Popsugar Celebrity Award Season Best Pictures 2019 Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards Regina Hall Celebrates Black Women in Hollywood at the Star-Studded Essence Awards 22 February 2019 by Monica Sisavat Solís Image Source: Getty / Aaron J. Thornton Ahead of Sunday night's Oscars, stars celebrated at the 2019 Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards. From host Kelly Rowland to Octavia Spencer to Angela Bassett, stars came together at the luncheon to honour Regina Hall, Amandla Stenberg, Jenifer Lewis, and KiKi Layne for their contributions and achievements in the entertainment industry. Regina — who recently made history as the first black woman to win best actress at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards for her role in Support the Girls — gave a refreshingly honest speech, praising black women in Hollywood. "I never had a quantum leap that was overnight but there's so much you learn in the journey. So I'm grateful for that," she said. "As I celebrate this, I want to celebrate every woman in this room . . . it's about what we show each other. It's about the love we give to each other. It's about the empowerment that we feel as people." The affair also reunited Tina Lawson and Sanaa Lathan — perhaps all is forgiven after that whole alleged biting incident? Ahead, see even more fun moments from the night! Chloe x Halle and Trevor Jackson Image Source: Getty / Leon Bennett 1 / 30 Sanaa Lathan, Regina King, and Michelle Ebanks Image Source: Getty / Leon Bennett 2 / 30 Ava DuVernay Image Source: Getty / Aaron J. Thornton 3 / 30 Angela Bassett, A.J. Johnson, and Sanaa Lathan Image Source: Getty / Rich Polk 4 / 30 Amandla Stenberg Image Source: Getty / Rich Polk 5 / 30 Angela Bassett Image Source: Getty / Rich Polk 6 / 30 Regina King Image Source: Getty / Rich Polk 7 / 30 Chloe x Halle and Ava DuVernay Image Source: Getty / Rich Polk 8 / 30 Tina Lawson and Octavia Spencer Image Source: Getty / Aaron J. Thornton 9 / 30 Amandla Stenberg Image Source: Getty / Rich Polk 10 / 30 Moana Luu, Sanaa Lathan, Regina Hall, and Kelly Rowland Image Source: Getty / Leon Bennett 11 / 30 Diddy and Jenifer Lewis Image Source: Getty / Rich Polk 12 / 30 Regina King and KiKi Layne Image Source: Getty / Leon Bennett 13 / 30 Sanaa Lathan and Regina Hall Image Source: Getty / Leon Bennett 14 / 30 Kelly Rowland Image Source: Getty / Randy Shropshire 15 / 30 Regina King and Trevor Jackson Image Source: Getty / Leon Bennett 16 / 30 Angela Bassett Image Source: Getty / Amy Sussman 17 / 30 Jenifer Lewis Image Source: Getty / Randy Shropshire 18 / 30 Regina Hall and Kelly Rowland Image Source: Getty / Leon Bennett 19 / 30 Amandla Stenberg Image Source: Getty / Leon Bennett 20 / 30 Anita Hill and Angela Bassett Image Source: Getty / Rich Polk 21 / 30 Regina King Image Source: Getty / Rich Polk 22 / 30 Marsai Martin and Tina and Bianca Lawson Image Source: Getty / Aaron J. Thornton 23 / 30 Sanaa Lathan and Regina Hall Image Source: Getty / Randy Shropshire 24 / 30 Regina Hall, KiKi Layne, Amandla Stenberg, and Jenifer Lewis Image Source: Getty / Aaron J. Thornton 25 / 30 Amandla Stenberg and Angela Bassett Image Source: Getty / Amy Sussman 26 / 30 Regina Hall, Diddy, KiKi Layne, Amandla Stenberg, Sanaa Lathan, and Elaine Welteroth Image Source: Getty / Rich Polk 27 / 30 Amandla Stenberg Image Source: Getty / Rich Polk 28 / 30 Lorraine Toussaint and Ryan Michelle Bathe Image Source: Getty / Randy Shropshire 29 / 30 Regina King Image Source: Getty / Rich Polk 30 / 30 Award SeasonBlack WomenCelebrity FriendshipsEssenceRegina HallRed Carpet