Keke Palmer, Jermaine Dupri, music executive Jason Flom, TV producer Jesse Collins and Tariq Cherif and Matt Zingler, co-founders of Rolling Loud, are among the honorees at the 2023 BMAC Gala, the Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) announced on Wednesday (Aug. 23).
The 2023 BMAC Gala, presented by Live Nation, will take place on Thursday, Sept. 21 at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. The event honors individuals and organizations who have affected positive change and helped improve equity within the community.
The 2023 BMAC Gala honorees include:
BMAC Clarence Avant Trailblazer Award: Jermaine Dupri (Grammy-winning hip-hop artist, producer, songwriter, author, DJ, and CEO of So So Def)
BMAC Social Impact Award: Keke Palmer (Primetime Emmy-winning actress, singer, songwriter, producer); Dr. Menna Demessie (SVP, Universal Music Group and executive director, Task Force for Meaningful Change), and Jesse Collins (Primetime Emmy-winning executive producer, whose company is one of the producers of this event)
BMAC Change Agent Award: Jason Flom (co-founder and CEO of Lava for Good and Lava Media); Trae tha Truth (rapper and activist)
BMAC 365 Award: Tariq Cherif and Matt Zingler (Rolling Loud co-founders)
Additional honorees will be announced in the coming weeks.
“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,” Prophet “Willie” Stiggers, co-founder/chair Black Music Action Coalition, said in a statement. “They all have fearlessly embraced the power of music and entertainment to drive change and transcend boundaries.”
Caron Veazey, BMAC co-founder, added: “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.”
This year’s Gala will include a special tribute to the late Clarence Avant, who was on the BMAC advisory board. Avant, who died on Aug. 13 at age 92, received numerous top-level accolades, including a trustees award from the Recording Academy in 2008 and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021.
“With heavy hearts we also pay tribute to the Black Godfather, Clarence Avant,” Stiggers said. “He trailblazed the path that we all walk on, and his impact is immeasurable.”
Shawn Holiday, BMAC co-founder, added: “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.”
Since Black Music Action Coalition’s inception in 2020, the organization has been active in addressing systemic racism within the music business and advocating on behalf of Black artists, songwriters, producers, managers, agents, executives, lawyers and other industry professionals.
The Black Music Action Coalition board includes (in addition to Stiggers, Holiday and Veazey), Ashaunna Ayars, Naima Cochrane, Jamil Davis, Damien Smith and Courtney Stewart. The BMAC advisory board includes Irving Azoff and Quincy Jones.
The 2023 BMAC Gala is produced by Primary Wave and Jesse Collins Entertainment and is presented by Live Nation with support by partners Variety and Apple Music. For more information regarding Black Music Action Coalition and the BMAC Gala, visit bmacoalition.org.
