HOLLYWOOD, CA — Emmy Award winning Actress Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary, Dreamgirls, Moesha) was honored by Project Angel Food’s s annual Angel Awards with the inaugural Sheryl Lee Ralph Legacy Award.
“Can you imagine Sheryl Lee Ralph is getting the first ‘Sheryl Lee Ralph Legacy Award,” a surprised Ralph told Nitecast Media on the red carpet. “I didn’t realize they really meant it, I thought it was a joke or something or I had gotten it wrong.”
After realizing she needed to be in attendance for the award, Ralph spent countless years advocating for those battling AIDS, HIV and hunger with Project Angel Food.
Project Angel Food CEO Richard Ayoub was overjoyed about honoring Ralph for the first annual award.
“Sheryl Lee Ralph has been with Project Angel Food since the beginning,” said Ayobu. “She risked a lot to be with us. She’s one of those solders in the fight against AIDS (like) her, Mary Ann Williamson, Elizabeth Taylor, and Judith Light all said these are human beings. These are people who need representation, they said someone to speak up for them and they risked they’re own livelihood to do it. We decided it was time to name an award after Sheryl. She is getting the first one and next year and every year after we’ll award it to someone deserving.”
Actress and comedian Lily Tomlin presented the inaugural award to Ralph, in honor of her unwavering commitment to Project Angel Food over the last thirty years.
“Sheryl Lee Ralph is a force of nature,” said Tomlin. “And when she walks into a room, she brings her own damn spotlight, and she has used that light to stand up for the HIV/AIDS community when few would, and she has used it to right social injustice, to fight ignorance, and to advocate for change… Sheryl Lee Ralph has exemplified an unwavering commitment to assisting those in need, particularly through her profound involvement with Project Angel Food.”
Ralph was still in amazement when she accepted the award in front of hundreds in attendance at the Angel Awards.
“I never ever dreamed that someone would be naming an award after me and then put the word ‘legacy’ behind it,” Ralph said accepting the award.
Ralph has had some memorable roles in her legendary career that including working with the late great Sidney Poitier, also staring in Dreamgirls the original Broadway play, Moesha, and of course her current role as Barbara Howard, in ABC’s award winning sitcom Abbott Elementary.
While a Moesha reboot could be in the works, Ralph discussed the moments she worked with singer and actress Brandy on the original series.
“When I saw Brandy, I looked at this beautiful, young Black girl (that) was fourteen years old and she was starring in this show about a beautiful Black girl growing up in Leimert Park. I remain proud of her, and she has her own beautiful daughter now Sy’Rai and it’s wonderful to see.”
Ralph is hopeful that the current actors strike will be resolved soon and is looking to return to the set of Abbott Elementary with her fellow actors soon along with working on new projects.
*Olympic gold medalist Greg Louganis and author David Kessler, presented the 2023 Angel Award to Mary Fisher.
Additional celebrity guests in attendance included John Goodman, Megan Hilty and Brian Gallagher, Tara Reid, Tyler Henry, Rachel Lindsay, James Charles, Midori Francis, Ronnie Woo, Lawrence Zarian, Gregory Zarian, Mindy Cohn, Tamara Braun, Annika Noelle, David Kessler, Michael Corbett, Joey Zauzig and Brian Grossman, plus Gino and Elizabeth Angelini.
Singer/ sonwriter Jewel also performed at the gala.
