More than a decade after the devastating car crash that nearly took his life, Tracy Morgan can still find humor in his survival.
“I remember being in a coma, and I’m here getting an award,” he told the crowd in an emotional acceptance speech at the African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) TV Honors. After being involved in the semi-truck collision which placed him in that coma, he spent months in a wheelchair and underwent intensive rehabilitation to learn how to walk again.
“It’s crazy—a coma, y’all. I was on the other side. You know what God said to me… None of your business! I ain’t telling you ain’t nothing. If God tells you something, keep it to yourself.”
Morgan received the inaugural Flip Wilson award at the ceremony, held on August 8 in Los Angeles. The prestigious honor is named after the groundbreaking comedian and actor who transformed the cultural landscape for Black entertainers. Being the first honoree in the newly formed category was a moment for the comedic actor.
“I’m also honored to be here today in this room with so many talented people,” Morgan continued. “Flip Wilson was a legend and a trailblazer. I watched him when I was little. Never did I ever think I would be here. He made me want to laugh a lot. And that is what I’m always trying to do, always working so hard to do it.”
Erika Alexander, presented him with the award, stating that the comedian was a “resurrection story.” While leaving the stage, Morgan returned to the microphone where he stood in front of an applauding crowd declaring, “I got hit by a truck. I’m still here!”
Alexander also received honors, taking home the Best Supporting Actress award for her performance as Monica in the NBC mockumentary comedy series The Rise and Fall of Reggie Dinkins, which she shares the screen with her co-star Morgan.
“AAFCA is unique in all the world because you see more than the work,” she said. “You see the obstacles and the crazy set of circumstances that an artist and cultural worker like me has had to overcome to arrive this far.”
Alexander is best known for her roles as Pam Tucker in The Cosby Show and playing attorney Maxine Shaw on the hit series Living Single. With a career spanning nearly four decades, the actress emphasized how her career wouldn’t be possible without the other Black entertainers carving out the path.
“I have to acknowledge the artists who paved the way, many of them my role models,” she said. “They did it with very few awards to keep them company. We owe them everything. I accept this for all of yesterday’s rejections and heartache. Not for dreams delayed or denied, but for dreams to come. Not as my due, but as proof of life.”
In addition to Morgan, other special TV achievement honorees included: Kathryn Busby, who received the TV Vanguard Award; Celeste Hughey, who received the Impact Award; Lamar Chase, who received the Horizon Award; and Felicia Pride, who received the Salute to Excellence Award.
Held at the City Club Los Angeles, the AAFCA gathered some of the biggest stars of Hollywood for a celebratory luncheon to recognize the most impactful shows on TV from the past year.
Sterling K. Brown, along with his co-stars Julianne Nicholson and Shailene Woodley, accepted the Best Drama award for their hit Hulu series Paradise. Brown later returned to the stage to accept the Best Actor award for his performance as Xavier Collins on the series.
“So much of what we watch on the news today is bad,” Brown said. “We wanted to make a show that is genre-bending and plays with things, but not anything that leads to more negativity in the world. You see these people going through difficult things, making hard choices, but still ultimately at the end of the day, they’re good people trying to make the right choice, trying to make the world a better place.”
He ended his speech with a call to action: “With our art and the way in which we navigate this world with whatever your ministry is, I implore you to try to make the world a better place. We do it with this platform, but whatever your platform is, make it happen.”
Also in attendance were Sheryl Lee Ralph and Janelle James to accept Abbott Elementary’s award for Best Ensemble.
Below, find the complete list of television winners at the AAFCA 2026 TV Honors.
- Best Drama — Paradise (Hulu)
- Best Comedy — Shrinking (Apple TV)
- Best Limited Series — Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette (FX/Hulu)
- Best Actor — Sterling K. Brown, Paradise (Hulu)
- Best Actress — Jurnee Smollett, Smoke (Apple TV)
- Best Supporting Actress — Erika Alexander, The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins (NBC)
- Best Supporting Actor — Lamorne Morris, Spider-Noir (Prime Video)
- Best Ensemble — Abbott Elementary (ABC)
- Best Directing (Drama) — Crystle Roberson Dorsey, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette (FX/Hulu)
- Best Directing (Comedy) — Anthony Hemingway, All’s Fair (Hulu)
- Best Documentary — Sean Combs: The Reckoning (Netflix)
- Best Writing — Abbott Elementary (ABC)
- Best Music — Kris Bowers, Spider-Noir (Prime Video)
- Best Breakout Performance — Aaron Moten, Fallout (Prime Video)
- Best Reality Series — Love & Marriage: Huntsville (OWN)
- Best Podcast — All the Smoke with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson
AAFCA’s Top 10 TV shows of 2026:
- 1. Paradise (Hulu)
- 2. The Pitt (HBO Max)
- 3. Shrinking (Apple TV)
- 4. The Madison (Paramount+)
- 5. Abbott Elementary (ABC)
- 6. The Chi (Paramount+ with Showtime)
- 7. Matlock (CBS)
- 8. The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins (NBC)
- 9. Beef (Netflix)
- 10. The ‘Burbs (Peacock)