The All Def Movie Awards were everything the Oscars won't be - Los Angeles Times
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The All Def Movie Awards were everything the Oscars won’t be

Russell Simmons, left, and Lucy McIntosh attend the 2016 All Def Movie Awards held at Lure in Los Angeles.

Russell Simmons, left, and Lucy McIntosh attend the 2016 All Def Movie Awards held at Lure in Los Angeles.

(Richard Shotwell / Invision)
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Ten days ago, Russell Simmons decided to throw his own award ceremony. Called the All Def Movie Awards — borrowing its name from the mogul’s All Def Digital platform — the event was to “celebrate the uncelebrated†against a backdrop of the #OscarsSoWhite controversy. The last-minute journey ended Wednesday night when the awards were hosted by comedian Tony Rock at Hollywood’s Lure Nightclub.

“This is not a shot at the Oscars,†Rock started the show saying. “This is just our awards show done our way. Everything’s better when we add our flavor on it.â€

So don’t expect fancy floor-length gowns or the best tuxedos when it airs Sunday on Fusion. In fact, with the event more of a party and less of an award show — as evidenced by Snoop Dogg smoking on stage or the bottles of Ciroc and wine on each table — look for obnoxiously high splits, mesh jumpsuits and entirely too much cleavage. Expletives were at an all-time high.

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A number of notable names were in attendance, including Ice Cube and son O’Shea Jackson Jr. of “Straight Outta Compton,†model Amber Rose and actors Marlon Wayans, Michael Ealy and Terry Crews.

The event was far from what one can expect at the Academy Awards, for good reason. Most of the categories for the show were in jest — best helpful white person, best black survivor, etc. But that’s exactly how Simmons envisioned it.

“It’s not a protest,†he said from the stage. “It’s a celebration, a celebration of people who otherwise would not be celebrated.â€

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But it was also a comment on #OscarsSoWhite and the broader lack of diversity in Hollywood.

“It’s a shame because whenever I talk about animal rights, civil rights, Islamophobia, homophobia or any of that, there’s that Hollywood liberal [expletive],†Simmons said. “And here we are, with the most compassionate group of activists on the planet, and still we live in the most segregated place on the planet — Hollywood.â€

Actress Sanaa Lathan of last year’s “The Perfect Guy†accepted the best actress award from Regina Hall, and said: “I’m excited by all of the conversation about diversity... because it is so important for young boys and girls of color to see themselves on screen. I’m so happy that Hollywood, maybe, is about to wake the [expletive] up.â€

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Most of the award winners — like Denzel Washington for best bad muh ... — did not attend. Some opted to send video messages in their place.

The night’s major honors went to Will Smith, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award. He did not attend because he was on set filming a new movie — or maybe, as he joked in his video acceptance, because Russell wasn’t honoring enough white people. TV legend Norman Lear received the Vanguard Award. He send a video message as well saying he was at a climate change event.

All honorees and award winners were given golden statues called “The Goldie,†inspired by the 1973 film “The Mack.â€

The event entertained the packed nightclub. A number of bits poked fun at the diversity conversation in Hollywood. D. L. Hughley and Mike Epps did a bit on actors who should have won an Oscar for a particular role, but didn’t, like Washington, who won for “Training Day†but not for “Malcolm X.†Angela Bassett, they said, deserved an Oscar for her turn as Tina Turner in 1993’s “What’s Love Got to Do With It,†and Leonardo DiCaprio — who may finally win his first Oscar this year — should’ve won for “Wolf of Wall Street.â€

Oh, and “The Color Purple†was nominated for 11 Oscars and took home none, they pointed out.

Rock, whose brother Chris is hosting the Academy Awards Sunday, presented a number of Reparation awards. Two of them went to Vin Diesel and Dwayne “The Rock†Johnson, for being just black enough to still be castable.

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See the other award categories and winners below:

Best actress

Sanaa Lathan — “The Perfect Guyâ€

Best actor

Michael B. Jordan — “Creedâ€

Best director

Ryan Coogler — “Creedâ€

Best helpful white person

Christoph Waltz, accepted by Robin Thicke “on behalf of all white peopleâ€

Best bad muh ...

Denzel Washington — “Training Dayâ€

Most likely to steal your girl

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Amber Rose, presented by Quincy Combs and Karrueche Tran

Most-quoted movie

“Friday,†accepted by Ice Cube

Best black survivor in a movie

Ice Cube as Danny Rich in “Anaconda,†presented by Gary Owen

Lifetime achievement award

Will Smith, presented by Tyrese Gibson

Vanguard award

Norman Lear, presented by Jerrod Carmichael of “The Carmichael Showâ€

Best picture

“Straight Outta Compton,†accepted by Ice Cube and O’Shea Jackson Jr.

The All Def Movie Awards airs Sunday — opposite the Oscars — on Fusion. It will begin at 7 p.m. EST and re-air throughout the night.

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Get your life! Follow me on Twitter: @TrevellAnderson.

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