Sheryl Lee Ralph is honored with Sidney Poitier Icon Tribute at Gotham Television Awards
Sheryl Lee Ralph will receive the Sidney Poitier Icon -Teerbeton during the second annual Gotham Television Awards.
The Gotham will honor Ralph for continuing to inspire, raise and break new land through its many projects, including her work on ABC’s ‘Abbott Elementary’.
Founded in 2023 by the Gotham in collaboration with the Poitier family, and chaired by Gotham Board member Colman Domingo, the Sidney Poitier Initiative celebrates its transformative legacy. The mission of the Sidney Poitier Initiative is to honor the groundbreaking actor, director and activist by supporting inclusive programs that promote the film and media career of students, professionals and organizations with under-represented backgrounds.
“In the course of her distinguished career in film, television and stage, including her recent, wide -celebrated version such as Barbara Howard in ‘Abbott Elementary,’ Seryl Lee Ralph has carved a single place in the entertainment history,” said Jeffrey Sharp, executive director of the Gamm Film & Media Media. “After making her feature debut in Sidney Poitier’s ‘A Piece in Action’, she continued to embody his spirit, dignity and excellence. In honor of her with the Sidney Poitier Icon Tribute at the Gotham Television Awards will be a powerful, complete circle moment.”
Ralph won the Emmy Award 2022 for Outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series and the Critics’ Choice Award for best supporting actress in a comedy series. In 2023 and 2024 she received her second and third Emmy nominations for this role. For the first time, Ralph made a name for himself on television in the lead, together with the Grammy Award winner Brandy in more than 100 episodes of UPN’s “Moesha”.
At the age of 20 -Ralph made her feature debut opposite Academy Award winner Sidney Poitier in Warner Bros. “” A piece of the action “, which Poitier also directed. She went to work on films such as “The Mighty Quinn” with opposite Denzel Washington, “Mistress” with Robert de Niro, “Sleep with anger” with Danny Glover, and “The Distinguished Gentleman” with Eddie Murphy.
Ralph was also released on Broadway starring in “Dreamgirls”, where she landed the best actress at both the Tony and Drama Desk Awards. She recently appeared as Madame Morrable in ‘Wicked’, and became the first African actress who played that role on stage.
As previously announced, Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino, as well as director Hwang Dong-Hyuk, will receive creator tributes and that Elisabeth Moss and the cast of “The Handmaid’s Tale” will receive the Inaugural Ensemble-Tribute.
The nominations in the 12 Competitive Award categories at the second annual Gotham Television Awards were previously announced.
Winners of the second annual Gotham Television Awards will be honored during the Awards Ceremony in Cipriani Wall Street on Monday 2 June, which will be at Livestream Variety Youtube channel.
