Courtney B. Vance was among the winners of the 30th Annual Bounce Trumpet Awards, established in 1992 by US civil rights leader Xeronna Clayton at the Dolby Theater on Saturday. The annual awards showcase “dark glow” in art, politics, social justice and beyond; Other honorees included Stan Latan, Zaila Avangard, Princess Sarah Calberson and Georgian Senators Ralph Warnock and John Osoff.
The avant-garde, the first African-American contestant to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee, received the Rising Star award for his many achievements, which also include three Guinness World Records and finishing in fourth place. “I want to thank all my family for their support, without them I wouldn’t be here,” he said Saturday, adding, “Without them I wouldn’t have won Scripps Spelling.” bees. “
The award for best entertainment went to Vance, who talked about how he started acting in a play during his sophomore year of college, and it was that play that inspired his aunt to encourage him to pursue a career.
“This path I’ve chosen has given me the opportunity to tell stories through work that touches people… see people from different perspectives, make them laugh, cry, think and get involved,” he said. “I never did it for honors and trophies, but I felt deeply blessed when they named the first grain after me.”
Practically nominated by Dave Chapel, Latan received the Living Legend Award, in recognition of his 54-year career as a television director. In his speech, Latan recalled that “there were very few black producers and almost no black directors” when he started the industry in 1968, adding, “It took a long time to change that. Since then, I have witnessed a slow revolution of artists struggling to break down barriers.
The day’s programs also included musical performances by Tank, PJ Morton, Dru Hill, Mary Mary, Kelly Price, Dave Hollister, Doug E Fresh and more.
Clayton’s performance added to the festivities, adding weight and perspective to the show. “I created the Trumpet Awards in the hope that we could build a closer and better America,” said the American civil rights leader who worked with Martin Luther King Jr. at the Southern Christian Leaders Conference and Broadcast Executive.
Bounce, an entertainment network that caters to African-American audiences, won the Trumpet Awards in 2016. The show airs June 19, also known as Juneteenth, a celebration of the emancipation of enslaved African Americans.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
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