The Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) will honor Lizzo and veteran music executive Sylvia Rhone at the 2023 BMAC Gala.
Lizzo will receive the Quincy Jones Humanitarian Award and Epic Records CEO and chair Rhone will get the Clarence Avant Trailblazer Award at the gala, according to a press release.
“The Black Music Action Coalition is proud to honor Lizzo and Sylvia Rhone at this year’s Gala, as they join a group of trailblazers who have made an immense impact within the music industry and beyond,” BMAC co-founder and chair Willie “Prophet” Siggers said. “We applaud their dedication to pushing boundaries, amplifying Black voices, and crashing through those glass ceilings, creating space for Black women.”
Lizzo is being recognized for her outstanding “philanthropic work and commitment to social justice,” according to the press release. The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter has supported marginalized communities and substantial social justice causes throughout her career.
In 2020, Lizzo launched her organizational and informative website, Lizzolovesyou.com, which outlined a slew of causes to which viewers could donate to. Her Annual Juneteenth Giveback just finished its fourth year. Lizzo has donated and raised nearly $1 million to 18 different social justice organizations like Black Girls Smile, the Bail Project, and Save Our Sisters.
While Lizzo has been under scrutiny lately after several of her dancers filed a lawsuit accusing the singer of sexual, religious, and racial harassment, as well as fat shaming, the BMAC will honor her good works.
Rhone is credited as the first woman to become CEO of a Fortune 500 record label. Before that role, Rhone made waves at major entertainment companies like Universal Records, Elektra Entertainment Group, and Motown Records.
Other BMAC honorees include Keke Palmer, Jermaine Dupri, and Jesse Collins. Hosted by Kenny Burns, the 2023 BMAC Gala will take place at the Beverly Hilton on September 21, 2023.
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