Tory Bridges // Awards // EEW Magazine Online

Nominations for the 94th Annual Academy Awards are in, and EEW Magazine Online entertainment editors are happy to see The Academy recognize a few of our finest Black actors—and we do mean a few.

Up for best actor is Will Smith who plays the father of Venus and Serena Williams in “King Richard,” notching his third Oscar nomination. The film is also nominated for best picture.

Denzel Washington, who is nominated in the best actor category for his seventh time for his performance in “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” remains the most-nominated Black man ever.

Also, “King Richard” co-star, Aunjanue Ellis, is nominated for best actress for her role as Brandi Williams. The film is also nominated for best original screenplay and best editing.

This year’s Academy Awards show will be produced by Will Packer, the mastermind behind movies like Girl’s Trip, Ride Along 2, Straight Outta Compton, Think Like a Man, Think Like a Man Too, Obsessed, The Photograph and many more.

“The power, the beauty, the romance of the imagery in movies has always attracted me. I’m fully embracing the challenge of bringing an ode to one of the most iconic mediums in the world to life. What an honor!” said Packer in a statement obtained by EEW Magazine Online.

A largely virtual awards season added some unpredictability to this year’s nominations which were announced by actors Leslie Jordan and Tracee Ellis Ross. This year’s Oscars, which will be delayed to make way for the Olympics, will be held March 27 on ABC and will return to their usual venue, the Dolby Theatre.

Notably, singer Beyoncé has picked up her first Oscar nomination for the power ballad, “Be Alive,” which she wrote with the songwriter Dixson for the Venus and Serena Williams biopic “King Richard.” She is up for best original song.