Last night in Beverly Hills, Laurence Fishburne‘s legacy was formally honored as Fishburne received the inaugural James Earl Jones Prize at the 2026 Voice Arts Awards.
Awarded by the Society of Voice Arts and Sciences (SOVAS™) at the Beverly Hilton, Fishburne was presented the award by longtime collaborator Angela Bassett and Flynn Earl Jones, the son of the late James Earl Jones, whose influence inspired the creation of the prize.
The James Earl Jones Prize was established to honor performers who embody artistic excellence, integrity, and cultural impact across voice and performance. It is fitting that Fishburne would be its first recipient. Like Jones, Fishburne’s work transcends genre and medium.
For Fishburne, the moment was deeply personal. “It means everything to me,” he said to Digital LA on the red carpet. “James Earl Jones was somebody who inspired me. Somebody I watched from the time that I was, probably before I became an actor, and I became an actor at the age of 10. So he’s somebody whose footsteps it has been my goal to follow in, as an actor, most of my life. This award means everything to me because of that.”
The presentation felt less like a ceremonial passing of a torch and more like a recognition of lineage. Bassett, who has shared the screen with both Fishburne and Jones over her career, reinforced the respect and continuity between two artists who helped define what Black excellence looks and sounds like in Hollywood.
Alongside Fishburne’s honor, Debbe Hirata received the Legacy Award and Fabián Toro was presented with the Apex Award. The evening brought together performers, creators, and industry leaders from across animation, audiobooks, video games, podcasts, political advertising, and narration, highlighting just how expansive the world of voice work has become.
Laurence Fishburne arrives on the Voice Arts Awards red carpet.
— Digital LA (@DigitalLA) January 19, 2026
He is honored with the inaugural James Earl Jones award.
He describes what that means to him in our red carpet interview. #laurencefishburne #voiceartsawards @SovasVoice @audible_com pic.twitter.com/hwUBa0ExMs
Check out more photos from the event below.
Photo Credit: Greg Doherty/Leon Bennett
