John Legend, Irving Azoff Among 2025 BMAC Gala Honorees

John Legend, Irving Azoff, Kai Cenat, Apple & Apple Music, Sherrese Clarke and Primary Wave Music will be celebrated at the Black Music Action Coalition‘s annual gala, the organization announced on Thursday.

The L.A. event, set for Sept. 18 at the Beverly Hilton, marks BMAC’s fifth annual toast to music, culture and impact, and this year will be co-hosted by Mickey Guyton and Kenny Burns. Legend will be honored with BMAC Quincy Jones Humanitarian Award and Azoff with the BMAC Icon Award. Clarke and HarbourView Equity Partners will receive the inaugural BMAC Harry Belafonte Change Agent Award, Cenat and Apple & Apple Music will be presented the BMAC Social Impact Award and Primary Wave Music will get the BMAC 365 Award.

“This year’s honorees are not just innovators and changemakers; they are warriors for justice and visionaries of a future we refuse to stop fighting for,” Willie “Prophet” Stiggers — co-founder, president and CEO of BMAC — said in a statement. “They have stood fearless and unapologetic on the frontlines, dismantling barriers, rewriting the rules, and protecting the voices that shape our culture. They are the living embodiment of BMAC’s mission: equity without compromise, economic justice without delay, and creative expression without fear. As we celebrate five years of impact, this Gala is not our victory lap, but our rallying point. The movement is alive, the mission is urgent, and history is watching.”

Since its founding shortly after Juneteenth 2020, BMAC has distributed over $4 million in direct economic relief, reached more than 5,500 students, mentored over 500 emerging music artists and industry professionals through its initiatives and pipeline programs, and created over 200 paid internships and job placements. It has also launched guaranteed income programs to empower emerging music artists and industry executives, build mentorship pipelines and create paid internships, jobs and industry access through its accelerator partnerships with companies including the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Academy of Country Music, Live Nation and Rolling Loud.

“It’s an honor to be recognized by the Black Music Action Coalition, an organization that not only uplifts artists but fights for justice, equity, and lasting change in our industry and beyond,” Legend said. “Championing these causes has been central to my own journey, and to receive an award bearing my friend and mentor Quincy Jones’s name is deeply humbling. His legacy reminds us that music can be a force for joy, beauty, love and empowerment.”