The Black Music Action Coalition has announced the honorees for the 2023 BMAC Gala, its annual celebration honoring individuals and organizations who have affected positive change and helped improve equity within the community.
Presented by Live Nation, the third annual gala will take place on Thursday, September 21 at the Beverly Hilton — honorees include:
● BMAC Clarence Avant Trailblazer Award: Hip-hop artist, award-winning producer, songwriter, author, DJ, and CEO of So So Def Records Jermaine Dupri
● BMAC Social Impact Award: Emmy Award-winning actress, singer, songwriter, producer Keke Palmer, SVP, Universal Music Group and Executive Director, Task Force for Meaningful Change Dr. Menna Demessie, and Emmy Award-winning producer Jesse Collins
● BMAC Change Agent Award: Co-Founder and CEO of Lava for Good and Lava Media Jason Flom, and rapper and activist Trae tha Truth
● BMAC 365 Award: Rolling Loud Co-Founders Tariq Cherif and Matt Zingler
Additional honorees will be announced in the coming weeks. Past honorees have included H.E.R., The Weeknd, Lil Baby, The Recording Academy, Jon “Big John” Platt, Rep. Maxine Waters, and more.
BMAC cofounder and chair Willie “Prophet” Stiggers says: “As we come together at this year’s BMAC Gala, we celebrate the passion, artistry and activism that burns bright in the hearts of our honorees. They all have fearlessly embraced the power of music and entertainment to drive change and transcend boundaries.
“With heavy hearts we also pay tribute to the Black Godfather, Clarence Avant,” he continues. “He trailblazed the path that we all walk on, and his impact is immeasurable.”
This year’s Gala will include a special tribute to honor the legacy of the late Clarence Avant, who was on the BMAC Advisory Board.
“BMAC will always be honored to have had him on our Advisory Board. His life, and contributions to the industry, are unparalleled, his legacy will live on forever,” says Shawn Holiday, Black Music Action Coalition co-founder.
Black Music Action Coalition Co-Founder Caron Veazey adds, “The BMAC Gala has come to be regarded as a night where our music industry family isn’t celebrating the standard accolades: the number of streams on a hit song, or how many tickets have sold on a world tour, or who has the most #1s. The BMAC Gala has become synonymous with the importance of centering awareness on equality and equity. It’s an evening where we come together to shine a light on the incredible contributions of the Honorees, and to celebrate the impact they’ve made on the journey towards social justice.”
The Black Music Action Coalition Board includes Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, Caron Veazey, Ashaunna Ayars, Naima Cochrane, Jamil Davis, Shawn Holiday, Damien Smith, and Courtney Stewart. The Black Music Action Coalition Advisory Board consists of music industry icons including the late Clarence Avant, Irving Azoff and Quincy Jones.
The 2023 Black Music Action Coalition Gala is produced by Primary Wave and Jesse Collins Entertainment and is presented by Live Nation with support by partners PvNew and Apple Music.
