The BET 100 Entertainers And Innovators Of The Year | The Creatives

See who superseded our expectations.

BET 100 | The Creatives  - One thing the coronavirus could not shut down was creativity. Even while confined to their homes, directors, authors, artists, comedians, and other visionaries were inspired to do what they do best: produce. And boy, did they deliver with talent as unlimited as their drive. They created groundbreaking films and shot extraordinary photos. They made us laugh, cry, and think about how we can change the world. Most importantly, they gave us hope. We salute this phenomenal crew for their strength, skill and non-stop grind.— Written by Laura J. Downey  Plus, don't forget to check back each day this week to find out who else we've added to the BET 100 list...we're just getting started. (Photo by BET Digital Design/Getty)
Janelle Monáe - It seems as if the world slowed down when the pandemic hit. But not for 35-year-old Janelle Monáe. She starred in the mind-bending slavery thriller Antebellum, landed on the Hollywood Reporter’s 50 Most Powerful LGBTQ Players in Hollywood list, scored the cover of Out magazine’s Out100, and released a new music video titled, “Turntables.” The song is used over the end credits of the Stacey Abrams-backed film, All In: The Fight for Democracy. As an advocate for social justice, Monáe’s message came through loud and clear in the lyrics: “America, you a lie … I said, the whole world ‘bout to testify … And the tables ‘bout to turn.” (Photo by Julien Hekimian/Getty Images)
Dario Calmese - We were all saying his name after he landed the Vanity Fair July/August 2020 cover with his image of Viola Davis. Dario Calmese is the first Black photographer to shoot a cover for the revered glossy. He made the surprising decision to position the Academy Award-winning actress in a reimagined version of “The Scourged Back,” the brutal, Civil War-era portrait of a slave’s whip-scarred body. The 38-year-old wanted to depict “the Black Athena, representing survival and justice, or the Black Madonna representing the transformation of one’s internal darkness into light,” he told The New York Times. His dedication to showcasing African-Americans with such beauty and positivity is why we’ll be adoring his work for years to come. (Photo by Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)Dee Rees - After an awards season that all but snubbed women directors and directors of color, Dee Rees (the woman behind Pariah and the Oscar-nominated Mudbound) is absolutely worth talking about. This year, she delivered The Last Thing He Wanted (now streaming on Netflix), a mystery that stars Hollywood heavyweights Anne Hathaway, Ben Affleck, and Willem Dafoe. The 43-year-old lesbian director and screenwriter is out to build an empire. “I want to create work that matters and lasts,” she told The New York Times. As she continues to challenge the norm, her legacy will indeed stand the test of time. (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for AFI)

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BET 100 | The Creatives  - One thing the coronavirus could not shut down was creativity. Even while confined to their homes, directors, authors, artists, comedians, and other visionaries were inspired to do what they do best: produce. And boy, did they deliver with talent as unlimited as their drive. They created groundbreaking films and shot extraordinary photos. They made us laugh, cry, and think about how we can change the world. Most importantly, they gave us hope. We salute this phenomenal crew for their strength, skill and non-stop grind.— Written by Laura J. Downey  Plus, don't forget to check back each day this week to find out who else we've added to the BET 100 list...we're just getting started. (Photo by BET Digital Design/Getty)

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