The Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) —a collective of Black creators, activists and influential leaders dedicated to addressing racial inequality in the music industry — has announced its third annual Gala will take place on Sept. 21 at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles. This year’s event, presented by Live Nation, will be produced by Primary Wave Music and Jesse Collins Entertainment with Collins and Dionne Harmon serving as the gala’s executive producers.
In previous years, the starry event has honored recording artists like Lil Baby and other prominent figures including “Big Jon” Platt, Nikole Hannah-Jones, and Rep. Maxine Waters. Since its inception, the gala has placed a spotlight on music-makers and the leaders who have utilized their platforms to drive social change throughout the past year. Award recipients, participants and event details for the 2023 iteration will be announced in the coming weeks.
“With the BMAC Gala now in its third year, we are proud to partner with Primary Wave and Jesse Collins Entertainment, who have produced some of the biggest cultural moments in entertainment history. We look forward to delivering a powerful tribute to those who paved the way for true representation and justice within our industry. Our mission will always be to empower our community and ignite the passion for change,” said Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, co-founder/co-chair of BMAC. “This year’s celebration will be a testament to the unshakeable spirit of Black artists, music professionals and activists, who are inspiring a new generation and creating a future of greater equity, unity, and everlasting impact.”
Attendees of the 2023 BMAC Gala can expect a “night of musical performances, heartfelt tributes, and a shared vision of justice, encouragement and hope for the future,” according to the event’s official press release. Also working on this year’s event is Donna Grecco, who returns as producer for Primary Wave Music for the third consecutive year, and Brittany Brazil who will co-executive produce while Kristin Meyers will assume the role of showrunner.
Since BMAC’s inception in 2020, the organization has unleashed numerous unique initiatives that have addressed systemic racism and provided music corporations with suggestions for how to target those imbalances and advocate on behalf of Black artists, songwriters, producers, managers, agents, executives, lawyers and others.
Every few years the organization releases its Music Industry Action Report Card (MIARC) which observes dozens of organizations in multiple categories — labels, publishers, streaming services, live entertainment and touring, the Recording Academy and more — and how market leaders (and/or those most closely affiliated with Black/urban music, creators and audiences) have taken action to elevate black employees and donate to racial justice initiatives. (View the results for June 2021 to 2022 here.)
Recent collaborations also include a partnership with the Academy of Country Music that gave rise to the “OnRamp” program, an income initiative supporting 20 young, Black music community members, including artists and industry professionals, in Nashville, TN. The organization boasts that these and numerous of its other initiatives have provided various communities with over $700,000 and provided mentorship to 100 emerging music artists and industry professionals.
For more information regarding Black Music Action Coalition and the BMAC Gala, please visit bmacoalition.org.
