On the Scene at Essence Black Women in Hollywood 2023: Including Marsai Martin in For Love & Lemons, Teyana Taylor in Kidill, Quinta Brunson in Greta Constantine and More

A marvelous and glorious luncheon honoring the most legendary and eminent black entertainers of Hollywood was a sight to behold at the 16^th Annual Essence Black Women in Hollywood awards held inside the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.

From honorees such as the legendary Sheryl Lee Ralph, and actress Danielle Deadwyler, to presenters like Quinta Brunson and Yara Shahidi, black excellence arrived in full force with beautifully crafted ensembles that were fiercely fashionable.

The red carpet was filled with accentuating and over-the-top looks, and we all know that anywhere where black women are the topic of the theme, they’re going to show out with guns blazing. Singer Chlöe wore a white maxi body-con cut-out dress with white gloves while giving an incredible performance in her euphonious voice.

We also saw full monochromatic looks from Quinta Brunson and Yandi Smith, and a play on plaid from singer Teyana Taylor. Carolina Wanga served us Solange vibes with her orb-like halo crown while Megan Good and Mona Scott Young looked Spring forward in orange and mint green hues.

Some celebs chose to keep it classic with traditional black and white ensembles like our CEO Claire Sulmers who embodied old Hollywood glam and looked incredible and regal in her Sergio Hudson strapless black and white bicolor column gown. Along with Sulmers, stars like Danielle Deadwyler, Bresha Webb, Kiki Layne and Karrueche opted for those ceremonial colors that you can never go wrong with.

The celebratory afternoon felt ritualistic, in true Essence fashion to praise and present poignant accolades to some of the brightest black women in Hollywood who are challenging the status quo, leaving progressive footprints, and delivering outstanding performances in their chosen fields.

Essence Black Women in Hollywood luncheon ultimately highlighted influential black women who are changing the narrative of what success looks like and what it means to be highly sought after in Hollywood. The honorees and attendees, many of whom were the change-makers in the room, looked victorious, stunning and incredibly modern . Check out some of the red carpet looks below: