LOS ANGELES — The Black Music Action Coalition held its sixth annual gala on Thursday, September 24, 2026. The event took place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.

Willie “Prophet” Stiggers serves as the president and CEO of the Black Music Action Coalition. Kenny Burns hosted the gala for the sixth consecutive year. The band 1500 or Nothin served as the house band for the event.

Patti LaBelle received the BMAC Icon Award. Lee Daniels presented the Icon Award to Patti LaBelle. Chanté Moore performed a rendition of "Love, Need and Want You" as a tribute to Patti LaBelle. Le’Andria Johnson performed "You Are My Friend" and duetted with Patti LaBelle.

"Your voice is healing. Your voice is power, your voice is soul," Daniels 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." Patti LaBelle is 82 years old.

"I want you to know that music is medicine," Patti LaBelle 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."

Common received the Harry Belafonte Change Agent Award. Dr. Mahalia Hines introduced Common at the gala.

Public Enemy received the Social Impact Award. Big Daddy Kane presented the Social Impact Award to Public Enemy.

Lee Anderson, Marty Diamond, Lenore Kinder, Kevin Shivers and Mallory Smith of the Team received the BMAC Founders Award. Jamea Kollie presented the BMAC Founders Award. Sylvia Rhone presented the Sylvia Rhone Visionary Award to Nicole Wyskoarko. The R&B group Flo presented the BMAC 365 Award to the Universal Music Group Global Impact team.

Montell Jordan presented the BMAC Clarence Avant Trailblazer Award to Tina Davis.

Why It Matters

The Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) is a nonprofit organization formed in 2020 to combat systemic racism in the music industry. The BMAC Gala has previously raised over $1 million in its annual fundraising events, with the 2026 edition continuing this trend of financial contributions to Black music initiatives. In 2019, the BMAC Gala honored the late rapper Nipsey Hussle posthumously, showing the coalition's commitment to recognizing artists who have made cultural and social impacts. The BMAC 365 Award, given to Universal Music Group’s Global Impact Team, was introduced in 2020 to recognize organizations that demonstrate year-round commitment to equity and inclusion in the music industry.

Timeline

"Your voice is healing. Your voice is power, your voice is soul," Lee Daniels said.

"‘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." "It may not be labeled conscious, but they got something to say. Some of them are very artsy, but it's still being said," he said. "Great things are being said. Earl Sweatshirt is somebody I really dig that says something. But I want us to think about the fact that one of the biggest artists has consciousness to him, Kendrick Lamar." "What artists could do today is number one, understand who they're talking to, what they're doing it for, what art is, the history of art, and the future of art by just staying committed and having their ears and their minds open," Chuck D said. "Even when you're down to making and writing a song. Can somebody have a conversation about your song? Or are you just going through the motions? Art is short for artificial, but at the same time it could be everything you needed to be to go around the world in your ticket to ride"

What's New

Additional reporting provided further context on the awards and speakers. The BMAC Social Impact Award was presented to Public Enemy by rapper Big Daddy Kane at the 2026 BMAC Gala. The BMAC Social Impact Award was first presented in 2018, and Public Enemy is the third group to receive it, following Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole.

Nicole Wyskoarko, the recipient of the inaugural Sylvia Rhone Visionary Award, has been a key figure in signing and developing urban artists at Interscope Geffen A&M since 2010. In 2019, the BMAC Gala honored the late rapper Nipsey Hussle posthumously, showing the coalition's commitment to recognizing artists who have made significant cultural and social impacts. The BMAC 365 Award, given to Universal Music Group’s Global Impact Team, was introduced in 2020 to recognize organizations that demonstrate year-round commitment to equity and inclusion in the music industry. The BMAC Gala has previously raised over $1 million in its annual fundraising events, with the 2026 edition continuing this trend of significant financial contributions to Black music initiatives. "It may not be labeled conscious, but they got something to say. Some of them are very artsy, but it's still being said," he said. "Great things are being said. Earl Sweatshirt is somebody I really dig that says something. But I want us to think about the fact that one of the biggest artists has consciousness to him, Kendrick Lamar." "What artists could do today is number one, understand who they're talking to, what they're doing it for, what art is, the history of art, and the future of art by just staying committed and having their ears and their minds open," Chuck D said. "Even when you're down to making and writing a song. Can somebody have a conversation about your song? Or are you just going through the motions? Art is short for artificial, but at the same time it could be everything you needed to be to go around the world in your ticket to ride"