Photos and coverage by ALYSON CAMUS
LOS ANGELES – Melissa Etheridge, Tiffany Haddish, Kathy Bates and Kevin Frazier were among those honored at The 17th National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel.
The event, which took place Dec. 1, celebrates journalists who cover the arts and entertainment in Southern California and beyond. Rocker Etheridge was presented with the Distinguished Storyteller Award.
The red carpet filled up around 4:30 p.m. and everyone was looking forward to the four famous awardees of the night: Entertainment Tonight co-host Kevin Frazier, Grammy-award-winning Rockstar and activist Melissa Etheridge, comedienne Tiffany Haddish, and legendary actress Kathy Bates.
An array of notable guests followed, including producer and activist Kat Kramer; KTTV’s Fox 11 News co-anchors Christine Devine and Elex Michaelson; Laugh Factory founder Jamie Masada; actor Sam Anderson; director and producer Kat Coiro; writer, TV producer, and historian Alison Martino; entertainment journalist Lindsey Parker; journalist Deborah Zara Kobylt; broadcast journalist Caroline Feraday; ABC7’s “Entertainment Guru” George Pennacchio and many others.
The evening began with two heartfelt tributes. The first honored filmmaking legend Roger Corman, who passed away in May at the age of 98. Known as “the prolific master of low-budget cinema,” Corman was recognized by the Los Angeles Press Club in 2023 with the Distinguished Storyteller Award. This year’s ceremony was co-dedicated to his memory.
The second tribute celebrated the life of iconic musician, producer, and philanthropist Quincy Jones, who passed away on November 3rd at the age of 91. A video tribute highlighted Jones’ extraordinary seven-decade career, which included 28 Grammy Awards, an Emmy Award, a Tony Award, and nominations for seven Academy Awards and four Golden Globes. Jones was also a recipient of the National Medal of Arts and the Press Club’s Visionary Award in 2014.
Entertainment Tonight’s Kevin Frazier, who posed with his family on the red carpet, received the 2024 Luminary Award for Career Achievement. Frazier has been an ET co-host since 2014 and has had a storied career as a journalist, serving as co-host and managing editor of “The Insider,” hosting “Game Changers with Kevin Frazier,” co-hosting “Clash of the Commercials” on CBS.
He also was a lead anchor for “College Football on FX” and Fox Sports Net and hosted the launch of SportsNet for Time Warner Cable. As an active member of the Los Angeles civic community, and as a member of the National Association of Black Journalists, he frequently participates in events and speaking engagements for charitable organizations, and this award was well deserved. During his acceptance speech inside the hotel’s Crystal Ballroom, Frazier addressed the challenges facing modern journalism, declaring that journalism was “under attack.”
“They’re attacking the stories we do. I wanna tell you to keep going on,” he said with his signature enthusiasm.
Rock icon Etheridge arrived early on the red carpet, accompanied by her wife Linda Wallem, who introduced her during the ceremony. Etheridge received the Distinguished Storyteller Award for excellence in storytelling outside of journalism.
During the night, her resilience – she battled breast cancer and recently lost her son to opioids– and humanitarian work were emphasized. Her recent work with incarcerated women in her Kansas hometown was the focus of a Paramount+ two-part docuseries “MELISSA ETHERIDGE: I’M NOT BROKEN,” an inspiring story of healing through the power of music: Five female jail residents wrote letters to Etheridge, and she used them as inspiration to create and perform an original song for them.
Etheridge’s one-woman show “My Window – A Journey Through Life,” a critically acclaimed Broadway show that premiered in September 2023, was also the focus of her introduction. During her acceptance speech, the “Come to My Window” songwriter emphasized the power of individual stories, declaring: “Each of us has their own truth. And each story tells our own truth.”
Tiffany Haddish shone on the red carpet and later delivered a hilarious yet poignant acceptance speech after receiving the Visionary Award for humanitarian work. The recipient of the Best Comedy Album Grammy Award in 2021 for her special “Tiffany Haddish: Black Mitzvah,” was introduced by rapper MC Lyte, and made the entire room laugh so much that she was called by Kathy Bates “a hard act to follow.” Between funny bits, Haddish spoke about her personal experiences in foster care and the mission of her “She Ready Foundation,” which provides educational and emotional support to foster youth. This is something close to her heart as she was placed in foster care when she was young.
Haddish’s anecdotes about her childhood, including moving from one home to another with belongings in garbage bags, resonated with attendees. When she eventually was given a suitcase, she told us that she felt more like a traveler on a journey than a child shuttled between homes. Her stories sounded authentic and honest, as did her desire to make an impact. Through her foundation’s initiatives, she emphasized the importance of fostering self-esteem and financial literacy among young adults.
Haddish also proudly said she chose to stay in Crenshaw and has invested in real estate in South L.A. Her foundation helps young adults with financial literacy, job training, and other skills that promote self-esteem, money management, conflict resolution, critical thinking, and career-building.
The night concluded with legend Kathy Bates, who accepted the Los Angeles Press Club’s Legend Award for venerable contributions to the industry and to society. Since her memorable role in Rob Reiner’s 1990 movie “Misery” – where she portrayed an obsessed fan and for which she received an Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe – Bates has embodied many characters.
The multi-awarded actress is currently starring as “Madeline Matlock” in the critically acclaimed CBS series Matlock, where she brings a fresh and unexpected take on a legal drama. She is also a passionate advocate for lymphedema awareness as the National Spokesperson for the Lymphatic Education and Research Network (LE&RN), an internationally recognized non-profit organization founded in 1998 to fight lymphatic diseases and lymphedema through education, research, and advocacy. After an introduction by Matlock producer Jennie Snyder Urman, Bates focused on communication and words during her acceptance speech: “We need to communicate with one another so we can bridge these gaps. Otherwise, we’re lost… I love words and I worry about the future of our words.”
In addition to these highlights, the evening included numerous awards, recognizing outstanding achievements in arts and entertainment journalism. The Press Club also introduced the inaugural David Robb Civil Justice Cash Award, honoring the late journalist and his legacy of advocacy for the disenfranchised and oppressed.
You can check all the finalists and the winners on the LA Press Club website. US Rocker came home with second and third prizes for “Action Photo.”
Fore more information on the Los Angeles Press Club, visit the website.
