Queen Sugar’s fifth season is on its way at long last. The Ava DuVernay-created show will return to OWN on February 16, 2021. The premiere date announcement is accompanied by another piece of exciting news: Queen Sugar has been renewed through season 6.
The notoriously drama-packed series follows the three estranged Bordelon siblings—Nova (Rutina Wesley), Charley (Dawn-Lyen Gardner), and Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe)—after they come together to work on their family’s sugarcane farm in Louisiana. Since its 2016 premiere, the family drama has garnered critical acclaim and amassed a loyal following.
“The way Ava creates space to allow these characters to embody real-world experiences is television at its finest, and we are proud to continue this ground-breaking series,” Oprah, who is the CEO of OWN, said in a statement.
Production on the fifth season of the show—which Oprah also executive produces—was delayed for 10 months before starting back up again in October of 2020. DuVernay used the delay to rework the season’s remaining episodes to incorporate timely events like the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement.
“When Ava came to us with the idea to revamp the storyline for the new season after production was halted due to the pandemic, we knew it was the right decision to give our viewers her unique perspective on the very real issues impacting their daily lives and the affect the demand for racial equality has had on the Black community and our society as a whole,” Tina Perry, president of OWN, also said in a statement.
In addition to portraying social change on-screen, Queen Sugar is committed to creating it behind-the-scenes as well. According to a press release, season 5 was helmed entirely by three women filmmakers, including producing director Lauren Wolkstein, as well as Lisa France and Cierra Glaude—notable for an industry in which men far outweigh women behind the camera.
Catch the Queen Sugar premiere at 8 p.m. ET/PT on OWN on February 16, 2021. Alternatively, you can stream the show on OWN.com by logging in through your cable provider. Cord-cutters can also access the Queen Sugar by subscribing to YouTube TV, Hulu Live TV, or Philo.