Key Takeaways
- Nia Long will receive the Leonard Maltin Award at the Coronado Island Film Festival on November 4, honoring her three-decade career and her portrayal of Katherine Jackson in Michael.
- Long and casting director Victoria Thomas will discuss their collaboration on Michael on November 5, following a gala that also honors Kenny Loggins, Amy Roth, and Coco Francini.
- Long will release her memoir, The Sound of Purpose, on May 25, 2027, exploring her upbringing, Hollywood’s racism and colorism, and the experiences that shaped her career.
Nia Long has spent more than three decades making her mark on Hollywood, and now she's receiving another major honor for it.
According to Gold Derby, the actress will receive the Leonard Maltin Award at the 2026 Coronado Island Film Festival, recognizing a career that helped shape Black cinema and her performance as Katherine Jackson in Antoine Fuqua's blockbuster Michael Jackson biopic, Michael.
Long will be honored during the Leonard Maltin Industry Tribute Awards Gala on November 4 at the Hotel del Coronado. Kenny Loggins will receive the Legacy Award, while costume designer Amy Roth, casting director Victoria Thomas, and producer Coco Francini will also be recognized.
Long and Thomas are additionally scheduled to participate in a November 5 discussion about their collaboration on Michael.
The award adds another milestone to a résumé that includes Boyz n the Hood, Love Jones, Soul Food, Friday, and The Best Man. Long also became a familiar face on television through The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Third Watch.
Her latest major film role came in Fuqua's Michael, which opened in theaters on April 24, with Jaafar Jackson portraying his famous uncle and Long playing the Jackson family matriarch.
During a recent appearance on Angie Martinez's IRL podcast, Long discussed meeting Katherine Jackson for the first time at the film's premiere. The encounter left her emotional, particularly as she considered Jackson's influence on one of music's most famous families.
"She's the beginning of an empire," Long said. "She gave birth to all those children. And she protected them, and she sacrificed."
Long's latest recognition also comes as she's preparing to release The Sound of Purpose, her memoir arriving May 25, 2027. The book will explore her upbringing, the racism and colorism she encountered in Hollywood, and the experiences that shaped her career.
She's also been candid about her personal life, including her 2022 breakup with former Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka. She described the aftermath as "the best thing that ever happened to me" because it gave her an opportunity to reconsider her priorities.
"It allowed me to pause," she said. "But now I can pour everything back into myself."
Meanwhile, the Coronado Island Film Festival's 11th edition will feature more than 140 films, with I Play Rocky opening the screening program November 5 and James Gray's Paper Tiger closing the festival November 8.
