Cori Murray is former Deputy Editor of ESSENCE. Under her editorial leadership, ESSENCE won its first American Society for Magazine Editor’s National Magazine Award for Photography in April 2022. She received an ElevatHER Award by the Black Women Film Network in the same year, recognizing how she elevates future generations of Black women. As a storyteller, Ms. Murray covers arts and entertainment for many outlets, including The Hollywood Reporter, InStyle, Emmys, EBONY, and Detour.