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Tyler Perry made a special trip to Los Angeles to present his friend Nicole Avant with the Beacon Award at the 16th annual African American Film Critics Association Awards.

“I don’t know why I’m working like I’m still broke,” Perry joked about arriving at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel straight from the airport, then hopping back on the plane when the show was over.

But the quick roundtrip was necessary to support Aafca’s mission of uplifting Black storytellers — “especially in this climate when there’s so many attacks on who we are, what our stories are,” Perry said — and to salute Avant, who he emphasized is “Hollywood royalty” as the daughter of the late Jacqueline Avant, a philanthropist, and Clarence Avant, the music executive known as “The Black Godfather.”

On the red carpet, Nicole Avant told Variety her parents would be proud to see her receive this specific honor.

For Shaye Ogbonna, assembling an A-list roster of talent for “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist” was a blessing for which he cannot take any credit.

“They wouldn’t do it if the material wasn’t great,” the series creator humbly told TheWrap of working with stars like Kevin Hart, Samuel L. Jackson, Chloe Bailey, Don Cheadle and Taraji P. Henson.

The Peacock limited series outlines the true story of how an Atlanta after-party for Muhammad Ali’s 1970 comeback fight turned into a million dollar robbery, involving some of the biggest Black gangsters and money-movers in the nation.

Ogbonna believed this story would be an opportunity to highlight the origins of how the heist established his hometown of Atlanta as the “Black Mecca.” The writer-producer also saw the potential for some of the biggest Black actors in the business to skyrocket this project to another level.

“I was always influenced...

“‘Go back to your computer and write about Jackie.'”

Such was the wisdom imparted by late music executive Clarence Avant to his author/producer daughter Nicole Avant following the tragic killing of her mother Jacqueline Avant in December 2021 during a home invasion in Beverly Hills.

“When everyone Googles, it’s just ‘home invasion, shot and dead’. No — that’s not her life,” says Avant, “I want people to learn her lessons, and they’re lessons on humanity.”

“I took my mother’s legacy and created an energy.”

Avant shared her family’s personal story as well as her latest memoir Think You’ll Be Happy: Moving Through Grief With Grit, Grace and Gratitude in a conversation with multi-Grammy winning songwriter producer and Recording Academy Chairman emeritus Jimmy Jam at a recent reception at her and her husband Netflix co-ceo Ted Sarandos’ LA home.

In the book, which is for...

March 6 is a special day for Nicole Avant — because she and her mother, the late Jacqueline Avant, share the same birthday.

This year, Nicole Avant spent the occasion working. The former U.S. ambassador, film producer, activist, and now bestselling author of “Think You’ll Be Happy,” sat down for an intimate conversation about mother-daughter relationships as part of Visionary Women’s International Women’s Day summit.

Her friend, Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow, was waiting backstage of the ballroom of the Beverly Wilshire hotel when Avant floated into the private space ahead their fireside chat.

As the two women embraced, Paltrow quietly sang “Happy Birthday to You,” and Avant began to well up with happy tears. She’d been feeling quite sentimental all morning and kicked off the day by turning on her 1976 playlist to find the song “Love Is Alive.”

Why? Her mom used to play that song when...

Samuel L. Jackson is set to star in the upcoming Peacock true crime limited series “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist,” Variety has learned.

The show was ordered to series at Peacock in December with Kevin Hart attached to star and executive produce with Will Packer also executive producing. It is based on the podcast “Fight Night,” which was produced by Packer along with iHeartPodcasts and Doghouse Pictures.

The series will be set in Atlanta in 1970. The official description states that it will tell “the infamous story of how an armed robbery during the night of Muhammad Ali’s historic 1970 comeback fight changed not only one man’s life, but an entire city’s destiny.”

Jackson will star as notorious gangster Frank Moten, who was given the moniker “the Black Godfather” by New York tabloids.

Shaye Ogbonna serves as creator, and showruns alongside Jason Horwitch. Both executive produce alongside Hart,...

Candy Cane Lane is a new Christmas comedy starring Eddie Murphy and directed by Reginald Hudlin, with a star-studded cast including Tracee Ellis Ross and Jillian Bell. The film's musical score, composed by Marcus Miller, pays homage to classic Christmas film scores while adding a unique twist with a variety of musical styles. The Candy Cane Lane soundtrack features songs by Raphael Saddiq, Coco Jones, Pentatonix, and Foo Fighters, offering a diverse selection of music for Christmas music enthusiasts.

Candy Cane Lane is a new Christmas comedy from Prime Video starring stand-up and screen legend Eddie Murphy. The film was directed by Reginald Hudlin, known in part for his work on films like Sidney and The Black Godfather and written by Kelly Younger, whose previous writing credits include the specials Muppets Now and Muppets Haunted Mansion. In addition to Murphy, Candy Cane Lane stars Tracee Ellis Ross (Black-ish), Jillian Bell...

The streaming landscape can feel endless. It’s not and we’re here to help. Netflix has hundreds of documentaries in its streaming library, but they’re not all created equal, and we’ve narrowed down the options for you with 25 of our top picks for the best documentary movies currently available to watch on the streaming platform. If you’re looking for something light and visually stunning, you’ve come to the right place. If you’re looking for something gruesome yet fascinating, there are options for you below. If you only have half an hour or 40 minutes to kill, Netflix has something for you.

So peruse our list below, and get watching!

“Athlete A” Netflix

One of the best documentaries in recent years, “Athlete A” works on multiple fronts: First, it effectively chronicles the abuse perpetrated by Larry Nassar, a former sports medicine physician who used his position...

In the middle of August this year, three legends of the music industry died within 72 hours of each other: founder of A&m Records Jerry Moss; music lawyer Abe Somer; and my father, the “Black Godfather” himself, Clarence Avant. These three men helped define the recording industry of the past six decades, and what’s more, they were inseparable best friends.

Somer, Moss, and Avant met in New York City in the early 1960s, and in the six decades since, never left one another’s side, never once let their “soul contract” expire.

Jerry Moss, co-founder of A&m Records, has died. He was 88.

According to Variety, the record exec — who along with his business partner, Herb Alpert, turned A&m into one of America’s leading independent record labels — died Wednesday at his home in Bel Air.

“They truly don’t make them like him anymore and we will miss conversations with him about everything under the sun. The twinkle in his eyes as he approached every moment ready for the next adventure,” his family said in a statement to the Associated Press.

Dionne Warwick, who wasn’t an A&m artist, but had been close to Moss ever since he helped promote her music in the early 1960s also released a statement, calling him one of the “kindest gentlemen” and her “dear friend.”

“Another of my dear friends has made his transition. Jerry Moss was and will always be remembered as one that...

Clarence Avant, the beloved recording industry insider whose work as an executive, label owner, dealmaker and mentor earned him the nickname the “Godfather of Black Music,” has died. He was 92.

Avant died Sunday at his home in Los Angeles, his family announced in a statement. His death came 20 months after his wife of 54 years, philanthropist Jacqueline Avant, was shot and killed by an intruder in their Beverly Hills home in the early morning hours of Dec. 1, 2021.

Survivors include their daughter, Nicole Avant, a producer, former U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas and the wife of Netflix co-ceo and chief content officer Ted Sarandos, and their son, Alexander, a producer (Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!) and talent rep.

“Clarence leaves behind a loving family and a sea of friends and associates that have changed the world and will continue to change the world for generations to come,” the Avant/Sarandos family said.

Fremantle’s Documentaries division has launched Undeniable, a label dedicated to producing premium feature documentaries and series, in partnership with high-profile talent and international commissioners, Mandy Chang, Fremantle’s global head of documentaries, revealed Tuesday at Cph:dox in Copenhagen.

The label is already developing several international projects and partnerships with high-profile filmmakers, including Amy Berg, Chris Smith, and Penny Lane and Gabriel Sedgwick.

Chang said: “The launch of Undeniable further underlines our commitment and ambition to build Fremantle’s documentary output on the premium side. Working with the very best filmmakers and emerging talent, the label will provide editorial and production expertise and support in multiple genres. Importantly, it will provide a platform and freedom for creative talent to unlock and explore important issues and stories to be told.”

Undeniable’s ambition is to make “provocative, entertaining, diverse, and influential films and series that push the boundaries of storytelling and...

Exclusive: Reginald Hudlin and Byron Phillips have struck a first-look deal with Original Productions after teaming up on Amazon documentary series Phat Tuesdays: The Era of Hip Hop Comedy.

The Fremantle-backed production company has signed the deal with Hudlin Entertainment and Phillips with plans to expand on the comedy docuseries.

The pair will develop and exec produce non-scripted shows with the Deadliest Catch producer. It follows the launch of Phat Tuesdays, which told the story of Black comedians at The Comedy Store in ‘90s Los Angeles.

Hudlin and Phillips have produced the Primetime Emmys together since 2020 as well as documentaries such as The Black Godfather. Hudlin has also directed documentaries such as Apple’s Sidney and comedy feature House Party. He has a scripted first-look deal with UCP. Phillips is the producer of a number of live events including the Oscars and NAACP Image Awards.

Original Productions is behind the upcoming Dan Rather documentary,...

When “Trees of Peace,” a drama set during the 1994 Rwandan genocide, surged into the top 10 English-language films on Netflix in June, some may have been amazed that a low-budget, albeit critically acclaimed indie was among the most-watched movies of the week. But executive producer Nicole Avant (“The Black Godfather”) wasn’t among them.

“It was incredible. I was surprised how quickly it got so much attention, but I wasn’t surprised,” Avant tells Variety about learning that the film racked up more than 9.3 million hours viewed in those first few days.

To Avant, the numbers indicated that audiences was ready for and interested in stories like this, despite its heavy subject matter.

“We’ve all felt pretty beaten up for many years, with all this social unrest happening in the United States and everywhere around the world, and just so much negativity,” she explains. “Then here comes this film about strength,...

The man who gunned down philanthropist Jacqueline Avant with an Ar-15 style rifle at the Beverly Hills residence she shared with her music legend husband Clarence Avant was sentenced to 190 years to life in prison Tuesday.

Aariel Maynor, 30, pleaded no contest last month to Avant’s Dec. 1 murder and the attempted murder of a security guard, who was not injured when Maynor fired at him four to eight times.

Deputy District Attorney Victor Avila said Avant was shot in the back after she was ambushed in the dark of her home.

A California man pleaded guilty Thursday to the shocking home-invasion slaying of philanthropist Jacqueline Avant inside the Beverly Hills residence she shared with her music legend husband Clarence Avant.

Aariel Maynor, 30, gave his open plea in a Los Angeles courtroom, admitting he broke into the famous couple’s Trousdale Estates home in the pre-dawn hours of Dec. 1 and used an “assault long barrel pistol” to gun down Avant and shoot at a security guard who wasn’t injured.

Maynor is now facing up to 170 years to life in prison for...

A documentary about the career and life of the late Sidney Poitier is in development at Apple, a source close to the production has confirmed to Variety. Oprah Winfrey is attached as executive producer for the Apple Original Films release.

Apple and Winfrey have been developing the documentary for more than a year. Poitier’s family is participating in the production.

The documentary comes from Harpo Productions and Network Entertainment. Reggie Hudlin will serve as director. Hudlin’s previous directorial credits include 90’s films like “House Party” and “Boomerang,” as well as episodes of TV series like “The Last O.G.” and “Black Monday.” He is also a prolific producer across film and television, serving as a regular executive producer for the NAACP Image Awards since 2013. Hudlin directed the 2019 documentary “The Black Godfather,” which examines the life of music producer Clarence Avant.

Hudlin is also already executive producing two other projects for Apple TV Plus.

Friends of Jacqueline Avant, the wife of music mogul Clarence Avant, are reeling from her shocking death at the age of 81 after a shooting and home invasion. As they process the tragedy, they are also shining a light on her charitable work and legacy of kindness.

“Grace is one of those things you can’t predict. It doesn’t just come, it shows up and blesses you,” Oprah Winfrey, a friend of Avant, told Variety during an emotional conversation this weekend. “That is how you always felt if you were in Jacquie Avant’s presence. She showed up and you were blessed.”

As partner to Clarence, a former Motown Records chairman who has been dubbed “The Black Godfather,” she was known affectionately to show business luminaries, numerous charitable foundations and friends as Jacquie.

Her loss is still difficult to absorb for many in her inner circle and the community at large.

The home invasion that resulted in the shooting death of Jackie Avant this morning might not have been a “random attack,” Beverly Hills Police Chief Mark Stainbrook said at a news conference this afternoon.

“I don’t think that it’s a random attack,” Stainbrook said, “but I can’t speculate on that right now.” The new police chief declined to speculate on a motive for the home invasion, or whether robbery was the intended crime.

Stainbrook, who was sworn in as chief on Tuesday, called the Avant family’s contributions to the entertainment and Beverly Hills communities “unmatched” and said today was “a difficult day for our city.”

Avant, the wife of legendary music executive Clarence Avant and mother-in-law of Netflix co-ceo Ted Sarandos, died around 2:30 a.m. today after being shot at the couple’s Trousdale Estates home near Beverly Hills. Stainbrook would not comment on the number of intruders,...

Jacqueline Avant, the 81-year-old wife of music industry legend Clarence Avant and mother of Nicole Avant, has been killed in a home invasion robbery.

The Beverly Hills Police Department told Variety that a shooting at that location resulted in a death early Wednesday, without reporting the name of the victim. Netflix confirmed to Variety that Jacqueline Avant was the victim, but had no other comment.

The Avants’ daughter, Nicole Avant, is married to Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, and produced a popular 2019 Netflix documentary about her father, “The Black Godfather.”

Said John Mirisch, a Beverly Hills councilman: “The Avants have been community members for decades. This is beyond shocking… The police will have every tool at their disposal and every resource to catch the scumbags who did this.”

A phone call reporting the shooting was taken at 2:23 a.m. Wednesday morning by the Beverly Hills Police Communications Center, regarding a...

Jacqueline Avant, the 81-year-old wife of veteran music executive Clarence Avant, was shot and killed in a home invasion robbery at the couple’s Beverly Hills-area house last night.

According to reports, confirmed by Deadline, Jacqueline Avant was killed when multiple shots were fired during an attempted robbery at the Avant home in the Trousdale Estates near Beverly Hills.

Jacqueline and Clarence Avant are the parents of Nicole Avant, who is married to Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos.

Beverly Hills police confirmed a shooting death in the neighborhorhood, but have not yet confirmed the name of the victim. Police received a call about a shooting at 2:23 a.m. and arrived to find a victim with a gunshot wound. The suspect or suspects were no longer at the scene.

Beverly Hills Fire Department paramedics transported the shooting victim to a local hospital, but the victim did not survive.

Netflix confirmed that the victim was Jacqueline Avant.

One of the biggest all-star lineups ever will celebrate the 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees this weekend. The ceremony filmed October 30 in Cleveland, Ohio, and now airs this Saturday, November 20, on HBO and HBO Max.

The event clocking in at 3 hour and16 minutes honors Foo Fighters, The Go-Go’s, Jay-Z, Carole King, Todd Rundgren and Tina Turner in the performer category. Kraftwerk, Charley Patton and Gil Scott-Heron were chosen for early influence induction. LL Cool J, Billy Preston and Randy Rhoads were honored in the musical excellence category. Clarence Avant received the Ahmet Ertegun Award.

King had been previously inducted as a songwriter. Turner is now a solo artist inductee after going in with Ike Turner the first time around.

SEEThe Go-Go’s, Foo Fighters, Tina Turner, Jay-Z among 16 artists eligible for 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

While the order of inductions was different during filming, here...

Dan Levy’s production calendar just keeps exploding. The latest project for the multi-hyphenate, cooking competition series “The Big Brunch,” which also comes from Boardwalk Pictures, has been ordered at HBO Max with a 2022 targeted premiere.

Levy created and will host the series that centers around celebrating inspiring but still undiscovered culinary voices from all across the U.S — but also brunch. As the title promises, the competing chefs will have to find innovative and personal ways to redefine what it means to dine between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. The series will spotlight the chefs’ stories and business dreams while also giving them a chance to compete for a “life-altering prize.” (HBO Max has yet to announced the specific details around the episodic format or prize amount.)

“Everybody has a friend, a family member, or a co-worker that is extraordinary at what they do, they just need a leg...

Tina Turner, Carole King and The Go-Go’s are heading to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, along with Jay-Z, Foo Fighters and Todd Rundgren.

The Hall announced its 2021 Inductees today, saying the new arrivals represent “the most diverse list of Inductees in the history of the organization.”

Three of the inductees were already Hall of Famers in other categories: Turner for her musical partnership with then-husband Ike as Ike and Tina Turner; King for songwriting partnership with Gerry Goffin; and Foo Fighters’ leader Dave Grohl for drumming with Nirvana.

“This diverse class of talented Inductees reflects the Rock Hall’s ongoing commitment to honor artists whose music created the sound of youth culture”, said John Sykes, Chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. “It will make for an unforgettable live celebration of music in October at this year’s Induction Ceremony in Cleveland.”

Left to try...

Halle Berry and Angela Bassett are among the executive producers for “Number One on the Call Sheet”

Jamie Foxx and Kevin Hart will produce a pair of documentary films for Apple Studios that will focus on the challenges faced in Hollywood by Black actors and actresses.

“Number One on the Call Sheet” will be two companion films: one specifically focused on what it takes for Black leading men to find success in entertainment, and another that will focus on the challenges faced by Black leading women.

The first film, “Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Women in Hollywood,” will be directed by Shola Lynch, and the second film on leading men will be directed by Reginald Hudlin. Both documentaries are meant to celebrate Black achievement in the film industry and highlight the work of Black actors and actresses who paved the way for today’s stars.

Also Read:...

Rod Perry, who starred on the 1970s ABC series S.W.A.T. and appeared opposite Cicely Tyson in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, died Dec. 17, his family announced. He was 86.

Perry also had the leads in the Blaxploitation films The Black Godfather (1974) and The Black Gestapo (1975).

Perry portrayed Sgt. David “Deacon” Kay opposite Steve Forrest and Robert Urich on S.W.A.T., which was produced by Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg and lasted 37 episodes in 1975-76, then returned for the 2003 S.W.A.T. feature as the father of LL Cool J’s Deke....

Rod Perry, who starred on the 1970s ABC series S.W.A.T. and appeared opposite Cicely Tyson in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, died Dec. 17, his family announced. He was 86.

Perry also had the leads in the Blaxploitation films The Black Godfather (1974) and The Black Gestapo (1975).

Perry portrayed Sgt. David “Deacon” Kay opposite Steve Forrest and Robert Urich on S.W.A.T., which was produced by Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg and lasted 37 episodes in 1975-76, then returned for the 2003 S.W.A.T. feature as the father of LL Cool J’s Deke....

A music documentary on the life and career of pop star Shawn Mendes is coming to Netflix. Titled “In Wonder,” the film will drop on the streaming service on November 23 ahead of his fourth studio album, Netflix announced Tuesday.

Mendes recently released the title track to his new album “Wonder,” and the album itself is available December 4.

“In Wonder” was directed by veteran music video director Grant Singer, and is a portrait of Mendes’ life, chronicling the past few years of his rise and journey to fame.

The documentary is executive produced by Andrew Gertler, Shawn Mendes, & Ben Winston; produced by Saul Germaine, p.g.a and James Haygood.

“In Wonder” joins Netflix’s growing slate of music-centered documentaries which include “Miss Americana,” “Homecoming: A Film By Beyoncé,” “The Black Godfather,” “Gaga: Five Foot Two,” “Quincy” and most recently “Blackpink: Light Up the Sky.”

Mendes, in partnership with his Shawn...

“In Wonder,” a new documentary about singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes, is coming to Netflix on November 23, just days ahead of his fourth studio album, “Wonder,” which arrives on Dec. 4. Mendes released the album’s title track as an advance single on Oct. 2.

The feature-length documentary, helmed by veteran music video director Grant Singer, is an intimate look at Mendes’ life and journey, filmed over the last few years. “In Wonder” will likely feature footage of Mendes from his 2019 self-titled world tour that took him across the North and South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. It was a special event selection at the Toronto Film Festival.

Andrew Gertler, Shawn Mendes and Ben Winston serve as the documentary’s executive producers with Saul Germaine, p.g.a and James Haygood credited as producers.

Mendes, in partnership with his Shawn Mendes Foundation (Smf), also recently announced an official new annual TIFF award at the festival,...

Pharrell Williams hasn’t stopped running … on behalf of “Letter to My Godfather,” the original song he wrote for Netflix’s “The Black Godfather,” a documentary about legendary music executive Clarence Avant. Qualifying for the Oscars as a film with a theatrical release, the Emmys as a Netflix production and the Grammys as a work of music for visual media, it’s been on an awards campaign circuit since its June 2019 release.

Its journey began in campaigning for an Oscar, which involved fall Q&As with Academy members; a performance at the Nov. 3 Hollywood Film Awards, where Williams took to the stage with a full choir; an early December appearance on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert”; followed by a top-of-the-year appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” All that promotion did get the song to the Academy Awards shortlist, but when the nominations were announced Jan. 13, its Oscar chances ended.

But...

The latest in our series of writers unearthing hidden gems is a recommendation for an eye-opening documentary about an often unsung entertainment industry titan

The first time I saw The Black Godfather, the 2019 Netflix documentary on black entertainment giant Clarence Avant (and not the 1974 Blaxploitation movie of the same name), I found myself tearing up during most of it. I didn’t know if it was tears of joy, because I was enjoying the whole thing, or tears of anger, because I had never heard Avant’s whole story until now.

Related: My streaming gem: why you should watch Cam...

Nominations have been unveiled for the 48th edition of the Grierson Awards, the UK’s top documentary awards.

A total of 52 films are nominated across 14 categories. Of those, 21 were broadcast on BBC channel, while Netflix has nine nominations and Channel 4 has five. ITV and Al Jazeera have two apiece whilst nominations newcomer YouTube Originals joins Channel 5, National Geographic and Discovery with one each.

Tiger King is up for Best Entertaining Documentary alongside fellow Netflix title Love is Blind. Netflix’s Don’t F**k With Cats and The Devil Next Door are also both up for Best Documentary series.

The Best Cinema Documentary nominees are American Factory, which won the Oscar this year, alongside the Oscar nominated Honeyland and For Sama, with Midnight Family completing the field.

Full list of nominations:

Best Single Documentary – Domestic

The Family Secret

Anna Hall, Sally Ogden, Luke Rothery & Brian Woods for Candour Productions...

Nominations for the 48th annual British Documentary Awards, known as the Griersons, include episode two of Netflix docuseries “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness,” Waad Al-Kateab and Edward Watts’ Oscar-nominated and BAFTA-winning “For Sama,” and a best presenter nod for David Olusoga for “The Unwanted: The Secret Windrush Files.”

The awards are given by The Grierson Trust. Of the 52 nominated films, 21 were broadcast on BBC channels. Netflix has nine nominations and Channel 4 has five. ITV and Al Jazeera have two apiece while YouTube Originals, Channel 5, National Geographic and Discovery have one each.

Lorraine Heggessey, chair of The Grierson Trust, said: “This has been a difficult year for the production community and particularly for freelancers, so it’s more important than ever to recognize and celebrate the excellence of so many talented filmmakers, whether they are newcomers or established global names. These nominations demonstrate the relevance and versatility of documentaries,...

While the Emmys are known as television’s highest honor, a number of nominees will be acknowledged for their musical talents during the 2020 Emmy Awards.

The best music and lyrics category honors the best original songs featured on television, with past winners including Saturday Night Live’s “Come Back Barack,” 13th’s “Letter To The Free” and last year’s winner, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’s “Antidepressants Are So Not A Big Deal.”

This year’s nominees include songs from Euphoria, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, Little Fires Everywhere, The Black Godfather, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, This Is Us and Watchmen.

Pharrell Williams, Ingrid ...

While the Emmys are known as television’s highest honor, a number of nominees will be acknowledged for their musical talents during the 2020 Emmy Awards.

The best music and lyrics category honors the best original songs featured on television, with past winners including Saturday Night Live’s “Come Back Barack,” 13th’s “Letter To The Free” and last year’s winner, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’s “Antidepressants Are So Not A Big Deal.”

This year’s nominees include songs from Euphoria, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, Little Fires Everywhere, The Black Godfather, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, This Is Us and Watchmen.

Pharrell Williams, Ingrid ...

As Emmy voting draws to a close, the 2020 music nominations span rookies to regulars. Martin Phipps landed his sixth nomination overall for the dramatic score to Netflix’s “The Crown.” Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor and his scoring partner Atticus Ross nabbed a nomination for their first series, HBO’s “Watchmen.” Emmy fave “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” grabbed another music supervision nom, while composers Thomas Mizer and Curtis Moore landed their first for music and lyrics.

There is a wealth of music nominated across different sounds and genres. Variety breaks it all down in the annual Emmy chart.

Music Composition for a Series

"The Crown" (Netflix)

Composer: Martin Phipps

Pedigree: Six previous nominations

“Aberfan”

Vibe: Solo horn for a grieving Elizabeth; choir for mourning Welsh village

"Euphoria" (HBO)

Composer: Labrinth

Pedigree: First nomination (two this year)

“’03 Bonnie and Clyde”

Vibe: Contemporary sounds complement teen sex-and-drugs drama

"The Mandalorian" (Disney Plus...

Emmys’ song category (officially original music and lyrics) embraces a wide spectrum of tunes, from amusing late-night trifles to powerful concluding anthems. This year the Television Academy’s voting members chose seven worthy songs penned by Oscar winners, Grammy winners and more.

The Black Godfather

(Netflix)

When Clarence Avant’s daughter, Nicole, asked songwriter Pharrell Williams to consider writing an end-title song for the documentary about the music executive’s life, he confesses, “I thought I knew this man’s legacy. I had no idea his fingerprint was on so many things we all benefit from.” So, with fellow songwriter Chad Hugo, he penned “Letter to My Godfather,” drawing inspiration from many musical genres, “to reflect his eclectic reach in terms of business and influence.” The lyrics — “he’s our chandelier, to bring the light” — were Williams’ metaphor for Avant’s ability to throw open the doors to “these often...

Pharrell Willliams, Labrinth (pictured) and Isabella Summers of Florence & The Machine could all wind up with Emmys this year. So, for that matter, could Ingrid Michaelson, Nine Inch Nails founder Trent Reznor and veteran pop producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

All were among nominees in the music categories as the Television Academy announced the nominations for the 72nd annual Primetime Emmy Awards for work in TV during the 2019-20 season.

This year’s crop was the most diverse in memory. More than one-fourth of all the music nominees are people of color, and more than half are first-time nominees for television’s highest honor.

Said Academy governor Rickey Minor, who’s nominated twice this year for his music direction of “The Oscars” and “The Kennedy Center Honors”: “Living through this time in our history, has made us all awaken to the truth that we — as a humanity — are all the same.

Trent Reznor, Pharrell and the RZA are among a handful of musicians to score Emmy nominations this year for their work on various television programs.

Reznor and his long-time musical partner Atticus Ross picked up their first two Emmy nominations for their work on Watchmen, the hit miniseries that led all nominees this year with 26. Reznor and Ross’ score for the show is up for Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited Series/Movie, while their classic jazz pastiche, “The Way It Used To Be,” earned a look for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics.

This year’s Emmy nominees in the seven music categories include such familiar scoring names as Ludwig Göransson, Pinar Toprak, Nicholas Britell, Mark Isham and Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross as well as figures from the pop world like Pharrell Williams, Dawes’ Taylor Goldsmith, Ingrid Michaelson, Sheila E and the RZA.

Labrinth joined Reznor and Ross in being nominated in both song and score categories. The latter Nine Inch Nails members (and Oscar winners for “The Social Network”) are up for scoring “Watchmen” as well as contributing an original 1940s-themed song (“The Way It Used to Be”) to the HBO limited series. Labrinth’s two noms are for Showtime’s “Euphoria,” which earned him both a series dramatic score nomination and a song nod (“All for Us”).

Nathan Barr has the most nominations in the music categories, with three. He’s up against himself in the main title theme category,...

Producer/director Reginald Hudlin, whose credits include the 2016 Oscars, will become the first-ever Black executive producer of the Primetime Emmys, Variety has learned exclusively.

Done+Dusted will return to produce the telecast, while Hudlin will serve as an executive producer along side host Jimmy Kimmel and Done+Dusted’s Guy Carrington, David Jammy and Ian Stewart.

ABC and the Television Academy is set to announce the Emmys producing team later today. Last year, Done+Dusted produced the kudocast alongside Don Mischer Prods.

“I’m excited to collaborate with this outstanding team as we produce a show that celebrates the best of what we do and reflects this moment in history,” said Hudlin, who earned an Emmy nomination for producing the Oscars, and whose awards show credits also include executive producing the NAACP Image Awards for nearly a decade.

The Emmys are set to air on Sunday, Sept. 20 with Kimmel presiding.

Now that first-round Emmy voting is completed, who will be nominated for the season’s best song? RuPaul? Hailee Steinfeld? Darren Criss? Kristin Chenoweth?

That’s right, all four actors are potential nominees in Emmy’s song competition, officially known as Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics … as are such musical personalities as the Weeknd, Sara Bareilles, Brad Paisley and Nick Jonas — along with about 200 other songwriters.

If you’re an Emmy voter in the music branch, how do you decide what song to vote for? Do you pick something you already know and like, or do you investigate some, or all, of the many tunes entered?

There are seven music categories, which encompass more than 300 separate programs, a daunting task for even the most diligent voter. The vast number of shows entered is overwhelming, and no one — especially working professionals, which constitute the bulk of the estimated 600 composers, songwriters and...

It’s hard not to appreciate the dedication and passion that Glen Ballard put into bringing The Eddy to life. A six-time Grammy Award winner, Ballard has made it his business to get this challenging and rewarding show before audiences. Along with Damien Chazelle, Jack Thorne, and of course, Netflix, he finally had it in front of folks this spring. Now, as voting for the Emmy Awards is underway, I had the opportunity to chat with him about The Eddy. A true passion project, you can tell how much he cares just by listening to the man. Below you can hear my interview with Ballard. He’s a really interesting figure, and while he’s in the hunt for Emmy attention this year with The Eddy, we also made a bit of time to talk Back to the Future, due to his involvement in the musical. It’s a cool conversation,...

Streaming has not only changed the way we produce and consume TV, but, to hear our Meet the Experts: Documentary panelists tell it, the entire documentary field in general. In the past decade, as more platforms emerged, more documentaries have been made, becoming addictive viewing for fans (see: “Tiger King”) and legitimizing the genre as a form of entertainment.

“I’ve seen a huge change. I’ve been making documentaries for 25 years [and] it was a struggle. There were very few outlets and it wasn’t because there wasn’t an audience — it was just a question of how to reach that audience,” “Hillary’s” Nanette Burstein told Gold Derby (watch above). “So streaming was the answer. And it was the unexpected answer and it really changed the marketplace. I think there is, as we’ve seen, a hunger from audiences to see real stories, amazing stories and amazing filmmakers out...

You may not have heard of the name Clarence Avant, but you’ve definitely heard of the people whose lives he’s changed and whose careers he’s launched. Known as the Black Godfather — from which the Netflix documentary about him takes its name — the 89-year-old is a legendary behind-the-scenes kingmaker who quietly brokered deals for and advised luminaries across entertainment, sports, politics and finance, taking on a mythic quality for those in the know.

“I heard about Clarence from the beginning of my professional career. I was doing music videos … and we were dealing with the record label and they said, ‘Yeah, but we also gotta talk to Clarence.’ And I was like, ‘Ok, Clarence,’” Reginald Hudlin, who directed “The Black Godfather,” told Gold Derby during our Meet the Experts: Documentary panel (watch above). “And he was kind of referred to the same way you’d talk about Zeus.

Nicole Avant is very proud of the fact that she came up with the idea of making a movie about her father, Clarence Avant, which would become “The Black Godfather,” when she was just a little girl. “It was definitely my idea. I’ve thought about this film since I was eight years old,” she revealed to us in our recent webchat (watch the video above). But it also took some encouraging from her longtime friend, Reginald Hudlin, who would ultimately direct the film. But Avant also makes sure to describe how the film goes beyond just being about her father. “We wanted to make the film…dedicated to all these men and women who had this collective consciousness to fight racism, to fight injustice and to focus on freedoms.”

SEEalmost 400 interviews with 2020 Emmy contenders

“The Black Godfather,” which is currently streaming on Netflix, explores the long and storied career of Clarence Avant,...

Right about now during a typical Emmy season, Netflix would be showcasing their Fysee space, a massive takeover of the Raleigh Studios in Hollywood, CA, featuring set pieces and props from their wide variety of shows. But this is far from a typical Emmy season, as the coronavirus pandemic has forced networks to become a little creative in how they run their Fyc events. So the streaming service that has specialized in keeping viewers at home is doing the same for their awards campaign.

See Tom Pelphrey Interview: ‘Ozark’

With Fysee TV, Netflix is bringing everything you love about their exhibition space — the screenings, the Q&As and yes, even the food — straight to the living rooms of Emmy voters. Fans of “The Crown,” “Ozark,” “Dead to Me,” “#blackaf,” “Unbelievable,” “Queer Eye” and more will be treated to the same behind-the-scenes footage and panel discussions they love while staying socially distanced.

Four of TV’s top documentary filmmakers will reveal the details behind their gritty and true life programs when they join Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&a event with key 2020 Emmy contenders this month. Each person will participate in two video discussions to be published soon: one-on-one with our senior editor Joyce Eng and a group chat with Joyce and all of the directors together.

SEEalmost 300 interviews with 2020 Emmy contenders

This “Meet the Experts” panel welcomes the following 2020 Emmy contenders:

Nanette Burstein represents Hulu for “Hillary”

Burstein received an Oscar nomination and Directors Guild win for “On the Ropes.” Other projects have included “The Creators,” “Going the Distance” and “The Kid Stays in the Picture.”

James Hernandez represents HBO for “McMillion$”

Hernandez has also directed “Stick Together,” “Phantom,” “Four Chaplains,” “Unnatural Selection,” “Happenstance” and “The Sixth Minute.”

Reginald Hudlin represents Netflix for “The Black Godfather”

Hudlin received...

When Netflix released the documentary The Black Godfather almost exactly a year ago, it introduced audiences to Clarence Avant, an African-American entertainment industry insider, dealmaker and mentor who has quietly played an extraordinary role in the lives of leading entertainers, athletes, executives and politicians. Now, a year later, with the country in the throes of a seismic examination of institutionalized racism, the film feels more timely than ever.

In his own way and out of public view, Avant for decades has fought to create opportunity for African-Americans through bold stratagems and sheer force of will.

“He knew his purpose, head on, was black people are going to move forward,” his daughter Nicole Avant explains in The Black Godfather. She says it’s as if her father took stock of his gifts and business clout one day and decided, “I’m going to use it for good and I’m going...

When Nicole Avant was growing up in Beverly Hills in the 1970s and ’80s, her father, Clarence Avant, was one of the most connected and successful African American power brokers in the music industry. He launched record labels, owned radio stations and became a key figure in politics and the civil rights movement.

The Avant home was always buzzing with a stream of Hollywood and Washington insiders coming and going. “I knew that he was very powerful because the phone rang constantly and I always heard him fixing something or giving advice,” says Nicole, who made her producing debut with Netflix’s “The Black Godfather,” a documentary about her father. “And then I did see him on ‘Soul Train’ one day, and he was giving an interview with Don Cornelius. …That’s when I thought, ‘Oh, he must be a big deal because he’s on television.’”

That point is driven home by the documentary,...

Don Corleone isn't the only one who's been making offers that people can't refuse. Let's check out the behind-the-scenes dealmaker and his steady money moves over the years.

Netflix's The Black Godfather explores the life and accomplishments of a skilled connoisseur with lucrative connections that forged his way into Hollywood. Clarence Avant, who is also favorably referred to as the godfather of entertainment and politics, is the mastermind responsible for a large number of exemplary collaborations that are considered to truly be great moments in history.

Related: The Godfather: 10 Times Michael Corleone Was The Scariest Character

Avant is a popular shadow known for his ability to bring people together to create quality music, television, films, and he even utilized his skills to boost several political campaigns. Avant's name is often mentioned alongside top executives like Joe Glaser and Quincy Jones. Here are 10 icons whose careers were majorly impacted by Clarence Avant.