Aaron Pierre, Keke Palmer, And More

The 2025 American Black Film Festival (ABFF) Honors were a celebration of grand proportions. Held on Monday (Feb. 17) and hosted by actress and comedian Zainab Johnson, Black Hollywood‘s elite came together to recognize select talent and their accomplishments.

Aaron Pierre was named this year’s Rising Star while Marla Gibbs was given the Hollywood Legacy Award. Keke Palmer was honored with the Renaissance Award as Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and Giancarlo Esposito received the Excellence in the Arts Award.

Per Variety, the gala was described as “more church revival than awards show” and commenced with Pasadena’s Victory Bible Church choir singing a rendition of Donald Lawrence and The Tri-City Singers’ “The Best Is Yet to Come,” to acknowledge the historically Black neighborhoods that were impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires.

Whether it was Anthony Mackie reflecting on advice Esposito gave him during the early days of his career, Palmer noting the importance of content ownership, Pierre’s “Spirit Tunnel” chant becoming his own anthem, or Gibbs declaring, “Long as you’re still here and still breathing, you’ve got another shot,” the event was memorable and special to say the least.

In addition to her award, Ellis-Taylor was surprised with an early birthday celebration— complete with a candle-lit cake and a live rendition of Stevie Wonder’s version of “Happy Birthday.”

During her speech, she used her time to give flowers to her fellow honorees. “Keke Palmer made me famous,” Ellis-Taylor said reflecting on them co-starring in the Lifetime film, Abducted: The Carlina White Story. She recalled Palmer and her mother, Sharon, fighting to make sure Ellis-Taylor had the chance to “do meaty work that reached a wide audience.”

Adding, “And I’ve been chasing that feeling ever since because it was the first time I felt the line between who I was and who I played merged.”

She then praised Gibbs, describing her as “unreachable, unmatched.” Ellis-Taylor explained, “She was my understanding of what it was to be a comedian. They had Carol Burnett. We had Marla Gibbs.” The Origins actress gave Pierre words of affirmation before concluding her remarks by celebrating Esposito.

“I was born an agitator, probably. But there was no definition to it, until I saw you. I was given words to what was churning inside of me,” Ellis-Taylor expressed when speaking on his performance in in Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing. “I’m not interested at no seat at no table. I don’t want the seat or the table. I want the structure. I want the land that the structure belongs. ‘Why?’ Because it’s mine […] Thank you ABFF, because you are encouraging me to tear down that wall, to tear down that house and reclaim the land.”

Check out more highlights from this year’s ABFF Honors below.