"ESSENCE BLACK WOMEN IN HOLLYWOOD AWARDS" PRIMETIME SPECIAL TO AIR ON OWN SATURDAY, MARCH 3

The Prestigious Event Will Honor Four Hollywood Game-Changers: Danai Gurira, Tiffany Haddish, Tessa Thompson and Lena Waithe

Los Angeles - OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network will air Essence's 11th annual "Black Women in Hollywood Awards" as a primetime special event on Saturday, March 3 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. For over a decade, the star-studded celebration has been at the forefront of honoring Hollywood's most creative and accomplished African-American female visionaries, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes.

The annual Oscar-week awards celebration, which will air for the fourth year in a row on OWN, will honor four Hollywood Game-Changers: actress/award-winning playwright Danai Gurira ("Black Panther"); comedian/award-winning actress Tiffany Haddish ("Girls Trip"), actress/activist Tessa Thompson ("Westworld") and Emmy award-winning writer/actress Lena Waithe ("Master of None"). This year's event, held at the famed Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, will shift back to a daytime luncheon.

Visit Essence.com and Oprah.com/Essence for more information and join the conversation on social using #BlackWomenInHollywood.

About OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network

OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network is the first and only network named for, and inspired by, a single iconic leader. Oprah Winfrey's heart and creative instincts inform the brand and the magnetism of the channel. OWN is a leading destination for premium scripted and unscripted programming from today's most innovative storytellers. OWN connects with its audience wherever they are, inspiring conversation among a global community of like-minded viewers on social media and beyond. Launched on January 1, 2011, OWN is a joint venture between Harpo, Inc. and Discovery Communications. The venture also includes the award-winning digital platform Oprah.com. Access OWN anytime, anywhere on WatchOWN.tv or across mobile devices and connected TVs. For more information, please visit www.oprah.com/own.

ABOUT ESSENCE COMMUNICATIONS INC.

Essence Communications is the number one media company dedicated to Black women and inspires a global audience of more than 15 million through diverse storytelling and immersive original content. With a multi-platform presence in publishing, experiential and online, ESSENCE encompasses its signature magazine; digital, video and social platforms; television specials; books; as well as live events, including Black Women in Music, Black Women in Hollywood, Street Style and the ESSENCE Festival. Essence Communications is owned by Essence Ventures, an independent African-American owned company focused on merging content, community and commerce to meet the evolving cultural and lifestyle needs of women of color.