January 16, 2014
Essence to Honor Emeli Sande at 2014 Black Women in Music Celebration
2013 was a tremendous year for Emeli Sande and it seems as though 2014 will be no different. ESSENCE’s “Women in Music†will take place on Wednesday, January 22nd in Los Angeles, California honoring the U.K. native and will feature an exclusive performance from Sandé with special guests. The ultra-glam, star-studded event, which is sponsored by the Lincoln Motor Company brand, takes place during the week leading up to the 56th Annual Grammy Awards and is designed to shine a light on African American women in the music industry.
For those that are unaware, Emeli Sande’s debut album, Our Version of Events, became the top-selling album in the U.K. for the second year in a row and to date has sold 238,000 units in the USA, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
In a statement released about the honor, Essence editor-in-chief Vanessa K. Bush shared, “Emeli Sandé’s soaring confidence as a songwriter and fearless self-expression as a singer is in the tradition of many iconic female trailblazers such as Nina Simone.â€
Sandé will join previous honorees Mary J. Blige, Kelly Rowland, Janelle Monaé, Solange Knowles, Lianne La Havas and industry veteran Sylvia Rhone.