Snoop, Taraji P. Henson, Bernie Mac Among 2018 Walk Of Fame Class

Los Angeles (AP) — The Hollywood Walk of Fame Selection Committee has announced that Snoop Dogg, Shonda Rhimes, Taraji P. Henson, Mary J. Blige, Niecy Nash and late entertainer Bernie Mac will be receiving stars next year.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce revealed the 2018 honorees June 22nd. The stars on the world-famous Hollywood Walk of Fame are located on both sides of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street.

Other recipients include Lin-Manuel Miranda, RuPaul, Simon Cowell, Jennifer Lawrence, Zoe Saldana and Lynda Carter.

Jack Black, Anthony Anderson and Carrie Underwood are also part of the Walk of Fame’s class of 2018.

So are business magnate Richard Branson and Steve Jones, the former The Sex Pistols member turned radio host.

Anyone can nominate a celebrity for Walk of Fame star consideration.

Selections are made by a Chamber of Commerce committee. Walk of Fame honorees or their sponsoring studios must pay $40,000 for each star granted.

The Hollywood Walk of Fame is an internationally-recognized Hollywood icon. With about 24 induction ceremonies annually broadcast around the world, the constant reinforcement provided to the public has made the Walk of Fame a top visitor attraction. The Hollywood Walk of Fame is undoubtedly one of the most successful marketing ideas ever produced.

The man credited with the idea for creating a Walk of Fame, was E. M. Stuart, who served in 1953 as the volunteer president of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. In that year, according to a Chamber press release he proposed the Walk as a means to “maintain the glory of a community whose name means glamour and excitement in the four corners of the world.” He appointed a committee to begin fleshing out the idea and the architectural firm of Periera and Luckman was employed to develop some specific proposals. Where the original idea came from is not certain; however, the ceiling of the dining room of the historic Hollywood Hotel once had stars painted on the ceiling with the names of celebrities and that may have been a precursor of the idea to place stars in the sidewalks.

On February 1, 1994 (which was Hollywood’s birthday anniversary), the Walk of Fame was extended one block to the west from Sycamore to LaBrea on Hollywood Blvd. as part of a revitalization project by the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency. Thirty stars were added to the block to create an instant attraction. At this time, Sophia Loren was honored with the 2,000th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Today, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce continues to add stars to the Walk of Fame as the representative of the City of Los Angeles. An average of two stars are added to the Walk on a monthly basis. The Walk is a tribute to all of those who worked so hard to develop the concept and to maintain this world-class tourist attraction.

For more information, visit http://www.walkoffame.com/