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Patti LaBelle, Common and Public Enemy were among the artists and executives who were celebrated on Thursday night at the sixth annual Black Music Action Coalition Gala, held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.
Throughout the evening, BMAC and its president/CEO Willie “Prophet” Stiggers recognized key figures in the music industry who have wielded their influence for good while amplifying the goals and accomplishments of the organization. Kenny Burns returned as a host for the sixth year, keeping the night moving while the house band 1500 or Nothin provided tunes.
LaBelle was one of the stars of the evening as the recipient of the BMAC Icon Award. R&B singer Chanté Moore paid tribute to LaBelle with a rendition of “Love, Need and Want You,” followed by an impassioned, church-reared performance of “You Are My Friend” from Le’Andria Johnson, who waded into the audience to duet with LaBelle.
Director Lee Daniels took the podium to dedicate the Icon Award to LaBelle, sharing how her presence in his life helped him overcome his battle with addiction. “Your voice is healing. Your voice is power, your voice is soul,” he said. “When I first heard your music, I was 22 years old. It changed my life, and I knew I wanted to be an artist.”
LaBelle then thanked BMAC and shared how grateful she was to be honored at the age of 82. “I want you to know that music is medicine,” she said. “We all need that medicine, especially now that we’re going through all these trying times. Music is my life, and music will heal us all. And thank God we’re all here and that we all woke up this morning.”
One of the more emotional moments of the evening came when Dr. Mahalia Hines introduced her son, rapper Common, who received the Harry Belafonte Change Agent Award. She commended him for his activism and willingness to perform concerts and hold conversations with incarcerated individuals across the United States.
“‘What are you willing to die for? Live for that,'” Common said, recalling the words that Ambassador Andrew Young shared with him and the cast on the set of “Selma.” “That day, I went home thinking I’ve been doing activist work, but I ain’t doing any of that. Am I living for it each and every day? That made me want to improve, grow, learn and figure out ways I can improve our communities in ways that I never thought of.”
Additional figures and organizations honored throughout the evening included Public Enemy, who was presented with the Social Impact Award by Big Daddy Kane; the Team’s Lee Anderson, Marty Diamond, Lenore Kinder, Kevin Shivers and Mallory Smith, who was given the BMAC Founders Award by Tennessee State University alumna Jamea Kollie; Nicole Wyskoarko, who received the inaugural Sylvia Rhone Visionary Award as presented by Rhone; the Universal Music Group Global Impact team, who was given the BMAC 365 Award by R&B group Flo; and Tina Davis, who was given the BMAC Clarence Avant Trailblazer Award by Montell Jordan.
