The Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) convened once again at Los Angeles’ Beverly Hilton last night for its fourth annual awards gala, celebrating stars including Usher, LL Cool J, Gunna and more during an evening meant to uplift the Black community and honor some of its most supportive stars.
The group, which formed in 2020 to address systemic racism in the music business, staged an evening replete with a catered dinner, cocktails and performances from BJ the Chicago Kid and Anthony Hamilton. Presented by Live Nation, the BMAC Gala highlighted the organization’s mentorship and income programs in an ongoing effort to enact change in the industry and beyond.
Usher was on hand to accept the Quincy Jones Humanitarian Award at the end of the evening, as presented by Bobby Brown. “When I was asked to present Usher with this incredible honor, I didn’t hesitate,” said Brown. “When you get to celebrate someone who has impacted both the stage and lives of so many around the world. I’ve had the privilege of knowing Usher for a long time, and I can say that without a doubt, he’s definitely deserving of this award.”
Usher, currently on his “Past Future Present” tour, thanked those in attendance who have played a crucial role in his career while addressing the importance of using your platform for good. “Whatever opportunity I have to be able to shed a light on, to be able to be a representation of growth that can help other people, to be at least a reference of what you can be in the event that you dream,” he said. “But what is a dream without action? What is knowledge without action? God’s word says in James 2:17, faith without action is dead.”
Attorney Benjamin Lloyd Crump presented the Clarence Avant Trailblazer Award to LL Cool J, who recently released his new album “The Force.” “One of the things that was really important to me as I embark on this new journey, decided to make a new album and new record and do all this stuff… The only reason that I really did it, one I gotta do it because I love it. But secondly, I just feel like I was tired of people feeling like hip-hop culture and our music as a whole is disposable. And we’ve been trained as a culture to believe that if an artist goes away for a weekend, if they go on a vacation for 15 days, they’re career’s over… So my thing is, I just wanted to show these future generations and the young kids what’s possible. So that was the real reason for doing the thing and that’s the trailblazing idea.”
Other appearances throughout the evening included Taraji P. Henson, who presented the BMAC Social Impact Award to BET executives Scott Mills, Louis Carr, Constance Orlando and Kimberly Paige. Ivy McGregor, executive director of Beyoncé’s BeyGOOD, accepted the BMAC Change Agent Award. As guests enjoyed a pre-show dinner, attendees including Kelly Rowland and Flavor Flav, who took the stage at the beginning of the night, mingled with attendees.
Amid the awards presentation, patrons were invited to bid on memorabilia as part of a Julien’s Auctions partnership. Usher made off with a pair of yellow sunglasses that James Brown wore — to the tune of $35,000 — as well as rare instruments. Flavor Flav was surprised by four-time Olympic gold medalist Maggie Steffens Conner and two-time Olympic gold medalist Ashleigh Jonson.
Elsewhere, rapper Gunna highlighted the “BMAC 30349 Guaranteed Income Program” for providing 30 families in South Fulton, GA with a $1,000 stipend. “I’m from South Fulton, that’s the Blackest city in America. Just me starting Gunna’s Great Giveaway in 2018, I just wanted to give back to my community, just to empower and show them I can do it. Over the years, we’ve just still been pushing. And I’m going to keep pushing, making sure my community keeps uplifted.”
Last year’s honorees included Lizzo, Sylvia Rhone and Keke Palmer, with subsequent appearances from Jermaine Duper and Jessie Collins.
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