Alicia Keys, Grandmaster Flash, and more to be honored by Black American Music Association
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Today (Sept. 13), Billboard revealed that a select group of artists and executives will be honored by the Black American Music (BAM) Association in an upcoming ceremony at Atlanta’s Morehouse College on Oct. 15. Of said group, Alicia Keys and Grandmaster Flash will receive the organization’s Ella Fitzgerald Gold Standard Award and Transformative Award, respectively. Veteran producer duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis will be given a Creative Impact Award for their accomplishments. Others to be recognized include philanthropist and Vista Equity Partners founder Robert F. Smith, Motown Productions’ Suzanne de Passe, and Universal Music Group EVP of Business and Legal Affairs Jeff Harleston. Pop icon Michael Jackson will also be acknowledged posthumously.
“We are thrilled to launch the ICE Medal of Honor and to recognize these outstanding individuals who have made an enduring mark on the world through their art and creativity,” said record executive Michael Mauldin, who serves as chairman of the BAM Association. “This celebration is a testament to the power of Black American music in shaping culture and inspiring generations.”
BAM Association co-founders Mauldin and Demmette Guidry are the executive producers of the ICE Medal of Honor along with Derrick Williams of DNA Media Group and co-executive producer (and Mauldin’s son) Jermaine Dupri. Formerly the president of Columbia Records’ Black Music Division and senior vice president of Columbia Records Group, Mauldin also co-founded the Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame.
As described on the organization’s official website, the BAM Association is a nonprofit that’s “organized for upward mobility in the music industry by providing charitable, educational, and advancement opportunities in general and BAM membership in particular.” In an op-ed provided to Billboard, Mauldin further stated that its overall mission is “to develop, recognize, educate, guide and promote the next generation of artists, musicians, and industry executives while supporting those dedicated to preserving and celebrating the legacy and future of Black American music.”
Trending Stories
