World News
Lizzo Named Entertainer of the Year at 2020 NAACP Image Awards
Beyoncé, Bruno Mars, Lil Nas X, Lizzo and more were honoured at the 2020 NAACP Image Awards, held in Los Angeles.
Some awards, including Beyoncé’s seven nod for her achievements with Homecoming: The Live Album and The Lion King: The Gift, were announced on Friday before the main ceremony on Saturday.
Last night’s event drew many of the winners to the Pasadena Civic Auditorium for the ceremony, where Rihanna delivered an empowering acceptance speech upon receiving this year’s President Award and Lizzo was dubbed entertainer of the year
See the full winners list below:
Outstanding Album
Homecoming: The Live Album, Beyoncé
Outstanding New Artist
Lil Nas X
Outstanding Male Artist
Bruno Mars
Outstanding Female Artist
Beyoncé
Outstanding Song – Traditional
“SPIRIT,” Beyoncé
Outstanding Song – Contemporary
“Before I Let Go,” Beyoncé
Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration
“Brown Skin Girl,” Blue Ivy, SAINt JHN, Beyoncé & WizKiD
Outstanding Jazz Album
Love & Liberation, Jazzmeia Horn
Outstanding Gospel/Christian Song (Traditional or Contemporary)
“Love Theory,” Kirk Franklin
Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album
Juice, Lizzo
Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album
The Lion King: The Gift, Beyoncé with Various Artists
Outstanding Comedy Series
black-ish
Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson, black-ish
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Deon Cole, black-ish
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Marsai Martin, black-ish
Outstanding Drama Series
Greenleaf
Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series
Omari Hardwick, Power
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Harold Perrineau, Claws
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Lynn Whitfield, Greenleaf
Outstanding Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special
When They See Us
Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special
Jharrel Jerome, When They See Us
Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special
Niecy Nash, When They See Us
Outstanding News/Information (Series or Special)
Unsung
Outstanding Talk Series
Red Table Talk
Outstanding Reality Program/Reality Competition Series/Game Show
Rhythm + Flow
Outstanding Variety (Series or Special)
Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé
Outstanding Children’s Program
Family Reunion
Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited-Series)
Marsai Martin, black-ish
Outstanding Host in a Talk or News/Information (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble
Jada Pinkett Smith, Red Table Talk
Outstanding Host in a Reality/Reality Competition, Game Show or Variety (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble
Steve Harvey, Celebrity Family Feud
Outstanding Guest Performance in a Comedy or Drama Series
Kelly Rowland, American Soul
Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction
The Revisioners, Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
Outstanding Literary Work – Nonfiction
The Source of Self-Regard: Selected Essays, Speeches, and Meditations, Toni Morrison
Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author
I Am Dance: Words and Images of the Black Dancer, Hal Banfield (Author), Javier Vasquez (Illustrator)
Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/Autobiography
More Than Enough: Claiming Space for Who You Are (No Matter What They Say), Elaine Welteroth
Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional
Your Next Level Life: 7 Rules of Power, Confidence, And Opportunity For Black Women In America, Karen Arrington (Author), Joanna Price (Illustrator), Sheryl Taylor (Forward)
Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry
Felon: Poems, Reginald Dwayne Betts
Outstanding Literary Work – Children
Sulwe, Lupita Nyong’o (Author), Vashti Harrison (Illustrator), (Simon & Schuster, BFYR)
Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens
Around Harvard Square, C.J. Farley (Akashic Books)
Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture
Marsai Martin, Little
Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture
Just Mercy
Outstanding Independent Motion Picture
Dolemite is My Name
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Television or Film)
James Earl Jones, The Lion King
Outstanding Documentary (Film)
Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am
Outstanding Documentary (Television – Series or Special)
Hitsville: The Making of Motown
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series
Cord Jefferson, The Good Place, “Tinker, Tailor, Demon, Spy”
Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series
Nichelle Tramble Spellman, Truth Be Told, “Monster”
Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Television)
Suzan-Lori Parks, Native Son
Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Film)
Jordan Peele, Us
Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series
Anya Adams, GLOW, “Outward Bound”
Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Power, “Forgot About Dre”
Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Television)
Rashid Johnson, Native Son
Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Film)
Chiwetel Ejiofor, The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Marsai Martin, Little
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Jamie Foxx, Just Mercy
Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series
Tracee Ellis Ross, Blackish
Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
Angela Bassett, 9-1-1
Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
Lupita Nyong’o, Us
President’s Award
Rihanna
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Michael B. Jordan, Just Mercy
Outstanding Motion Picture
Just Mercy
Entertainer of the Year
Lizzo
World News
Former US Army Servicemember, Sanda G. Frimpong Sentenced to Prison in Money Laundering Romance Scam
Sanda G. Frimpong, 33, was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison and ordered to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in restitution to victims for laundering the illicit proceeds of an elaborate series of romance scams. Frimpong pled guilty to three counts of money laundering on September 14, 2023.
“Romance scammers exploit our most vulnerable citizens, even our seniors and military veterans, sometimes leaving them financially and emotionally devastated,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “The fact that an Army servicemember was involved in romance scams while serving as a soldier is appalling. We are partnering with the Department of Defense to drum out fraudsters and money launderers like Frimpong from our military ranks and put them in prison where they belong.”
“Integrity is a core tenet of the armed forces and when servicemembers choose to compromise their integrity for greed, it tarnishes the reputation of all others serving in uniform,” stated Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Mid-Atlantic Field Office. “DCIS and its law enforcement partners will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold those accountable who cheat government programs and use online scams to prey on the most vulnerable.”
Frimpong and other conspirators, engaged in elaborate scams, impersonating romantic love interests, diplomats, customs personnel, military personnel, and other fictitious personas for the purpose of ensnaring their victims by earning their confidence, including promises of romance, sharing of an inheritance or other riches, or other scenarios intended to fraudulently induce the victims to provide money or property to the conspirators. Frimpong then laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars in proceeds of these frauds through his various bank accounts across state lines and through his contacts in Ghana. Frimpong was also an active-duty Army servicemember stationed at Fort Bragg during the commission of the offenses up until shortly after his arrest in 2023.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III announced the sentence. Defense Criminal Investigative Service led the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Beraka prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-0035-D.
World News
US Army Major Kojo Owusu Dartey Found Guilty After He Smuggled Guns to Ghana in Blue Barrels of Rice and Home Goods
US Army Major Kojo Owusu Dartey, 42, was convicted for smuggling firearms to Ghana in blue barrels disguised as containing rice and household goods.
The incident, which took place in April 2024, has sparked widespread discussion on social media platforms. Dartey, involved in a marriage fraud scheme, faces a maximum sentence of 240 months and is scheduled for sentencing on July 23, 2024. The case has raised questions about the motives behind the smuggling and the potential implications for national security.
A US Army Major, Kojo Owusu Dartey, known for his role in the US special forces, has been found guilty of smuggling firearms to Ghana hidden in blue barrels of rice and household goods.
The 42-year-old is facing a maximum sentence of 240 months and awaits sentencing on July 23,… pic.twitter.com/o28I3wZOKd
— EDHUB🌍ℹ (@eddie_wrt) April 30, 2024
A federal jury convicted a United States Army Major, currently assigned to Fort Liberty, on charges of dealing in firearms without a license, delivering firearms without notice to the carrier, smuggling goods from the United States, illegally exporting firearms without a license, making false statements made to an agency of the United States, making false declarations before the court, and conspiracy. Kojo Owusu Dartey, age 42, faces a maximum penalty of 240 months when sentenced on July 23, 2024.
Read Also: Abena Korkor says she’s found love in a bipolar American army officer
“We are partnering with law enforcement agencies across the globe to expose international criminals – from money launderers to rogue international arms traffickers capable of fueling violence abroad,” said U.S Attorney Michael Easley. “Through a partnership with Ghanaian officials, this rogue Army Major was convicted at trial after smuggling guns to Ghana in blue barrels of rice and household goods. I want to thank the Ghana Revenue Authority and the International Cooperation Unit Office of the Attorney-General of Ghana for their assistance in the investigation. I also commend the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) attachés to U.S. Embassy Accra and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs of the Department’s Criminal Division for their significant assistance to this prosecution.”
“Far from being a victimless crime, firearms trafficking threatens public safety across our nation and beyond,” said Toni M. Crosby, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Baltimore Field Division. “The Baltimore Field Division is proud to partner with the Ghana Revenue Authority and ATF’s Charlotte and Louisville Field Divisions for this investigation, which has kept firearms off the streets — preventing them from being used in any number of killings and other crimes — and ended this international firearm trafficking scheme.”
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, between June 28 and July 2, 2021, Dartey purchased seven firearms in the Fort Liberty area and tasked a U.S. Army Staff Sergeant at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, to purchase three firearms there and send them to Dartey in North Carolina. Dartey then hid all the firearms, including multiple handguns, an AR15, 50-round magazines, suppressors, and a combat shotgun inside blue barrels underneath rice and household goods and smuggled the barrels out of the Port of Baltimore, Maryland, on a container ship to the Port of Tema in Ghana. The Ghana Revenue Authority recovered the firearms and reported the seizure to the DEA attaché in Ghana and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division. At the same time, Dartey was a witness in the trial of U.S. v. Agyapong. A case that involved a 16-defendant marriage fraud scheme between soldiers on Fort Liberty and foreign nationals from Ghana that Dartey had tipped off officials to. In preparation for the trial, Dartey lied to federal law enforcement about his sexual relationship with a defense witness and lied on the stand and under oath about the relationship.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II accepted the verdict. The ATF, Army Criminal Investigation Division and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabriel J. Diaz prosecuted it with technical assistance from David Ryan, DOJ Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
World News
Ex-UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou announces death of his 15-month-old son
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World News
Iraqi TikTok star Om Fahad shot dead outside Baghdad home
Iraqi social media influencer Om Fahad has been shot dead outside her home in Baghdad, according to local media reports. (more…)
World News
Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi sentenced to death for protesting
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Radio & TV
2024 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) to air LIVE on DStv
MTV has announced the 2024 “VMAs” will make its return to New York on Tuesday, September 10th at the UBS Arena. Airing LIVE on MTV, DStv Channel 130 on Wednesday, 11 September at 1:00am WAT and 2:00am CAT around the world in more than 150 countries. This year’s global fan-filled phenomenon will celebrate the best music videos of the past year with supersized performances, epic tributes, and unforgettable appearances from the world’s biggest celebrities.
“We’re excited to bring this year’s VMAs to UBS Arena, one of the country’s newest and most cutting edge venues,” said Bruce Gillmer, President of Music, Music Talent, Programming & Events, Paramount and Chief Content Officer, Music, Paramount+. “Celebrating one of music’s biggest nights with the incredible, robust New York area fans is something we’ve been looking forward to since the moment last year’s show ended.”
“It’s an honor to host MTV and the VMAs at UBS Arena,” said Mark Shulman, Senior Vice President of Programming, UBS Arena. “This is the culmination of bringing a world class event to a venue that offers state of the art capabilities and the best in fan amenities. We look forward to welcoming this year’s top artists, fans, and viewers worldwide to experience our arena and campus at Belmont Park.”
“We are excited to welcome back the MTV Video Music Awards to New York State,” said New York Governor Kathy Hochul. “From its origins at Radio City Music Hall in 1984 to this September’s event at the UBS Arena, the VMAs continue to captivate millions, showcasing the very best in music video artistry. As we prepare to host this 40th anniversary event, let’s embrace the spirit of creativity and innovation that defines our state’s cultural landscape.”
The “VMAs” will air across MTV’s global footprint of linear and digital platforms in more than 150 countries and territories, reaching over 319 million households.
Additional details will be announced closer to the show. Follow @MTV and @VMAs on social to keep up with all-things #VMAs.
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