As one of Hollywood's most respected and well-regarded entertainment journalists and commentators, Tanya Kersey has her finger on the pulse of what's happening in the world of urban entertainment. Over the course of her career, she has developed and earned a reputation as a key player in the entertainment industry, covering everything from film, television, music, pop culture, and the business of entertainment, while sharing her industry expertise in a trend-setting, groundbreaking format.

Kersey's wealth of knowledge and informed opinions have guided the careers of many of today's stars and entertainment industry aspirants. Empowerment has been the guiding force behind each of Kersey's personal and professional endeavors, and she has successfully channeled her passion for entertainment into numerous creative outlets. Kersey is perhaps best known as the Founder, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the online entertainment trade publication, BlackTalentNews.com (http://www.blacktalentnews.com), and as the Founder and Executive Director of the Hollywood Black Film Festival (http://www.hbff.org), an annual 6-day celebration of Black cinema.

Adding "publisher" to her growing list of credits, Kersey launched Black Talent News in 1994 as a print publication in response to market demand. The informative trade publication eventually evolved into BlackTalentNews.com, an online resource delivering the latest news from the film, television, theatre and new media industries. Kersey followed up BlackTalentNews.com with two additional annual publications in 2002 - the Black Film Report and the Urban Hollywood Resource Directory, two valuable resources for information on the business of urban entertainment.

Further solidifying her ongoing commitment to Blacks in the entertainment industry, Kersey has several publications and career-planning handbooks scheduled for release in 2008, including The Guide to Black Film Festivals and the third edition of Kersey's The Performer's Plan. Additionally, career-planning handbooks for Black writers, directors and producers are currently in various stages of development, and she is launching a new venture in spring of 2008 called BlackHollywoodUniversity.com, a "one-stop shop" for starting, building and growing one's career in Hollywood.

With the launch of so many successful projects, Kersey has become a force to be reckoned with and has become a preferred media source for commentary across multiple formats in the entertainment industry. Her expertise has landed her spots on various television and radio shows as well as print and internet publications. On the entertainment beat for more than 15 years, Kersey has covered a variety of high-profile events and award shows and has conducted countless celebrity interviews.

As a contributing writer and editor, Kersey's many essays and articles about the entertainment industry have appeared in numerous national and local publications. Currently, Kersey can frequently be seen offering commentary on upcoming box office releases on ReelzChannel's weekly "Reelz in the Round," and heard on KPFK (90.7FM) as a contributor and frequent co-host on the Samm Brown's "For the Record" show delivering the Urban Entertainment Report.

Kersey's awards and activities include being named a 'Living History Maker' by the prestigious Turning Point Magazine as well as being named as one of Hollywood's 'Urban Movers and Shakers' by Daily Variety (November 8, 2002), both for her accomplishments in publishing and as founder/executive director of the Hollywood Black Film Festival. Kersey's professional efforts and awards have been highlighted in numerous publications, and she has been profiled on several television shows. As a highly sought-after public speaker, Kersey frequently presents on panels and conferences in the entertainment business sharing her vast knowledge of various industry trends. Her many speaking engagements include delivering keynote speeches at prestigious universities as well as making regular appearances at well-established entertainment-related and political conferences and roundtables. A member of several professional organizations prestigious advisory boards, Kersey has also served on the Nominating Committee for the NAACP Image Awards, a distinguished position she has served with other industry professionals and National NAACP leaders for five years.

Kersey's latest venture is as the host and executive producer of "Inside Urban Hollywood" on BlogTalkRadio (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/insideurbanhollywood) which takes listeners behind-the-scenes for insider insight into the people, issues and events that reflect the pulse of who's doing what, where and when in Urban Hollywood. The show features interviews with some of Hollywood's movers and shakers. She also recently launched a blog of the same name, "Inside Urban Hollywood with Tanya Kersey" (http://tanyakersey.blogspot.com) which offers commentary on topical entertainment industry issues. And, Kersey launches Black Hollywood University (http://www.blackhollywooduniversity.com) this summer.

Contact: Tanya Kersey / Tel 310.203.1336 / E-mail: tanya@tanyakersey.com / Website: www.tanyakersey.com