Cartoon Community and Black-owned animation studio launch awards present honoring Black animators

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The web occasion will likely be held Sunday and goals to acknowledge Black creatives who’ve left an incredible mark and proceed to take action throughout the area of animation.

“This can be a time to rejoice and honor Black creatives who usually don’t get the popularity that they deserve throughout the media trade,” mentioned JLove Calderón, the managing companion of Black Girls Animate. “Many Black animators have been doing this work for therefore lengthy and are sometimes overshadowed. This awards present won’t solely pay respect to them but additionally encourage the subsequent wave of future Black animators, producers, and creatives alike.”

The inaugural ceremony will likely be hosted by Grammy-winning artist Estelle, who voices one of many characters on the Cartoon Community sequence “Steven Universe.” Estelle will carry out as nicely.

“When JLove and I got here up with the thought, we have been shocked to be taught that there wasn’t already a platform to rejoice Black animators but,” mentioned Taylor Ok. Shaw, founder and CEO of Black Girls Animate.

“That is so essential on this second as a result of we now have had a really difficult 12 months, and this 12 months for Black folks particularly, has not been the simplest. As we take into consideration the best way this nation and the leisure trade goes, it is much more important that Black people are being centered and honored for our contributions to the media and animation trade.”

Black Girls Animate, also called BWA, was based by Shaw in collaboration with Calderón, the group goals to create content material and supply production-related providers to different studios and corporations throughout the animation trade.

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“The identify of our studio may be very intentional; it serves as a name to motion that our studio is a spot to assist the rise of Black feminine expertise in animation,” Calderón mentioned. “After we first began, we have been instructed that nobody was going to work with us resulting from our identify. Quick ahead three years later, when you’re centered on genuine illustration it makes a larger influence in our content material, mission, and affect on the leisure trade.”

BWA is run by Black feminine artistic professionals and focuses on hiring and creating content material produced by minorities.

“We’re a mission-driven animation studio it’s our aim to create superior content material that’s reflective of the African diaspora,” Shaw mentioned. “And whereas doing that, we need to ensure that we’re consciously hiring Black ladies, ladies of shade, and non-binary folks of shade. We exist as a studio to amplify creativity and Black expertise.”

BWA hopes that the award present and future occasions the studio is planning may help encourage the subsequent technology of creatives.

“My message to the long run technology of creators is you’ll be able to, and you’ll,” mentioned Shaw. “And these folks that you’re watching within the award present are examples of what’s attainable to turn out to be within the area of animation and past as nicely. Hold your dream alive.”

The inaugural Black in Animation Awards present will likely be broadcast on-line on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Viewers should register to look at the present at BWA’s web site.

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