Ohio

And the OSCAR goes to…

March 29, 2026 — Leave a comment

The 98th annual Academy Awards ceremony was held on March 15, 2026 at the Dolby Theatre in sunny Hollywood, California hosted by Conan O’Brien. The Oscars is a glorious star-studded event filled with the hottest stars in film and cinema. Despite ongoing audiences waiting for the announcement to predict best film or best actor, most love to watch this highly anticiapted night for the fashion.

This was a night of “firsts” for many, including film director, Ryan Coogler, who took home his first Oscar win for Best Original Screenplay – for his box office hit, “Sinners” along with the movie also accepting 3 others, 4 in total, being nominated for a record breaking 16! Making the film, the most nominated film in cinematic history. Amazing!

Not too far behind was another fan-favorite movie, “One Battle After Another,” which was nominated for 13. This was also director, Paul Thomas Anderson’s first Oscar win as Best Director, also winning Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture.

Another first time nominee and winner which made history around the world especially during Women’s History month was, Autumn Durald Arkapaw who was the first black woman to win the academy award for Best Cinematogaphry. Other first time female winners include actress, Jessie Buckley for best actress in the film “Hamnet,” Amy Madigan for “Weapons” and Cassandra Kulukundis for best casting for “One Battle After Another.”

And the most edge of your seat award of the night WIN FOR BEST ACTOR goes to…first time nominee and winner adding to the list of six African American male actors to have won in this category, Michael B. Jordan for his role in “Sinners.” Others include, Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx, Forest Whitaker, and Will Smith.

Let’s take a gander to Michael B. Jordan’s acceptance speech:

Congratulations to all the nominees and winners:

Best picture

  • WINNER: One Battle After Another
  • Bugonia
  • Frankenstein
  • F1
  • Hamnet
  • Marty Supreme
  • The Secret Agent
  • Sentimental Value
  • Sinners
  • Train Dreams

Best actress

  • WINNER: Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
  • Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
  • Kate Hudson – Song Sung Blue
  • Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value
  • Emma Stone – Bugonia

Best actor

  • WINNER: Michael B Jordan – Sinners
  • Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
  • Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
  • Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
  • Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent

Best supporting actress

  • WINNER: Amy Madigan – Weapons
  • Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value
  • Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
  • Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
  • Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another

Best supporting actor

  • WINNER: Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
  • Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another
  • Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
  • Delroy Lindo – Sinners
  • Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value

Best director

  • WINNER: Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
  • Ryan Coogler – Sinners
  • Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
  • Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value
  • Chloé Zhao – Hamnet

Best animated feature

  • WINNER: KPop Demon Hunters
  • Arco
  • Elio
  • Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
  • Zootopia 2

Best international feature

  • WINNER: Sentimental Value
  • It Was Just an Accident
  • Sirât
  • The Secret Agent
  • The Voice of Hind Rajab

Best documentary feature

  • WINNER: Mr Nobody Against Putin
  • Come See Me in the Good Light
  • Cutting Through the Rocks
  • The Alabama Solution
  • The Perfect Neighbor

Best original screenplay

  • WINNER: Sinners – Ryan Coogler
  • Blue Moon – Robert Kaplow
  • It Was Just an Accident – Jafar Panahi
  • Marty Supreme – Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie
  • Sentimental Value – Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier

Best adapted screenplay

  • WINNER: One Battle After Another – Paul Thomas Anderson
  • Bugonia – Will Tracy
  • Frankenstein – Guillermo del Toro
  • Hamnet – Chloé Zhao and Maggie O’Farrell
  • Train Dreams – Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar

Best original song

  • WINNER: Golden – KPop Demon Hunters (by EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo and Teddy Park)
  • Dear Me – Diane Warren: Relentless
  • I Lied to You – Sinners
  • Sweet Dreams of Joy – Viva Verdi!
  • Train Dreams – Train Dreams

Best original score

  • WINNER: Sinners – Ludwig Goransson
  • Bugonia – Jerskin Fendrix
  • Frankenstein – Alexandre Desplat
  • Hamnet – Max Richter
  • One Battle After Another – Jonny Greenwood

Best cinematography

  • WINNER: Sinners – Autumn Durald Arkapaw
  • Frankenstein – Dan Laustsen
  • Marty Supreme – Darius Khondji
  • One Battle After Another – Michael Bauman
  • Train Dreams – Adolpho Veloso

Best film editing

  • WINNER: One Battle After Another – Andy Jurgensen
  • F1 – Stephen Mirrione
  • Marty Supreme – Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie
  • Sentimental Value – Olivier Bugge Coutté
  • Sinners – Michael P Shawver

Best sound

  • WINNER: F1 – Gareth John, Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A Rizzo and Juan Peralta
  • Frankenstein – Greg Chapman, Nathan Robitaille, Nelson Ferreira, Christian Cooke and Brad Zoern
  • One Battle After Another – José Antonio García, Christopher Scarabosio and Tony Villaflor
  • Sinners – Chris Welcker, Benjamin A Burtt, Felipe Pacheco, Brandon Proctor and Steve Boeddeker
  • Sirât – Amanda Villavieja, Laia Casanovas and Yasmina Praderas

Best visual effects

  • WINNER: Avatar: Fire and Ash – Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon and Daniel Barrett
  • F1 – Ryan Tudhope, Nicolas Chevallier, Robert Harrington and Keith Dawson
  • Jurassic World Rebirth – David Vickery, Stephen Aplin, Charmaine Chan and Neil Corbould
  • Sinners – Michael Ralla, Espen Nordahl, Guido Wolter and Donnie Dean
  • The Lost Bus – Charlie Noble, David Zaretti, Russell Bowen and Brandon K McLaughlin

Best production design

  • WINNER: Frankenstein – Tamara Deverell and Shane Vieau
  • Hamnet – Fiona Crombie and Alice Felton
  • Marty Supreme – Jack Fisk and Adam Willis
  • One Battle After Another – Florencia Martin and Anthony Carlino
  • Sinners – Hannah Beachler and Monique Champagne

Best casting

  • WINNER: One Battle After Another – Cassandra Kulukundis
  • Hamnet – Nina Gold
  • Marty Supreme – Jennifer Venditti
  • Sinners – Francine Maisler
  • The Secret Agent – Gabriel Domingues

Best make-up and hairstyling

  • WINNER: Frankenstein – Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel and Cliona Furey
  • Kokuho – Kyoko Toyokawa, Naomi Hibino and Tadashi Nishimatsu
  • Sinners – Ken Diaz, Mike Fontaine and Shunika Terry
  • The Smashing Machine – Kazu Hiro, Glen Griffin and Bjoern Rehbein
  • The Ugly Stepsister – Thomas Foldberg and Anne Cathrine Sauerberg

Best costume design

  • WINNER: Frankenstein – Kate Hawley
  • Avatar: Fire and Ash – Deborah L Scott
  • Hamnet – Malgosia Turzanska
  • Marty Supreme – Miyako Bellizz
  • Sinners – Ruth E Carter

Best animated short

  • WINNER: The Girl Who Cried Pearls
  • Butterfly
  • Forevergreen
  • Retirement Plan
  • The Three Sisters

Best live action short

  • WINNER (TIED): The Singers
  • WINNER (TIED): Two People Exchanging Saliva
  • A Friend of Dorothy
  • Butcher’s Stain
  • Jane Austen’s Period Drama

Best documentary short

  • WINNER: All the Empty Rooms
  • Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud
  • Children No More: Were and Are Gone
  • The Devil Is Busy
  • Perfectly a Strangeness

*Enjoy a gallery of the some the best looks of the night:

  • Teyana Taylor
  • Chase Infiniti
  • Arden Cho
  • Amy Madigan
  • Anne Hathaway
  • Nick Jonas
  • Ryan and Zinzi Coogler
  • Zoe Saldana
  • Nicole Kidman
  • Marsai Martin
  • Demi Moore
  • Delroy Lindo
  • Regina Hall
  • Leonardo DiCaprio
  • Zendaya
  • Kathy Bates
  • Wunmi Mosaku
  • Autumn Durald Arkapaw
  • Ava DuVernay
  • Jessie Buckley

Breaking Barriers: Greater Cleveland Association of Black Journalists makes HISTORY with First-Ever Hall of Fame Induction

March 19, 2025 — Leave a comment

The Greater Cleveland Association of Black Journalists hosted it’s first-ever Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony last month on Feb 22, 2025 located at the Cleveland History Center. VIP guests in attendance gathered for such a historical and momumentous night of recognizable talent for their achievements in print, radio, broadcast, digital, media and storytelling.

The inauguaral red carpet celebration marked an exciting turning point for Cleveland, Ohio. Actor, playwright and former politician, Peter Lawson Jones was the MC for the night. And, accompanying him as the presenter to each prestigious recipient was the President of The Greater Cleveland Association, Rhonda Crowder. “This has been a long time in the making, but unfortunately was put off due to the everlasting effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Being that the upcoming event with the National Association of Black of Journalists (NABJ) is hosting their 50th Anniversary right here in Cleveland this year, it was no better time than the present than to implement this new idea,” says Crowder.

Left- Nakia Key, Rhonda Crowder, President of Greater Cleveland Association of Black Journalists (middle), Right-Brian Wherry
Nakia Key strikes a pose on the red carpet

In addition, the chapter also recognized those emerging leaders in the entertainment and media industry making an impact over the last year. Congratulations to all the honorees. It was a remarkable night. You just had to be there!

Hall of Fame Recipients include:

*Print Category

Constance D. Harper- Call & Post

Dick Peery – The Plain Dealer

*Radio Category

Lynn Toliver- 93FM WZAK

Mansfield Frazier- Newsradio WTAM 1100AM

James “Jimmy” Malone- Newsradio WTAM 1100 AM

*Broadcast Category

Ernest “Pete” Cary- FOX 8/WJW

Leon Bibb – News 5 CLEVELAND WEWS & WKYC STUDIO 3 NEWS

*Photojournalist/Visual Category

Herb G. Thomas – FOX 8/ WJW

Richard “Zoom” Scott- FOX 8/WJW

*Digital Category

Nate Paige- Cleveland.com

*MEDIA/PR Category

Dargan J. Burns- Karamu House/Burns Public Relations Services

Alexandria Johnson Boone- GAP Communications

Montessori Life Pre-school: Your Child’s Journey Begins Here

July 25, 2024 — Leave a comment

Ever wanted to put your child in a school that promotes one-on-one attention, is hands on and fast learning? Well look no further than Montessori Life Pre-school located in Macedonia, Ohio. It is surrounded by a beautiful pond, garden and play area allowing children a chance to further develop their skill knowledge all while having fun. Getting a fresh jumpstart!

Lydia Stephens is the Owner and Director of Montessori Life Preschool. The school is deeply rooted in values of the Montessori philosophy and believes that it lends itself to the way that God intended for children to learn. Although, it does not encourage or force children to adopt the Christian faith. It is known for it’s diverse lifestyle, independence and teaching children responsibility . Stephens, currently a mother of four, wanted her children to receive the best education, but knew that Montessori school systems were known for being expensive. Coming from a prior military lifestyle as her husband expanded his career, Stephens had been in conversation with other military wives at that time whose children were also enrolled in a Montessori school teaching, she too decided to give it a try.

Stephens eldest daughter attended her first preschool which was a Montessori school growing up, making her appear “more confident and independent in nature,” says Stephens. This sparked the idea of wanting more of this for her other children. It was at that moment Stephens knew that Montessori was the right choice!

Montessori Life Preschool’s mission is based soley on values of diversity, creativity, and individuality. Focusing on child development and adaptation to an environment that teaches different ages from 2-5 years old at the same time. Depending on which learning program style package is chosen, children in attendance can learn as a joint venture or independently.

Listen here as Stephens details the culture, background and what made her interested in becoming CEO of her own school since 2020.

She is also active in the classroom along with her helpful staff of employees who work extra hard throughout the week. “It was an act of faith and trusting in where God was truly leading me,” says Stephens.

So, is your son or daughter ready for pre-school? Why not start here at Montessori Life? Just click the link www.thatmontessorilife.org to schedule a visit and find out how to enroll today.

Tours are available virtually or by appointment. While you’re at it, tell them Nakia Key sent you!

CLEVELAND’S OWN: R&B Soul Singer Dre Walton with surprise guest Eric Nolan Grant of the O’Jays

December 22, 2019 — Leave a comment

Who remembers 90’s R&B music? Sexy, soulful, sultry and it just made you feel so in love right? Well, that’s what genre Cleveland artist, Dre Walton is known for. The kind of sound that is pure, memorable and has a smooth melody that takes you back to that 90’s kind of vibe. Walton, is known for his unique style, where he stands out from the crowd. There is not a moment that you won’t hear him saying his slogan, “Been Told’em!”

At just 31 years old, Walton is making a name for himself as he continues to step out on the scene as a rising independent artist. The Ohio native has had the wonderful opportunity to work with various artists. And has been influenced by those such as the late Michael Jackson, Tyrese, Musiq SoulChild , The Temptations and so many more. And, in 2017 one of his other R&B influences Tank, announced the Savage Tour with Sammie at the House of Blues Cleveland.

See in this exclusive interview as he explains how he was selected out of thousands to participate. But, this only marks the beginning of his rising career. “I’m just getting started, just barely touching the surface…,” says Walton.

As the interview continues, despite being on a busy tour, Eric Nolan Grant of the O’Jays another artist that Walton has built a great relationship with, made a special stop to Nakia’s Key to the Stars. He came to shed some light and legendary advice on our youth and upcoming artists; especially those in the Cleveland, Ohio area. This is a show that will definitely go down in history.

Walton will be featured this weekend at Cleveland’s Homegrown Showcase on Sunday December 22nd alongside many other Cleveland artists. And he will be performing his latest single, “11.16.” The show is presented by the Real 106.1 iHeart Radio. You don’t want to miss it! Doors open at 6pm and concert starts at 7pm. For tickets and more details be sure to visit https://www.agoracleveland.com/.