Murray Bartlett is an Australian actor. He is best known for starring as Armond in the first season of the HBO dark comedy series The White Lotus (2021) for which he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. He gained further recognition for his role Nick De Noia in the Hulu miniseries Welcome to Chippendales (2022), and Frank in the episode "Long, Long Time" of the HBO post-apocalyptic drama series The Last of Us (2023) and received Primetime Emmy Award nominations for each of his performances.
Mark Mylod is an English director and executive producer of film and television. He began his career directing comedy shows such as Shooting Stars, The Fast Show, and The Royle Family, for which he received two BAFTA TV Awards.
Quinta Brunson is an American actress, writer, producer, and comedian. She is best known for creating, executive producing, co-writing, and starring in the ABC comedy series Abbott Elementary (2021–present). Brunson gained prominence for her self-produced Instagram series Girl Who Has Never Been on a Nice Date. She went on to produce and act in content for BuzzFeed Video, and developed two streaming series with BuzzFeed Motion Pictures.
The Hollywood Creative Alliance (HCA) is a 501 c6 membership-based non-profit organization of critics, entertainment journalists, content creators, industry influencers, and creatives. The vision and mission of the HCA is to amplify diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and culture within the world of entertainment. It was founded in 2016 as the Los Angeles Online Film Critics Society and renamed in 2019 to Hollywood Critics Association. In 2023, Hollywood Critics Association ceased operations and a new organization called Hollywood Creative Alliance took its place, with its awards called the Astra Awards.
A Black Lady Sketch Show is an American sketch comedy television series created by Robin Thede for HBO. The show consists of comedy sketches performed by a main cast of Black women, consisting of producer and creator Thede, Gabrielle Dennis, and Skye Townsend. Alumni cast members include Quinta Brunson, Laci Mosley, and Ashley Nicole Black. The show has featured guest stars such as Issa Rae, Vanessa Williams, Angela Bassett, Laverne Cox, Nicole Byer, Amber Riley, Miguel, Omarion, Raven-Symoné, Kelly Rowland, Tia Mowry, Tahj Mowry, Gabrielle Union, Kyla Pratt, Wanda Sykes, and Patti LaBelle.
Hacks is an American comedy-drama television series created by Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky that premiered on May 13, 2021, on HBO Max. Starring Jean Smart, Hannah Einbinder, and Carl Clemons-Hopkins, the series centers on the professional relationship between a young comedy writer and a legendary stand-up comedian. The series received critical acclaim and won accolades including Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Writing, Outstanding Directing, and for Smart, Outstanding Lead Actress, as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy. In June 2021, the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on May 12, 2022. In June 2022, the series was renewed for a third season, which is set to premiere on May 2, 2024.
Abbott Elementary is an American mockumentary sitcom television series created by Quinta Brunson for ABC. It stars Brunson as Janine Teagues, a perpetually optimistic second-grade teacher at the underfunded Abbott Elementary, a fictional predominantly Black school in Philadelphia. The ensemble cast includes Tyler James Williams, Janelle James, Lisa Ann Walter, Chris Perfetti, William Stanford Davis, and Sheryl Lee Ralph.
The 1st Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards, presented by the Hollywood Critics Association, took place through a virtual ceremony on YouTube on August 29, 2021. However, due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles County and the US, the ceremony was delayed a week and the broadcast was originally supposed to be held at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles on August 22, 2021.
We Need to Talk About Cosby is an American documentary miniseries directed and produced by W. Kamau Bell. It explores the life and career of Bill Cosby up to his sexual assault cases, through conversations with comedians, journalists, and survivors. It premiered on January 30, 2022, on Showtime.
MJ Delaney is a British director. She is known for her work on Ted Lasso, for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award in 2022.
"Pilot" is the first episode of the American sitcom television series Abbott Elementary. It was written by series creator and star Quinta Brunson, and was directed by Randall Einhorn. It premiered on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States on December 7, 2021.
The 3rd Astra TV Awards, presented by the Hollywood Creative Alliance, initially scheduled to take place on August 12 and 13, 2023, took place on January 8, 2024, at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, and streamed live on YouTube. Comedian Aida Rodriguez hosted the ceremony, which was produced by DIGA Studios and Content.23 Media. The nominations were announced on July 11, 2023.
The 1st Astra Creative Arts TV Awards, presented by the Hollywood Creative Alliance, recognized and celebrated outstanding achievements in television across various genres. The winners were announced on January 8, 2024, alongside the 3rd Astra TV Awards. The creative arts awards were created as a companion to the Astra TV Awards to reward specific technical categories as well as categories that were previously presented at the main ceremony in 2021 and 2022.
