3rd Annual AHS Awards Nominations
The third annual AHS Awards returns to spotlight the best and brightest of people of color in film, television, and new media. Nominees are selected by A Hot Set staff and divided into 29 categories (10 film, 7 television, and 2 new media categories). Actors Samuel L. Jackson and George Lopez will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Awards.
Roundup
Didi led the film category with four nominations followed by Monkey Man and Wicked with three nominations. Didi is a coming-of-age film directed by Sean Wang centered around a 13-year-old Taiwanese boy living in Fremont, California around 2008 in which Chris "Dìdi" Wang goes through the trials and tribulations of growing up. He navigates life with his stressed mother, domineering grandmother, and a contentious older sister. In Dev Patel’s Monkey Man, an anonymous young man unleashes a campaign of vengeance against the corrupt leaders who murdered his mother and systemically victimizes the poor and powerless. Whereas Wicked, directed by John M. Chu. is a film adaptation of the Wicked musical (2004) and book (1995) of the same name. Wicked tells the story of Elphaba, a misunderstood young woman because of her green skin, and the popular girl Glinda as they become friends at Shiz University in the Land of Oz. After encountering the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads. Among other notable highlights is Challengers with two nominations for Best Film and Best Leading Actress for the film’s lead Zendaya. Detailing a love triangle spanning years, Tashi is a star tennis player turned coach after sustaining a career-ending injury for her husband Art, a former champion at the tail end of his career. Art faces his once best friend turned rival Patrick as they go back and forth in time to highlight the trio’s relationship.
For scripted television, there was a three-way tie in the drama series categories with Industry, Shogun, and Mr. and Mrs. Smith receiving three nominations each. In the comedy categories, Abbott Elementary and The Bear also tied with each series garnering three nominations. Max’s Industry tracks a group of young graduates vying for permanent roles at a top-tier London investment bank, "Pierpoint & Co." It delves into the ruthless world of high finance, highlighting their battles and ethically dubious strategies to succeed. Set against a backdrop of excess—drugs, alcohol, and sexual exploits—it offers a raw, unfiltered look at the pressures and culture of the banking industry.
Hulu boasted two series with the historical drama Shogun based on James Clavell’s 1975 novel of the same name that begins when a mysterious European ship becomes stranded in a nearby fishing village and features Lord Yoshi Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) uncovering secrets with the potential to shift the balance of power and crush his rivals, as he navigates the complex web of political intrigue and power struggles in feudal Japan, Toranaga is forced to make tough choices to safeguard his interests and preserve his authority. The Bear is a stark contrast to this with the comedy-drama about the characters Syd and Carmy, as they go through the intense pursuit of success in cooking that leads to burnout, isolation, and the erosion of their mental health. But beyond their struggles, the show serves as a cautionary tale, warning us about the dangerous narrative that glorifies work as the ultimate passion.
Amazon Prime’s Mr. and Mrs. Smith, inspired by the 2005 film of the same name, is a spy series that details two strangers thrust into a professional marriage as part of their roles as spies for a covert agency. Balancing espionage thrills with emotional tension, they must navigate their fabricated identities and high-stakes missions while grappling with the complexities of their evolving relationship. ABC’s Abbott Elementary is a mockumentary-style comedy about a group of passionate teachers navigating the challenges of working in an underfunded public school in Philadelphia. This is interestingly the only network television sitcom amongst these series with three nominations.
This year’s Unscripted Television categories showcased the ever-changing landscape for talk shows in the age of content creators with Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay garnering two nominations for Best TV Talk Show and Best TV Talk Show Host. Throughout the year, Club Shay Shay had big cultural interviews with celebrities such as Katt Williams, Mo’Nique, and Steve Harney garnering millions of views on YouTube. There is also a three-way tie between RuPaul's Drag Race, Asian Boss, and Steve Harvey’s Family Feud with three nominations each. RuPaul’s Drag Race pits drag queens against each other in a series of challenges, competing for a cash prize and the coveted title of “America’s Next Drag Superstar.” Stephen Park’s interview series Asian Boss returns with three nominations and three different Housewives franchise series were nominated, which includes Real Housewives of Cape Town, Real Housewives of Lagos, and Real Housewives of Potomac.
In the Media categories, Black Myth Wukong and Tekken 8 are the highlights for the Best Video Game award. Inspired by the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West and published and developed by the Chinese game company Game Science, the action RPG Black Myth Wukong reached 2.2 million concurrent players on Steam (the highest peak ever for a single-player game on Steam) and showcased how China is one of the emerging frontrunners in the game development industry. Tekken 8 in contrast is one of the titans of the fighting-game genre and shows how Japan still has a large foothold in the fight-game genre with the Tekken franchise reaching its 30th anniversary this past December. For content creators, Khabane “Khaby” Lame gained his third straight nomination for Best Social Media Content Creator, having won once already. Khaby gained a huge milestone this year by becoming the most followed person on TikTok in 2024, surpassing Charli D'Amelio with over 160 million followers.
AHS’ Akira Kurosawa and Ethel Waters Lifetime Achievement Awards will honor two POCs within the film and television industry for their work and influence in front of and behind the camera. Last year’s awards were given to Denzel Washington (Film) and George Takei (Television) for their award-winning careers spanning over 20 years. This year, the AHS staff has awarded the Akira Kurosawa Lifetime Achievement Award to Samuel L. Jackson. Starting his career in small roles in Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing and School Daze, he has ultimately become one of the most popular character actors in Hollywood with iconic roles in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction and Django Unchained as well as playing Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Ethel Waters Lifetime Achievement Award is being given to George Lopez this year, whose career in television culminated in The George Lopez Show, becoming one of the few Latino actors to star in a network television series. Lopez was the co-creator, writer, producer, and series lead. Following The George Lopez Show, Lopez has also hosted a late-night talk show Lopez Tonight, and currently stars in an NBC sitcom Lopez v. Lopez (nominated for Best Actor in a Comedy Series) with his daughter Mayan Lopez (who is nominated for Best Actress in a Comedy Series).
Winners will be announced in March 2025 via the A Hot Set platform.
Special Note: Categories with more than five nominations resulted from a tie during the prenomination process.
FILM
zendaya coleman - challengers/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Frenesy Film Company/Pascal Pictures
Best Animated Film
Moana 2
Mufasa: The Lion King
Sonic The Hedgehog 3
The Tiger's Apprentice
The Wild Robot
Best Documentary
The Birth of Korea
Daughters
Luther: Never Too Much
The Soldier’s Lagoon
The Unbreakable Tatiana Suarez
Best Standup Comedy Special
Ali Wong: Single Lady
Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was…
Joy Koy: Live From Brooklyn
Katt Williams: Woke Foke
Ronnie Chieng: Love To Hate It
Best Short Film
Blackmael
Cancer Before Cancer
Love in the Time of Migration
Lucky Fish
Slick Talk
Best Leading Actress
Zendaya Coleman, Challengers
Cynthia Erivo, Wicked
Lucy Liu, Old Guy
Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez
Kerry Washington, Six Triple Eight
Best Film
Challengers
Didi
Dune: Part 2
Moana 2
Monkey Man
Sing, Sing
Wicked
Best Foreign Film
Emilia Pérez (France)
Meeting With Pol Pot (France)
Old Righteous Blues (South Africa)
Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (China)
Women From Rote Island (Indonesia)
Best Screenplay
Fede Álvarez & Rodo Sayagues, Alien: Romulus
Paul Angunawela & John Collee, Monkey Man
Steve McQueen, Blitz
Tyler Perry, Six Triple Eight
Sean Wang, Didi
Malcolm Washington & Virgil Williams, The Piano Lesson
Best Leading Actor
Colman Domingo, Sing Sing
Tyreese Gibson, 1992
Ethan Herisse, Nickel Boys
Dev Patel, Monkey Man
Izaac Wang, Didi
John David Washington, The Piano Lesson
Best Director
John M. Chu, Wicked
Dev Patel, Monkey Man
Tyler Perry, Six Triple Eight
Sean Wang, Didi
Malcolm Washington, The Piano Lesson
Television - Scripted
ken leung - Industry/hbo
Best TV Series - Comedy
Abbott Elementary
The Bear
Interior Chinatown
Only Murders In The Building
The Sympathizer
Best Actor - Comedy
Lionel Boyce, The Bear
George Lopez, Lopez vs Lopez
Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary
Hoa Xuande, The Sympathizer
Jimmy O. Yang, Interior Chinatown
Best Actress - Comedy
Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
Ayo Edebiri, The Bear
Selena Gomez, Only Murders in the Building
Mayan Lopez, Lopez vs Lopez
Michelle Yeoh, The Brother’s Sun
Best TV Series - Drama
Bel-Air
Blood & Water
Industry
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Shogun
Best Actor - Drama
Jabari Banks, Bel-Air
Ncuti Gatwa, Doctor Who
Donald Glover, Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Ken Leung, Industry
Hiroyuki Sanada, Shogun
Best Actress - Drama
Angela Bassett, 9-1-1
Maya Erskine, Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Myha'la Herrold, Industry
Anna Sawai, Shogun
Sofia Vergara, Griselda
Best TV series - Soap or telenovela
EastEnders (United Kingdom)
General Hospital (United States)
Hollyoaks (United Kingdom)
House of Zwide (South Africa)
Neighbours (United Kingdom)
Television - Unscripted
Jennifer hudson - jennifer husdon show/JHud Productions/Telepictures/Warner Bros. Television Studios
BEST TV SERIES - News Program
60 Minutes
ABC Evening News
Bloomberg Markets: The Close
Breaking Points
Good Morning America
NBC Nightly News
Best News Anchor
Romaine Bostick, Alix Steel & Scarlet Fu, Bloomberg Markets: The Close
Saagar Enjeti & Krystal Ball, Breaking Points
Lester Holt, NBC Nightly News
Yvonne Man & David Ingles, Bloomberg The China Show
Lesley S, Scott P, Bill Whitaker, Anderson C, Norah O’Donnell, Sharyn A, Jon W, 60 Minutes
Best competitive series
America's Got Talent
American Idol
RuPaul's Drag Race
Shark Tank
Top Chef
Best Competitive Series Host
RuPaul Charles, RuPaul's Drag Race
Terry Crews, Simone Cowell, Sofía Vergara, & Heidi Klum, America’s Got Talent
Raymond John, Barbara Corcoran, Robert Herjavec, Kevin O'Leary, Mark Cuban, & Lori Greiner, Shark Tank
Kristen Kish, Tom Colicchio & Gail Simmons, Top Chef
Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, & Lionel Richie, American Idol
BEST TV SERIES - Talk Show
Asian Boss
The Breakfast Club
Club Shay Shay
Jennifer Hudson Show
Tamron Hall Show
The View
Best Talk Show Host
Nick Cannon, Dr. Ish Major & Dr. Mike Dow, Counsel Culture
Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Hudson Show
Stephen Park, Asian Boss
Shannon Sharpe, Club Shay Shay
Sherri Shepherd, Sherri
BEST TV SERIES - Game Show
Family Feud
I Can See Your Voice
Let's Make A Deal
Password
Scrabble
Best Game Show Host
Wayne Brady, Let’s Make A Deal
Steve Harvey, Family Feud
Ken Jeong, I Can See Your Voice
Keke Palmer, Password
Raven-Symoné, Scrabble
BEST TV SERIES - Docuseries
Finding Your Roots
In the Arena: Serena Williams
Jerrod Carmichael: Reality Show
Simone Biles: Rising
Travel Man: 48 Hours in…
BEST TV SERIES - Docusoap
House of Villains
Love Is Blind
Real Housewives of Cape Town
Real Housewives of Lagos
Real Housewives of Potomac
Media
Black Myth: Wukong - Game Science
Best Video Game
Black Myth: Wukong
I-Chu
Meiji Tokyo Renka: Full Moon
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
Tekken 8
Best Social Media Content Creator
The4thKen (YouTube)
Bella Sabo (YouTube)
Black Music Archive (YouTube)
Fung Bros. (YouTube)
Khabane “Khaby” Lame (TikTok)
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Akira Kurosawa Film Award: Samuel L. Jackson
Ethel Waters TV Award: George Lopez
