BNC Teams Up with Café Mocha to Present the Salute THEM Awards Sunday, June 6
BNC Teams Up with Café Mocha to Present the Salute THEM Awards Sunday, June 6 at 10:00 P.M. ET
Special Event Honors Musical Vanguards from the New National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) in Nashville
Legendary Sly Stone and Earth Wind & Fire, gospel Ambassador Dr. Bobby Jones, hip hop pioneer Ludacris, jazz pianist Patrice Rushen, renowned songstress Darlene Love, director Bille Woodruff, choreographer Jamal Josef and celebrity stylist June Ambrose to be honored for Black Music Month
WASHINGTON – In celebration of Black Music Month, BNC and Café Mocha, the #1 nationally syndicated radio show for ‘women of color,’ announced today the Salute THEM Awards ‘soundtrack of our lives’ will broadcast on BNC Sunday, June 6 at 10:00 P.M. ET. The awards will feature several musical tributes and will be co-hosted by Café Mocha Gracie Award Winners Yo-Yo, Loni Love and “Ain’t Too Proud” Broadway star Saint Aubyn from the new National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) in Nashville.
This is a first for the Salute THEM Awards, airing on the newly re-launched BNC, which is available in more than 52 million households with linear agreements in place with major providers including Xfinity (Ch 1116), DIRECTV (Ch 342), Spectrum, DISH (Ch 361), and also available on over 200 million internet-connected devices via partnerships with Amazon Fire TV, Pluto, Roku, Tubi, Vizio, Samsung and more.
The Salute THEM Awards ‘soundtrack of our lives’ is the second in a unique, “Saluting Our Culture,” awards series that recognizes the indelible impact of those who serve as a catalyst for change through their artistry. The awards will be the first-ever to take attendees on a historical journey of Black music curated from the National Museum of African American Music. In 1979, President Jimmy Carter decreed June as “Black Music Month” in recognition of Black Music’s remarkable contributions to American culture.
“Café Mocha is ecstatic to pay homage to this year’s honorees, who collectively exemplify a body of creative forces from legendary musical treasures to the architects of contemporary music today,” says Café Mocha creator and executive producer Sheila Eldridge.
“We applaud the efforts of Café Mocha Radio in providing a platform to voice Black-owned businesses and experiences,” said Alva Adams-Mason, Group Manager, Multicultural Business Strategy, and Dealer Relations for Toyota Motor North America. “Toyota is proud to support the impressive trajectory of the Salute THEM Awards from in-person engagements to virtual shows to now broadcast.”
2021 Salute THEM Honorees:
Sly Stone, musician, songwriter and record producer, Legend Award
June Ambrose, award-winning creative director, stylist, costume designer, and entrepreneur, Woman of Style Award
Jamal Josef, celebrity choreographer and author, Champion for Children Award
Earth, Wind & Fire, 6x Grammy Award-winning male group, Creating the Legacy Award
Bille Woodruff, award-winning music video and film director, Director’s Award
Dr. Bobby Jones, singer, TV host and “Ambassador of Gospel Music”, Spirit Award
Patrice Rushen, Grammy Award-nominated jazz pianist and producer, Trailblazer Award
Ludacris, 3x Grammy Award-winning hip hop artist, actor and philanthropist, Game Changer Award
Darlene Love, legendary songstress, Soul Solidarity Award
This year’s tribute performers include 2021 ACM Awards new male artist of the year Jimmie Allen, multi-Stellar Award nominee and GMA Dove Award winner Maranda Curtis; and multi-GRAMMY nominated songwriting and production duo Louis York.
2021 Salute THEM Awards – Black Music Month Promo
“BNC is excited to partner with Café Mocha to present the Salute THEM Awards and pay tribute to a fantastic collection of honorees,” said Princell Hair, CEO of BNC. “This event marks the first of many partnerships and presentations that will allow BNC to honor and showcase Black excellence and the myriad of contributions that people of color have made to American culture.”
Presented by Toyota North America and AARP, the Salute THEM Awards honors the phenomenal contributions of Black creatives. Through a longstanding collaboration with AARP, Café Mocha is proud to bring together the National Museum of African American Music and Salute THEM Awards, as they “Celebrate Black Joy” in music.
The Salute THEM Awards benefits the Mocha Cares Foundation to support housing and services to combat homelessness and domestic violence through mentorship programs.
The awards will broadcast on BNC and via www.SaluteTHEMAwards.com across all Café Mocha network’s social media platforms @cafemocharadio. To register for a special gift, visit www.SaluteTHEMAwards.com.
Photo (left to right): June Ambrose, Earth, Wind & Fire, Sly Stone, Ludacris, Jamal Josef, Bille Woodruff, Darlene Love, Dr. Bobby Jones & Patrice Rushen [Miles Ahead Entertainment]
About the Salute Awards Series:
Café Mocha Radio launched its annual Salute Her Awards events in 2011, with a mission to recognize dynamic women who have made contributions in their communities and breaking down barriers. Since its inception ten years ago, past honorees include activist Sybrina Fulton, broadcast personality Wendy Williams, and Iyanla Vanzant, “Empire” actress Ta’Rhonda Jones, CNN correspondent Fredricka Whitfield, renowned White House journalist and author April Ryan and legendary actress Pam Grier, actress/humanitarian Sheryl Lee Ralph, CynthiaBailey, Kim Fields, Malinda Williams, Terri J. Vaughn and Vy Higginsen, singers Gloria Gaynor, Stephanie Mills, Fantasia Barrino Taylor, Syleena Johnson, and Tamela Mann, influencers Constance White, Luvvie Ajayi, Lola Ogunnaike, Jamie Foster Brown, Shirley Strawberry, fashion designer Barbara Bates, Dr. Bernice King, Deanna Brown Thomas, Ricki Fairley, NBA mom Wanda Durant and Ilyasah Shabazz to name few.
About National Museum of African American Music
The National Museum of African American Music opened Jan. 18, 2021. It is the only museum in the world dedicated solely to preserving African American music traditions and celebrating the central role African Americans have played in shaping American music. Based in Nashville, Tenn., the museum shares the story of the American soundtrack by integrating history and interactive technology to honor the musical heroes of African American music of the past and the present. For more information, please visit www.blackmusicmuseum.org
About BNC
BNC, the nation’s first and only provider of 24/7 multiplatform programming dedicated to covering the unique perspectives, challenges, and successes of Black and Brown communities, is available in more than 52 million U.S. homes via linear systems and on more than 200 million connected devices. BNC fosters political, economic, and social discourse through engaging programming, in-depth analysis, and viewpoints that celebrate, contextualize and illuminate the Black and Brown experience. BNC’s commitment to truth and inclusivity is evident in its authentic, unbiased, and unapologetic mission to inform, entertain and empower viewers. For more information, connect with BNC at BNC.tv and Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM), creator of the Prius hybrid and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota and Lexus brands. Over the past 60 years, we’ve built more than 40 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold nearly 2.8 million cars and trucks (nearly 2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2019.
BNC Teams Up with Café Mocha to Present the Salute THEM Awards Sunday, June 6
