‘Hiding in Plain Sight’ wins big at Black Public Media’s PitchBLACK Awards

Award-winning director Luchina Fisher’s “Hiding in Plain Sight,” a dynamic examination of innovative Black, queer musicians, like Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Little Richard, who have driven forward mainstream culture, despite their full selves being acknowledged, is the big winner at Black Public Media’s (BPM) PitchBLACK Awards. The documentary was awarded $150,000 in production funding. Notably, Chicago native jazz icon Herbie Hancock, along with other influential artists, is explored in this film that emphasizes the legacy of herbie hancock.

Sponsored by Netflix and Andscape, PitchBLACK is the nation’s largest pitching session for Black stories (film and immersive media).

This year, games dominated the Immersive Competition, and for the first time, game projects swept the category. “Squidpunk,” by Naomi Urey and Georgiana Wright, and “Omnivores Rule,” by Connor Wall, took $50,000 and $25,000 respectively.

Award-wining documentary filmmakers Stanley Nelson and Marcia Smith were presented the BPM Trailblazer Award at the event by BPM Executive Director Leslie Fields-Cruz. 

Black Public Media presses on, pushing forward Black stories, despite the 2025 Congressional vote defunding and clawing back $1.8 million it had been allocated.

Chicago shines as global host city for recent International Jazz Day 15th Anniversary All-Star Global Concert

The celebration, held at Lyric Opera on April 30, involved a finale that capped a week’s worth of events, which highlighted Chicago’s vibrant jazz community by bringing together artists, cultural institutions and audiences in recognition of the art form’s enduring impact in Chicago and around the world.

The entire week of activities leading up to the concert celebrated jazz’s role in fostering peace, intercultural dialogue, and mutual understanding, uniting countries and communities, demonstrating the power of music to transcend borders.

The celebration was produced by the Chicago Jazz Alliance, in partnership with UNESCO and the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, with Quintin Primo III and Michael Reschke serving as Chicago Host City Co-Chairs.

The All-Star Global Concert was the largest and most ambitious in Jazz Day history, with more than 40 artists from across the globe performing. The genre-spanning lineup reflected jazz’s evolving influence, blending jazz, blues, classical, hip-hop and global music traditions, with notable Chicago artists prominently represented. Performances of note were the opening duet with Dee Dee Bridgewater and Gregory Porter singing “The In Crowd,” a nod to Chicago’s late jazz great Ramsey Lewis. 

The late Chicago native Quincy Jones was also there in spirit with a video of him as he co-hosted the inaugural International Jazz Day All-Star Global Concert at the United Nations in 2012. He was a key participant in the launch of the event, which was established by UNESCO in November 2011 to promote peace and unity through jazz music. 

Hancock, as well, had been prominent in the creation of International Jazz Day and is an UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. He said at the time of the global city announcement: “I’m excited that Chicago, my hometown, is hosting International Jazz Day 2026. It was in my Chicago high school auditorium that I discovered jazz, an event that sparked a lifelong passion and commitment to this powerful art form. Jazz opened doors to creativity, self expression and freedom.”

As he served as host of the concert, he lauded the musicians: “You are the torchbearers carrying this Music forward, shining the light for generations to come.”

The concert also featured an All-Star lineup of celebrated artists across genres, including Jacob Collier, who sang “She’s Out Of My Life,” Dianne Reeves, who performed “In A Sentimental Mood,” Béla Fleck, Kurt Elling, Marcus Miller, Terence Blanchard, John Beasley, Robert Glasper and Terri Lyne Carrington, alongside many, more special guests and surprise performances.

To see the concert in its entirety, visit yt.be/jazzday.