Common, Patti LaBelle, and Public Enemy Lead 2026 BMAC Gala Honorees
- The Black Music Action Coalition will host its sixth annual gala on September 24 at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, bringing together major music industry figures,...
- According to verified reporting from EURweb, this year's ceremony features a prominent slate of honorees spanning decades of musical influence and behind-the-scenes executive leadership.
- The coalition is also recognizing crucial industry executives who shape the business and touring sectors of the music industry.
The Black Music Action Coalition will host its sixth annual gala on September 24 at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, bringing together major music industry figures, artists, and executives to recognize leaders in advocacy, culture, and business, according to official event announcements.
Star-Studded Honorees and New Industry Awards
According to verified reporting from EURweb, this year’s ceremony features a prominent slate of honorees spanning decades of musical influence and behind-the-scenes executive leadership. Presented by Live Nation and hosted by Kenny Burns, the event will introduce the inaugural Sylvia Rhone Visionary Award, created to honor innovation, mentorship, and influence that opens doors for artists.
Nicole Wyskoarko will receive the first-ever Sylvia Rhone Visionary Award. Veteran executive Sylvia Rhone praised Wyskoarko in the official announcement, describing her as a legal mastermind with an artist’s heart who champions creators and lifts others during her rise in the music business.
Additional honorees include vocalist Patti LaBelle, who will accept the BMAC Icon Award for a career spanning more than six decades. Rapper and actor Common is slated to receive the Harry Belafonte Change Agent Award in recognition of his entertainment work and advocacy through the Common Ground Foundation. Pioneering hip-hop group Public Enemy will take home the Social Impact Award, highlighting their history of addressing racism and inequality through politically conscious records like It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back and Fear of a Black Planet.
Recognizing Behind-the-Scenes Executives and Live Music Leaders
The coalition is also recognizing crucial industry executives who shape the business and touring sectors of the music industry. Tina Davis, founder of Phase Too Management and an executive associated with Def Jam Recordings, will receive the Clarence Avant Trailblazer Award, according to event details.
Live music executives Lee Anderson, Marty Diamond, Lenore Kinder, Kevin Shivers, and Mallory Smith—collectively known as The Team—will receive the BMAC Founders Award for their work guiding major touring careers. Furthermore, Universal Music Group’s Global Impact Team, formed in 2024 to oversee social responsibility, sustainability, and industry access programs, will receive the BMAC 365 Award.
Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, co-founder, president, and CEO of BMAC, emphasized the broader mission of the organization.
The BMAC Gala is more than a celebration, it’s a call to action. To honor those championing purpose-driven leadership and to remind our sector of the accountability tied to influence, BMAC unites several of the most influential figures in the music world.
Black Music Action Coalition
Gala Menu and Community Impact Programs
Beyond the award presentations, Patti LaBelle’s presence will extend to the evening’s dinner service. Serving as a tribute to Patti’s Good Life, the celebration presents a carefully curated menu featuring Hot and Sassy Gazpacho, Caesar salad, short ribs in brown gravy, garlic mashed potatoes, blackened savory salmon, sumptuous string beans, and vegan jambalaya, all capped off with her iconic sweet potato pies, as reported by EURweb.
Proceeds raised during the evening will directly benefit BMAC’s year-round programming, including Music Maker Grants for emerging talent, music business pipeline programs at Tennessee State University and Clark Atlanta University, the Gunna x BMAC 30349 Guaranteed Income Program, and Restore & Rebuild LA assistance for Altadena residents impacted by the Eaton fires.
The production team for the gala includes Rikki Hughes and the Magic Lemonade team, alongside Donna Grecco of Primary Wave and members of the BMAC board, with Rance and Dammo of 1500 or Nothin’ serving as musical directors.