Dwayne Johnson scores coveted ABFF icon award

The American Black Movie Pageant Honors has named Dwayne Johnson because the recipient of its Leisure Icon Award, recognizing the actor and producer’s outstanding affect throughout a number of leisure platforms. The announcement got here Monday because the pageant revealed its lineup of honorees for the 2026 ceremony scheduled to happen February 16 on the SLS resort in Beverly Hills, California.

The intimate, non-televised dinner will collect ABFF honorees and pageant companions for a night celebrating Black excellence in leisure. Introduced by NICE CROWD, the eighth annual occasion continues the pageant’s custom of highlighting artists who’ve made vital contributions to American leisure whereas championing variety and inclusion in Hollywood.

The which means behind the distinction

The Leisure Icon Award particularly acknowledges multitalented artists who’ve achieved distinctive business success throughout tv, movie and reside efficiency. Johnson’s choice displays a profession trajectory that spans from sports activities leisure to changing into certainly one of world cinema’s most bankable stars, together with his movies producing greater than $14 billion on the worldwide field workplace.

NICE CROWD CEO and President Jeff Friday and Nicole Friday expressed their enthusiasm for honoring Johnson. They described him as embodying the facility of perseverance, authenticity and charisma whereas noting his evolution from a sports activities leisure profession to extraordinary success in movie and tv has made him some of the influential figures in world tradition.

A formidable roster of fellow honorees

Johnson joins a number of different distinguished recipients on the 2026 ABFF Honors. Jennifer Hudson, host of The Jennifer Hudson Present, will obtain the Renaissance Award for her powerhouse expertise and contributions to leisure. The award acknowledges artists who’ve demonstrated versatility and continued relevance throughout totally different phases of their careers.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield, a trailblazing director and govt producer, will probably be honored with the Evolution Award. This recognition celebrates her work behind the digicam and her position in creating alternatives for various voices within the business.

Damson Idris, the critically acclaimed actor, will obtain the Horizon Award, which generally acknowledges rising expertise making vital impacts early of their careers. His performances have garnered consideration from critics and audiences alike, positioning him as one of many business’s rising stars.

A particular tribute to cinematic achievement

The night may also pay tribute to the artistic workforce behind the movement image Sinners. The movie represents a rare achievement from acclaimed filmmakers Ryan Coogler, Zinzi Coogler and Sev Ohanian, starring Michael B. Jordan. This particular recognition highlights the pageant’s dedication to celebrating up to date Black cinema that pushes inventive boundaries.

New York Occasions best-selling creator and award-winning comic KevOnStage will host the ceremony, bringing his signature humor and cultural perspective to the proceedings.

Johnson’s present and upcoming initiatives

By way of his manufacturing firm Seven Bucks Productions, Johnson maintains an formidable slate of initiatives. He stars in and produced A24’s The Smashing Machine and is presently filming the subsequent installment of the Jumanji franchise. Disney’s live-action Moana will quickly showcase his return to certainly one of his most beloved roles.

Future initiatives embody reuniting with Benny Safdie for Lizard Music and starring in Martin Scorsese’s Hawaii-set crime drama alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Emily Blunt. The movie attracts from a e-book Johnson is co-authoring about Wilford Nappy Pulawa, acknowledged as the primary and solely Hawaiian mob boss. Further upcoming work consists of A24 and Darren Aronofsky’s psychological thriller Breakthrough.

Amongst Johnson’s most celebrated roles are Luke Hobbs within the Quick & Livid franchise and Maui in Disney’s Moana movies. Moana 2 lately surpassed $1 billion globally, demonstrating the enduring enchantment of each the franchise and Johnson’s voice efficiency.

The pageant’s legacy

ABFF Honors stems from the American Black Movie Pageant, which Jeff Friday based in 1997. The pageant has established itself because the main showcase for Black storytelling, premiering work and inspiring careers of many profitable up to date filmmakers and actors. Since its inception, ABFF has championed Friday’s conviction that Black artists deserve equal alternatives as their mainstream counterparts.

The honors ceremony, based in 2016, serves because the pageant’s annual awards season gala devoted to recognizing excellence in movement footage and tv. By way of the years, it has grow to be an essential second throughout awards season for celebrating achievements usually neglected by mainstream recognition.

Present sponsors for the 2026 occasion embody Ally as presenting sponsor, Sony Photos Leisure as supporting sponsor, and SLS Lodge, a Luxurious Assortment Lodge in Beverly Hills, as contributing sponsor.

Data supplied by American Black Movie Pageant publicity supplies