Mario Van Peebles,Taye Diggs,and more: Black actors celebrated at Lexus Uptown Honors Hollywood 2026

Mario Van Peebles, known for roles in “New Jack City,” “Heartbreak Ridge,” and creating the docudrama “Baadasssss!” received the Icon of Achievement Award.

Ahead of the 98th annual Academy Awards, Uptown magazine and Lexus hosted its celebration honoring the Black actors who have molded and continue to shape our viewing experience on television and the big screen.

Mario Van Peebles, Taye Diggs, Wood Harris, and Omar Benson Miller were honored at Uptown Honors Hollywood on Wednesday (March 11). All of these actors have graced our screens for decades and shown us a range of roles, from comedy to drama to action. For example, Harris, who won the Fearless Trailblazer Award, recently played a revolutionary in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another,” and a loving father of a teenage boy navigating his first love in the Mara Brock Akil Netflix series, “Forever,” but has also given us standout performances in HBO’s “The Wire” and “Remember The Titans.”

Van Peebles (“New Jack City,” “Baadasssss”) received the Icon of Achievement Award, Diggs (“The Best Man,” “All American,” “Rent”) won the Impact and Excellence Award, and Benson Miller (“Sinners,” “8 Mile,” “Ballers”) was presented with the Amplified Impact Award.

“For over 16 years, Uptown has been committed to elevating or celebrating Black excellence in Hollywood because our stories and images deserve to be seen, valued and celebrated with intention,” Len Burnett, founder of Uptown magazine, said in a news release, per The Hollywood Reporter.

“This Oscar Week event was created to address the ongoing gap in recognition by honoring Black creatives and executives — both in front of and behind the camera — whose work shapes the industry and culture at large. This year, we proudly spotlight Black men whose vision, influence and leadership are building lasting legacies for future generations,” Burnett said.

This years’ awards shone a spotlight on Black actors, but Uptown Honors Hollywood has given the recognition to different Black entertainers and creators in Hollywood. Method Man, Blair Underwood, Omar J. Dorsey, J. Alphonse Nicholson, Cedric The Entertainer, Boris Kodjoe, Questlove, Malcolm D. Lee, Lee Daniels, Ava DuVernay, Nia Long, Niecy Nash, are among the past honorees.