in-chief of ESSENCE, says that this year’s awards “will honor the future of Hollywood and its continued steps on the path to inclusion.” These honorees are definitely trailblazers.