Shanelle Genai is a freelance Entertainment and Features Writer living and working in Los Angeles, CA.
Hailing from Little Rock, Ark., she currently serves as an Entertainment Writer for The Root, a digital outlet that provides thought-provoking and entertaining commentary and news from a variety of Black perspectives. In this role, her oft-humorous and insightful pieces sit at the intersection of race and pop culture.
Harnessing nearly 10 years of experience and a love for all things entertainment, celebrity news, TV, film and music, Shanelle has made her mark as an established voice and creative in the industry. Notable interviews include Denzel Washington, Will Smith, Annette Bening, Hillary Clinton, Samuel L. Jackson, Idris Elba, Cord Jefferson, Issa Rae, Quinta Brunson, Sterling K. Brown, former First Lady Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, and many more. She’s also covered several of Hollywood’s biggest events such as Sundance Film Festival, Tribeca Festival, NAACP Image Awards, BET Awards, Art Basel, American Black Film Festival Honors, the Emmys and the Oscars as well as provided thought-provoking reviews and analysis on many of today’s top celeb news, TV, and film projects.
Additionally, she’s also been featured in other publications and platforms like the BBC, MSNBC, ESSENCE Magazine, Fortune Magazine, Revolt, Blavity and more. Her bylines include Variety, Netflix, EDITION by Modern Luxury, xoNecole, Blavity, Shadow and Act and more. With nearly 9K followers across Twitter and Instagram, her social commentary has also been featured in numerous platforms such as Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, BET, CNN, USA Today, Uproxx, New York Post, Buzzfeed, Newsweek, “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” and more. Her commentary has also afforded her the opportunity to collaborate with brands such as Peacock and Amazon Prime Video as well earned her the highly regarded status as a “TomatoMeter Approved Critic” for Rotten Tomatoes. As a lover of entertainment and lifestyle, she’s also collaborated with other brands such as SheaMoisture, Dunkin’ Donuts, MAC Cosmetics, and more.
In 2022, she founded Thee Media Mavens, a collective of Black Women professionals across various media and related creative industries, and hosted nearly 100 women for the inaugural Thee Media Mavens x ESSENCEFest Takeover, sponsored by VH1.
With regard to future opportunities, she’d love to translate her interviewing and cultural commentary skills to more on-camera opportunities as talent for event hosting, moderating, guest speaking, podcast spots, red carpet and live event correspondence both via in-person and digital media.
shanellegenai.com 