Hollywood Unlocked and its CEO and Founder Jason Lee hosted the 2023 Impact Awards last nights in Los Angeles, honoring role models, celebrities, and icons who have had a lasting impact on culture.
The ceremony began with a captivating performance by Grammy-nominated singer Chanté Moore, followed by remarks from actress and comedian Tiffany Haddish, who returned as host for the second year.
Evan Ross presented the first Impact Awards honor, detailing accolades for the Community Award to Catherine Brewton, Vice President of Creative at Broadcast Music, Inc.
Tiffany Haddish presented Image Architect Law Roach with the Innovator Award, which was followed by a sultry performance by R&B singer Muni Long, who sang her hit “Hrs & Hrs.”
Law Roach With The Innovator Award| Getty for Hollywood Unlocked Impact Awards
Chlöe Bailey was presented with the Fearlessness Award by actor Sarunas Jackson.
Later, a recorded speech from Vice President Kamala Harris was played in which she thanked Jason Lee for his work in advancing and protecting the culture through the Impact Awards, which honor leaders who shape our culture and our future.
Grammy-winning singer Macy Gray read a recorded acceptance speech from Whoopi Goldberg, who received the Social Impact award, and was followed by Tyrese Gibson, who presented the Icon Award to Babyface, a 12x Grammy award-winning singer, songwriter, and producer.
BABYFACE with Icon Award | Getty for Hollywood Unlocked Impact Awards
Chrisean Rock surprised the audience by performing “Vibe.” In honor of Hip Hop’s 50th anniversary, rapper Joyner Lucas presented the Culture Award to the influential late rapper Tupac, who was accepted on his behalf by his sister Sekyiwa ‘Set’ Shakur, who stated, “A voice for the culture is not just a trend, but a call to action.”
Jonathan McReynolds, a Grammy-winning gospel singer, closed the show with a performance before Jason Lee joined Tiffany Haddish to say goodnight and thank the audience.
The official launch of Jason Lee’s Hollywood Cares Foundation, which aims to provide resources and assistance to communities in need, with a particular focus on youth services, was a highlight of the evening.
The foundation raised more than $100,000, beginning with a large check presented by Deion Taylor on behalf of Robert F. Smith and Hidden Empire, and continuing with a contribution from the Black Lives Matter Global Foundation.
Chloe Bailey and Halle Bailey at the Hollywood Unlocked Impact Awards | Getty for Hollywood Unlocked Impact AwardsJason Lee and Floyd Mayweather | Getty for Hollywood Unlocked Impact Awards
Halle Bailey, Yvette Nicole Brown, Law Roach, Fat Joe, Floyd Mayweather, Eric Bellinger, Chrisean Rock, and Michael Blackson were also among the notable guests.
Season two of KENDRA SELLS HOLLYWOOD will premiere on Max on MAY 26th.
The six-episode season will begin with two episodes and continue with two episodes every week until June 9. The entire first season, which first aired on Discovery+, will be available on Max on May 23.
Kendra Wilkinson has returned, and the stakes are higher than ever. With a six-figure quota looming over her head, Kendra must go above and beyond to secure her spot on the team and demonstrate her ability to sell some of LA’s most exclusive real estate.
Joshua Ackerman, Benjamin Nurick, Sara Quick, and Andy McEntee executive produce KENDRA SELLS HOLLYWOOD, which is produced by Bodega Pictures.
Disney+ released photos from tonight’s special launch event in Hollywood for Season 3 of “The Mandalorian.”
The series stars Pedro Pascal, Katee Sackhoff, Carl Weathers, Emily Swallow, Amy Sedaris, Giancarlo Esposito, Omid Abtahi, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Katy O’Brian, and Tait Fletcher, got joined by showrunner/executive producer Jon Favreau, executive producers Dave Filoni, Colin Wilson and Rick Famuyiwa, who also directs, director Peter Ramsey and composer Ludwig Göransson for a walk down the red carpet at the gala event.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 28: Emily Swallow attends the Mandalorian special launch event at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on February 28, 2023. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 28: Carl Weathers attends the Mandalorian special launch event at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on February 28, 2023. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 28: Pedro Pascal attends the Mandalorian special launch event at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on February 28, 2023. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 28: Katee Sackhoff attends the Mandalorian special launch event at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on February 28, 2023. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 28: Katy M. O’Brian attends the Mandalorian special launch event at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on February 28, 2023. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 28: Helen Sadler attends the Mandalorian special launch event at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on February 28, 2023. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 28: (L-R) Sarath Ton and Mercedes Varnado attend the Mandalorian special launch event at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on February 28, 2023. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 28: Danielle Jalade attends the Mandalorian special launch event at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on February 28, 2023. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 28: Rosario Dawson attends the Mandalorian special launch event at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on February 28, 2023. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)
The first episode of the third season of the Emmy®-award winning original series from Lucasfilm premieres tomorrow, March 1st, exclusively on Disney+.
The journeys of the Mandalorian through the Star Wars galaxy continue. Once a lone bounty hunter, Din Djarin has reunited with Grogu. Meanwhile, the New Republic struggles to lead the galaxy away from its dark history.
The Mandalorian will cross paths with old allies and make new enemies as he and Grogu continue their journey together.
The series stars Pedro Pascal, Katee Sackhoff, Carl Weathers, Amy Sedaris, Emily Swallow, and Giancarlo Esposito.
The directors of the eight-episode Season 3 include Rick Famuyiwa, Rachel Morrison, Lee Isaac Chung, Carl Weathers, Peter Ramsey, and Bryce Dallas Howard.
Jon Favreau is the showrunner/head writer and serves as an executive producer, along with Dave Filoni, Kathleen Kennedy, Colin Wilson, and Rick Famuyiwa. Karen Gilchrist and Carrie Beck are co-executive producers.
Hollywood Unlocked Inc., the Black-owned news content platform offering the latest articles and insights on the world of Hollywood, founded by culture critic and media mogul Jason Lee, announced today that it raised approximately $1.7 million in seed investments, the most recent of which values the company at more than $50 million. Investors in the entertainment platform include Hidden Empire Film Group, owned by Hollywood prolific filmmaking team Deon Taylor and Roxanne Avent-Taylor, Brown Venture Group, which invests exclusively in minority-led technology companies and Black Capital, a Black-owned venture fund managed by former Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson. Other institutional investors include Bracket Capital and Intuition Capital.
Capital raised is ear-marked for further development of Hollywood Unlocked’s technology platform, business expansion, and operations. With substantial growth in viewership across platforms and the launch of an in-house studio space that will produce a new streaming talk show, “The Jason Lee Show,” Hollywood Unlocked is gearing up for further expansion planned for later this year within the following key areas:
Education: Launching Millionaire Media Unlocked, an online course in which Jason Lee reveals his blueprint for building successful blogs and podcasts. Lee walks users through some of his successes and failures by sharing the industry knowledge needed to get started. Users will also be able to learn how to form, build and manage their own potentially multi-million media companies
Empowerment: Activating the power of pop culture to uplift at-risk youth through the Hollywood Cares Foundation, with a particular focus on underserved minority communities to help them drive lasting change, for themselves and others, The Hollywood Cares Foundation will also leverage the arts, entertainment industry, and brands to equip young people to thrive in their academic, social, and civic lives. Under Jason Lee’s guidance, the Foundation will aim to inspire change by providing opportunities for young people to be active participants in creating the culture that surrounds them, to empower themselves and each other
Entertainment: Launching a new talk show format to drive momentum around pop culture’s biggest moments with iconic television shows and radio productions such as “Hollywood Unlocked with Jason Lee” and the “Hollywood Unlocked with Jason Lee [UNCENSORED]” podcast that addresses the latest rumors to a millennial-focused collective audience with captivating tell-all interviews with exclusive celebrity guests. HU sets the standards for industry accomplishments by celebrating industry milestones and cultural significance with the brand’s annual Impact Awards.
“It’s important for us to find partnerships with investment groups that share a similar vision in uplifting marginalized voices in entertainment that are shifting our culture forward,” said Jason Lee, Founder, and CEO of Hollywood Unlocked. “We are extremely grateful for our partners at Hidden Empire Film Group, Brown Venture Group, and Black Capital and look forward to what is ahead.”
Hollywood Unlocked is on a mission to create spaces for Black voices. The platform addresses the latest hottest news topics for its growing millennial-focused collective audience of currently more than seven million weekly and gives captivating tell-all interviews with top-tier celebrity names such as Cardi B, Tiffany Haddish, and Ye (formerly Kanye West).
A mainstay for the hottest scoops and the most memorable trending celebrity moments and one of the nation’s leading entertainment brands, “Hollywood Unlocked with Jason Lee” produces thousands of hours of content and drives engagement exceeding 550 million impressions per month, along with amassing more than 2.9 million Instagram followers.
Coming off a successful Hollywood Unlocked Second Annual Impact Awards last summer, Lee teamed up with Ye to host a Black Futures Brunch with voices within the media to talk about the importance of Black representation within the industry.
“We are thrilled to invest in Jason Lee and his larger purpose and vision as a Black entrepreneur. He’s the real deal,” says Chris Brooks, Co-Founder of Brown Venture Group.
“As Hollywood Unlocked’s visionary, Jason’s accomplishments and mission resonate with a broad and engaged consumer base, and we are excited to see what he has in line for the future,” said Kevin Johnson, Founding and Managing Partner of Black Capital. “When I envision the future of media, I see Jason at the helm as a disruptor and innovator pushing our narrative forward,” Johnson said.
The Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) announced today that Angela Bassett will receive the HCA Acting Achievement Award, Rian Johnson will receive the HCA Filmmaking Achievement Award, and the cast and crew of RRR will be presented with HCA Spotlight Award at the 6th Annual HCA Film Awards.
The prestigious event, which will celebrate the best of films from 2022, will take place in Los Angeles on Friday, February 24, 2023.
The nominations for the 2023 HCA Film Awards will be revealed on the official HCA YouTube channel, HCA App, and social media channels on Thursday, December 15, 2022, beginning at 8 a.m. PT/11 a.m. ET.
“After the tremendous success of the 2022 HCA TV Awards in August, we are excited to be reteaming with DIGA Studios and Content.23 Media for the 6th edition of the HCA Film Awards,” notes HCA Chairman Scott Menzel.
“We look forward to celebrating another incredible year of cinema and are so thrilled to be continuing our tradition of honoring some of the best and biggest names in film at our awards ceremony in February.”
“We are excited to announce Angela Bassett as this year’s HCA Acting Achievement Award recipient,” says HCA President Nikki Fowler.
“Angela Bassett is synonymous with talent, beauty, grace, and excellence, with her career spanning decades and beginning with a master’s degree in Fine Arts from Yale to becoming a name that is not only world-renowned for her craft but one that has inspired women from all backgrounds. Angela has especially empowered Black women through her courageous and unforgettable roles, from Tina Turner setting the screen ablaze in her pivotal role in Waiting to Exhale, to the beloved portrayal as Queen of Wakanda. Ms. Bassett epitomizes and exudes radical self-love in an industry that doesn’t always love women back. She is a force of positivity and a change-maker for generations to come.”
Rian Johnson, the mind behind Netflix’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, the follow-up to his Academy Award-nominated Knives Out, will be honored with this year’s HCA Filmmaking Achievement Award. “Rian Johnson isn’t just one of the best directors working today, but a masterful storyteller that has been expanding, reinventing, and modernizing a plethora of genres his entire career,” notes HCA Vice President Nestor Bentancor.
“He has done it again in his latest whodunnit, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.’ The absorbing and dazzling new chapter in his original saga is another crystal-clear proof of his ability to craft powerful and wildly entertaining films, with both passion and clockwork precision. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to celebrate an auteur that, on top of being a unique creative force, is as affable as he is gifted.”
S. S. Rajamouli’s RRR will receive the HCA Spotlight Award. HCA Board Member Rasha Goel states, “As a person of Indian descent, it has been surreal to FINALLY see an Indian film become a global phenomenon the way that RRR has. The cultural impact that RRR has had on audiences all over the world makes it the perfect choice for this year’s Spotlight Award.
The HCA has worked diligently to elevate and promote underrepresented voices in the industry and Indian storytellers are amongst some of the most overlooked here in the United States. We, as an organization, couldn’t be happier to be celebrating this remarkable film and all those who brought this project to life.”
