John Legend, Kai Cenat, Apple and Apple Music will be among the honorees at the Black Music Action Coalition’s fifth annual gala, which celebrates those making an impact on music and culture.
John will receive the BMAC Quincy Jones Humanitarian Award in honor of his charitable work.
“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,” he said in a press release. “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.”
Apple and Apple Music will be honored with the BMAC Social Impact Award, a title the companies will share with streamer and fellow recipient Kai.
“We’ve had the pleasure of working closely with BMAC over the years to ensure the people who live, build, and move this culture forward are the ones benefiting from it,” Ebro Darden, global editorial head of hip-hop and R&B at Apple Music, said in a press release. “We’ve seen when the industry supports and inspires, the culture only gets stronger — and we’re honored to receive this year’s Social Impact Award.”
Kai adds that he’s appreciative of the recognition and will keep using his platform “to help and inspire as many people as I can.”
Others being celebrated at the 2025 gala include BMAC Icon Award recipient Irving Azoff and Sherrese Clarke, who will receive the inaugural BMAC Harry Belafonte Change Agent Award.
The 2025 BMAC Gala will take place Sept. 18 at The Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles.
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