The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) awarded the acclaimed 2000s series The Wire with the Classic Television Award at its honors gala over the weekend.
What We Know:
- The ABFF celebrated the HBO Baltimore crime drama, created by David Simon, for being widely regarded as “one of the greatest television shows of all time,” a press release stated. Cast members from The Wire, which aired from 2002 to 2008, accepted the award on stage at the ceremony Sunday in Beverly Hills, California.
- Wendell Pierce, who portrayed detective William “Bunk” Moreland in the series, delivered an acceptance speech, alongside other cast members, including Lance Reddick, Andre Royo, Jamie Hector, Sonja Sohn, and Michael K. Williams.
@WendellPierce and THE WIRE Cast Accepting the #ABFFHonors Classic Television Award pic.twitter.com/jehFTCD2SX
— AMERICAN BLACK FILM FESTIVAL (@ABFF) February 24, 2020
- “This is a great honor for us… the many years we did The Wire we never got awards,” Pierce said with a laugh. “We’re breaking records tonight, getting our first one.”
- Critics widely accused the Emmys of snubbing The Wire by not granting the show a single award and only giving it two nominations for writing.
- Pierce also noted that what makes the series a classic is its ability to speak to our humanity from when it was filmed, up until current day. Moreover, he went onto state that it will be “relevant and years after we are gone, it will still speak to our humanity because it was authentic and truthful”.
As the website states, the ABFF honors ceremony has continually aimed to celebrate “Black culture by recognizing artists who have made distinguished contributions to American entertainment through their work, as well as those who champion diversity and inclusion”.
