Usher And LL Cool J Among Honorees For 2024 BMAC Gala
Usher and LL Cool J are among the five honorees for the 2024 BMAC Gala.
Set to be held at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles on Sept. 19 and hosted by Kenny Burns, the Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) announced on Thursday (Aug. 8) the list of artists, executives, and activists who will be celebrated for their “positive impact on society.”
Usher will be receiving the Quincy Jones Humanitarian Award. LL will be given the Clarence Avant Trailblazer Award. “To be receiving this award from an organization that is making such big moves for racial equity and justice within the music industry is an honor,” said the Queens-bred emcee in the statement. “Clarence Avant was a true legend. He and I were both inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame the same year and he was a father figure to me, so it’s a full circle moment and feels truly special.”
Ivy McGregor, executive director of BeyGOOD, will receive the BMAC Change Agent Award where Live Nation will be given the BMAC 365 Award and BET Media Group — comprised of Scott Mills (President and Chief Executive Officer), Louis Carr (President, Media Sales), Constance Orlando (Executive Vice President of Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy), and Kimberly Paige (Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer) — will be recognized with the BMAC Social Impact Award.
Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, BMAC’s Co-Founder, President and CEO, spoke on the upcoming gala in a statement.
“We’re thrilled to celebrate this year’s honorees who have utilized their talents, platforms and resources to create a positive and meaningful impact in social and racial justice globally. This year’s Gala comes at a pivotal time for our industry and country,” he detailed. “It is more important than ever to recognize these incredible accomplishments and unite the entertainment industry to use our collective voice in inspiring imperative change.”
BMAC’s annual gala “celebrates individuals and organizations who are helping to fuel BMAC’s mission of furthering racial equity and economic justice.” Since launching in 2020, the organization has consistently set forth to “create systemic change within communities, driving towards policy change that uplifts generations” through initiatives such as mentorship programs and supporting the next generation of Black creatives.
This year’s Gala will also feature BMAC’s inaugural auction in conjunction with Julien’s Auctions, the premiere celebrity auction house. James Beard Award nominee Chef Deborah VanTrece of VanTrece Hospitality Group will be curating the menu for the affair.
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