Nine-time Emmy award-winning journalist Giselle Fernandez is known for her cutting-edge reporting in hot spots throughout the world and interviewing prominent global and local leaders. This veteran anchor and two-time winner of the LA Press Club's Journalist of the Year award showcases her talent on Spectrum News 1's Emmy Award-winning weekly "California Stories with Giselle Fernandez," highlighting people who shape lives and create an impact in the state. Fernandez is best known for her award-winning journalism with CBS and NBC News. She hosted NBC's "Weekend Today" and was the first Latina to anchor the Sunday edition of "NBC Nightly News." Her coverage spanned the Gulf War, U.S. invasions of Haiti and Panama, Somalia and Bosnian Wars, Hurricane Andrew and the 1993 World Trade Center and Oklahoma City bombings. Her interviews with leaders like Fidel Castro, Henry Kissinger, Presidents Clinton and George H.W. Bush earned her nine Emmy Awards. Beyond journalism, Fernandez is an author, philanthropist and president of her own production company. She is proud of her documentary "Our Story," raising awareness of the healthcare crisis facing low-income children in the Latin community. She is actively engaged with The Grammy Museum and is a passionate collector of Latin art.

Emmy, Grammy, and NAACP Image Award winner Tiffany Haddish has established herself as one of the most sought-after comedic actresses and performers worldwide. She is a multifaceted artist who, in addition to acting, sings and dances. Haddish is perhaps best known for her breakout role as the scene-stealing “Dina” in the smash hit comedy Girls Trip. She will soon reprise her role in the highly anticipated sequel Girls Trip 2, opposite Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, and Regina Hall. Earlier this year, Haddish made history as the first stand-up comedian to appear on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She will next be seen in Carlos Bernard’s action-thriller, The Deputy, alongside William H. Macy, Duke Nicholson, Billie Lourd, and Julia Fox, which will be released on September 25. Also upcoming is Adam Rifkin’s psychedelic stoner comedy Toad, alongside James Franco, Ike Barinholtz, and Craig Robinson and the crime-thriller Motion. Haddish is a New York Times bestselling author of the memoir The Last Black Unicorn and a children’s book author of Layla, The Last Black Unicorn. The companion audiobook to her memoir, which she narrated, was nominated for a 2019 Grammy Award for Spoken Word Album. Her latest book, a collection of essays entitled, I Curse You with Joy, was released in May 2024. Shortly after, Haddish teamed up with legendary songwriter Diane Warren to release her empowering single, “Woman Up.” Haddish recently starred in Lil Rel Howery’s feature Haunted Heist, which premiered at the 2025 Fantastic Fest. She also starred in and executive produced Peacock’s unscripted series Tiffany Haddish Goes Off, which chronicles Haddish’s 4-week long girls’ trip in Africa with her three best friends; executive produced VICE TV’s series Black Comedy in America and made a cameo in Bad Boys: Ride or Die, opposite Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, which made almost $405 million at the box office. She can also be seen starring as Detective Danner in Apple TV+’s critically acclaimed murder mystery series, The Afterparty; in Disney’s Haunted Mansion; MGM’s Landscape With Invisible Hand, an adaption of M.T. Anderson’s futuristic sci-fi novel; and Back on the Strip. Prior to this, she starred in Lionsgate’s The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent opposite Nicolas Cage and Universal’s Easter Sunday. Haddish also voiced the role of ‘Tuca’ in Adult Swim’s Tuca & Bertie, Aisha in Hulu’s Solar Opposites and Kitty in the animated comedy series The Freak Brothers. Other recent credits include starring opposite Oscar Isaac in the critically acclaimed Paul Schrader film The Card Counter; On the Count of Three, alongside Jerrod Carmichael; and Netflix’s critically acclaimed Bad Trip, starring alongside Eric Andre and Lil Rel Howery. Her other film and television work includes Here Today, Like A Boss, The Kitchen, Between Two Ferns: The Movie, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie: Sponge on the Run, The Secret Life of Pets 2, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, The Angry Birds Movie 2, Night School, Nobody’s Fool, The Oath, hosting both Kids Say the Darndest Things and TBS’ Friday Night Vibes, Self-Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J Walker, The Last O.G. and The Carmichael Show. Haddish also served as host and executive producer of the Emmy-nominated Netflix stand-up comedy series Tiffany Haddish Presents: They Ready. The series of half-hour comedy specials featuring her friends and long-time comedic collaborators ran for two seasons. Her Emmy-nominated and Grammy-winning comedy special, Tiffany Haddish: Black Mitzvah, debuted on Netflix in December 2019. Haddish became the second Black woman ever to win a Grammy for “Best Comedy Album” and the first since Whoopi Goldberg won in 1986. Her first stand-up special, Tiffany Haddish: She Ready! From the Hood to Hollywood was released on Showtime in August 2017. Just three months after the special’s release, Haddish became the first black female stand-up comedian to host Saturday Night Live, which earned her the 2018 Emmy Award for “Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.” In June 2018, Haddish took the reins as the host of the MTV Movie and TV Awards, a role that earned her critical acclaim and significant ratings boost for MTV. She has also guest hosted Jimmy Kimmel Live! twice during Jimmy’s annual summer hiatus. During her July 2026 guest-hosting run, Jimmy Kimmel Live! led the 11:35 p.m. time slot for the week. She also previously guest co-hosted The Today Show in the 10AM hour, alongside Jenna Bush Hager. Haddish’s journey and life experiences have inspired her comedy and sense of humor both on and off the stage. She has been very candid about her experiences growing up in foster care in South Central Los Angeles. Her excessive talking and imaginary friends prompted her flustered social worker to steer her into stand-up comedy. She enrolled in the Laugh Factory’s Comedy Camp, a place for at-risk and underprivileged children to transform negative energy into something positive. The experience was just the beginning of her comedy career. Haddish recently founded The She Ready Foundation to help and support foster kids in need. In 2021, The She Ready Foundation launched an Internship Program with Ready To Succeed for foster youth in the SoCal area.

Malea Emma is a 15-year-old actress and singer best known for her breakout lead role in A24’s feature film “After Yang”, where she starred alongside Oscar-nominated actor Colin Farrell. Her performance earned critical acclaim from outlets such as Awards Watch, The Hollywood Reporter, and IndieWire, and garnered nominations including Best Youth Performance (San Diego Film Critics Society) and Best Breakthrough Performance (South Texas Film Critics Association). She is also known for her recurring roles in popular series including “iCarly” on Paramount+, and “Raven’s Home” and “Coop and Cami Ask the World” on Disney Channel/Disney+. Most recently, Malea starred in the short film “Sunflower Girl”, a heartfelt coming-of-age story told through the lens of an Asian American girl. In addition to acting, she wrote and performed an original song for the film’s soundtrack. Sunflower Girl was screened at more than 50 film festivals worldwide. Her latest project, “Dilan 1983”, an Indonesian feature film now streaming on Netflix, features her in a leading role. She also wrote and performed an original song, Ini Suratku, for the film’s soundtrack. As a singer, Malea gained widespread attention in 2018 after her viral performance of the national anthem at an LA Galaxy soccer match. Since then, she has performed at major national events, including the MLS Cup Final (with a record-breaking 73,000 in attendance) and NBA Playoff games. She was also invited to perform on “American Idol”, where she impressed celebrity judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan, earning the coveted Golden Ticket—making her the youngest recipient in the show’s history. Additionally, she lent her voice to the Emmy-winning Johnny Cash’s Ragged Old Flag – Tribute to America video, featured during the “Super Bowl LVII” pre-game show. Last year, Malea was honored with the Asian Woman in Entertainment Prize by the Asian Hall of Fame, recognizing her outstanding achievements and contributions to the entertainment industry across both the United States and Asia. She has also established a strong presence as a social media influencer, reaching a combined audience of more than 1 million followers across multiple platforms. For more information, please visit: Instagram/YouTube/Facebook/X: @MaleaEmma TikTok: @Malea.Emma Website: www.maleaemma.com IMDb: www.imdb.me/maleaemm

Winner of the Richard Rodgers Award and the Jonathan Larson Award as composer and co-lyricist of the musical The Princess and the Black-Eyed Pea, Chicago native Andrew Chukerman is an accomplished composer, arranger, pianist, and music director. Andrew’s keyboard work appears on Rod Stewart’s Grammy-winning Great American Songbook album series, and he wrote multiple arrangements for Stewart’s A&E and BBC Network concert specials and world tour. He also worked as arranger and keyboardist on Carly Simon’s Grammy-nominated CD Moonlight Serenade and has performed with Stevie Wonder, Carole King, Johnny Mathis, Stephanie Mills, David Foster, David Hyde Pierce, Andrea Bocelli, Al Jarreau, LeAnn Rimes, and Diahann Carroll, among others. He has also received multiple commissions from the Ravinia Festival. Andrew has worked as guest pianist with the Pasadena Pops Orchestra, music-directed by Michael Feinstein, and has recorded for major television series including Westworld, Glee, and Frasier. He received the Grand Prize for Best Score at the 2006 Rhode Island International Film Festival for the feature film Le Chase and was commissioned by the Alabama Shakespeare Festival to compose the world premiere of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. He made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2000 with the New York Pops Orchestra for his original work My Only Son. The Atlanta Symphony also commissioned his gospel adaptation of Handel’s Hallelujah, which was broadcast nationally on PBS. Currently at work on his latest musical, The Piaggi Suite, Andrew’s work has been performed Off-Broadway at the New York Theatre Workshop, AMAS Musical Theatre, American Place Theatre, John Houseman Theatre, and the Douglas Fairbanks Theatre.

Satoshi Kirisawa is one of the most versatile drummers and percussionists working professionally today in the United States and Japan. Satoshi’s professional career began at the age of 20, when he was hired by a musical show in Tokyo, Japan. After gaining professional experience as a drummer, he moved to Los Angeles after receiving a scholarship to attend the Los Angeles Music Academy in Pasadena, California. He began performing professionally throughout Los Angeles and the surrounding areas. Satoshi has performed with a wide variety of artists and groups, including Carl Saunders, Christian Jacob, Wayne Bergeron, Brandon Fields, Harry Kim, David Angel, Bobby Burns Jr. of Earth, Wind & Fire, Lee Thornburg, formerly of Tower of Power, Chicago, and Supertramp, Steve Tyrell, Roger Neumann, Billy Vera, Paul Taylor, Grant Geissman, Jessica Sanchez, Ella Mai, the Disney Jazz Orchestra, and the LA Mambo All Stars Orchestra, among many others. He has also performed in numerous musical productions, including Working, Godspell, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Hair, 9 to 5, Peter Pan, Pippin, The Music Man, Hairspray, Xanadu, Cats, Once Upon a Mattress, School of Rock, Seussical, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Little Shop of Horrors, A Chorus Line, The Pirates of Penzance, Grand Hotel, Rent, Chicago, Cinderella, 13, Mamma Mia!, Footloose, and Frozen.

Bassist Kirk Smith received his B.A. in Music from New Jersey State College in 1972 and served as a Graduate Assistant at Temple University’s College of Music from 1973 to 1974. He also taught instrumental music in New Jersey public schools for three years. After three years on the road with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Stan Kenton, and various show groups and big bands, Kirk moved to Los Angeles in 1977. He has recorded and toured throughout the United States, Japan, Scandinavia, England, Europe, and Brazil with the Ray Conniff Orchestra, the Billy Vaughn Orchestra, the Tex Beneke Orchestra, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Connie Francis, Les Brown and the Band of Renown, Barbara Cook, the Bill Tole Orchestra, the Harry James Orchestra, the Louis Bellson Big Band, and the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra. Kirk has also performed live with Mel Tormé, Bernadette Peters, Barbara Cook, Michael Crawford, Johnny Mathis, Keely Smith, Marvin Hamlisch, Anthony Newley, Michael Feinstein, Diane Schuur, Sheena Easton, Marilyn McCoo, Billy Eckstine, Frankie Laine, The Four Freshmen, Lola Falana, The Fifth Dimension, Andy Williams, Buddy Greco, John Davidson, Diahann Carroll, Roger Williams, Rita Moreno, Liza Minnelli, and Joel Grey.

Giovanni Piacentini is a Latin Grammy–nominated composer, classical guitarist, and educator whose music bridges contemporary classical innovation with cultural memory and human connection. Born and raised in Mexico City and now based in Los Angeles, Piacentini’s artistic voice reflects the multiplicity of his background, with Latin American, European, and North American influences woven into a language that is at once lyrical, modern, and deeply humane. His work explores migration, belonging, and identity, using sound as a space where histories and cultures converge.

Officer Abbey Karr has been a police officer for eight years and is currently assigned to Topanga Division (DART), Domestic Abuse Response Team, working as the Domestic Violence Coordinator. She will soon promote to the rank of Detective and continue her work within Domestic Violence. Police work is a second career for Abbey, as she worked for 10 years in Florida as a stunt performer, singer, and dancer. She is so pleased that she has been able to incorporate her love for music into her career as a police officer. Abbey has a husband who is a police sergeant for LAPD, and they are proud parents of two beautiful boys who continue to light up their world every day.

Officer Erwin Rocha is a 22-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department and is currently assigned to the Southwest Community Relations Office, where he works closely with at-risk youth and their families. A performer and music producer before joining the department, Erwin continues to share his passion for music as the Director of the LAPD Choir. He also uses his life and professional experiences to mentor police officers and young people, encouraging them to live with purpose and make a positive impact. Outside of the department, Erwin proudly volunteers with the Florida Department of Corrections, supporting reentry programs and helping individuals successfully transition back into society. Erwin is happily married and is the proud father of two boys. He is passionate about service, mentorship, music, and helping others discover their potential.