Larry Wilmore to Host the 2023 Sentinel Awards

Larry Wilmore, best known for his work on The Daily Show and The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, will host this year’s edition of the Sentinel Awards for Hollywood, Health and Society. The ceremony will take place on December 6 at the Writer’s Guild Theater, and the awards show is different from what’s typically expected from the industry.

Besides celebrating the best entertainment had to offer in the past year, the Sentinel Awards focus on spreading awareness regarding how systemic racism, A.I., the climate crisis affect society, while shining a spotlight on topics such as diplomacy, reproductive health, mental health and economic disparities.

This year’s edition will also present an award that hasn’t been seen in the two decades the ceremony has taken place. Modeled after the Hollywood, Health & Society emblem, the new prize celebrates the power of the pen. During a difficult year that saw the Writer’s Guild of America fighting for their rights, recognizing their work is more important than ever.

Emmy Award winner Larry Wilmore has been a television producer, actor, comedian, and writer for more than 25 years. He can currently be heard as host of Larry Wilmore: Black on the Air on The Ringer Podcast Network. Larry is currently in development on the comedy series Lately for ABC, a behind-the-scenes look at the upstairs-downstairs dynamics of the people who work at a late-night talk show. Wilmore also served as co-creator and consulting producer on HBO’s Insecure, executive producer on ABC’s black-ish, and is a co-creator of the spin-off Grownish.

Last year’s awards drew stars such as Quinta Brunson and Tyler James Williams of Abbott Elementary; Hannah Einbinder and Paul W. Downs of Hacks; Sarah Podemski from Reservation Dogs; Shoniqua Shandai, Jerrie Johnson and Meagan Good of Harlem; and Allison Miller from A Million Little Things. Actress, producer and host Yvette Nicole Brown was the host. The annual celebration recognized 12 shows whose storytelling tackled powerful and timely topics, including Emmy nominees and winners Dopesick, Abbott Elementary and Hacks, as well as A Million Little Things, Never Have I Ever and Reservation Dogs, the breakout coming-of-age series about four indigenous teen-age friends living in rural Oklahoma. 

HH&S provides entertainment industry professionals with accurate and timely information for storylines dealing with health, safety and security through consultations and briefings with experts. “Television has the power to affect audiences and the way they see the world around them long after the credits roll, so while entertainment comes first, it should never come at the cost of accuracy,” said Kate Folb, program director for Hollywood, Health & Society.