BET Networks and Beverly Bond, CEO, Founder and Creator ofย โBLACK GIRLS ROCK!โขโare excited to announce this yearโsย BLACK GIRLS ROCK!โขย Awards taping on Saturday, August 5, 2017 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Centerโs Prudential Hall in Newark, NJ. The broadcast will premiere onย Sunday, August 20, 2017 at 8:00 P.M. ET/PT on BET.
The 2017ย BLACK GIRLS ROCK!โขย celebrants are โInsecureโ creator, actress, writer and producerย Issa Raeย (Star Power Award), actress and activistย Yara Shahidiย (Young Gifted and Black Award), GRAMMY Award-winning songstressย Roberta Flackย (Living Legend Award), Wall Street powerhouse and pioneerย Suzanne Shankย (Shot Caller Award) and Community organizersย Derrica Wilsonย andย Natalie Wilsonย of The Black & Missing Foundation (Community Change Agent Award).ย Created by celebrity DJ and womenโs empowerment advocate Beverly Bond, the 2017ย โBLACK GIRLS ROCK!โขโย Awards honors the groundbreaking achievements of Black women who have fearlessly broken barriers in the areas of art, business, entertainment and community service.
The dynamic, three โ time NAACP Award winningย โBLACK GIRLS ROCK!โขโย on BET, celebrates women throughout the diaspora by shining a light on the accomplishments and successes of influential Black women and girls in a night honoring their beauty, brilliance and everlasting resilience.
โTheย BLACK GIRLS ROCK!โขย Awards continues to be instrumental in propellingย Black girl pride across the diaspora. Every year we are able to honor a cross section of dynamic women who represent a range of industries, genres and generations. This yearโs cohort of honorees is another incredible example of Black womenโs unparalleled contributions to the world.ย BLACK GIRLS ROCK!TMย on BET has become an annual culmination of Black girl preeminence and is a beautiful salute to our glory.โ says Beverly Bond,ย BLACK GIRLS ROCK!โขย CEO, Founder and Creator.
BET Networks has announced Taraji P. Henson as the host of the โBLACK GIRLS ROCK!โขโ 2017 Awards.
BET Networks CEO and chairman, Debra Lee added, โCelebrating the incredible accomplishments of these outstanding women and girls is the highlight of my year. Black women are continuing to lead in amazing ways across a multitude of platforms and I am so proud that BET Networks has the opportunity to honor them and show the world why โBlack Girls Rockโ! Every year this show goes higher to showcase the beauty, talent, intelligence and sisterhood among African American women. This year wonโt be any different.โ
Theย โBLACK GIRLS ROCK!โขโ 2016ย celebrants included: GRAMMY Award winning recording artistย Rihannaย (Rock Star Award), ShondaLand producer and television writerย Shonda Rhimesย (Shot Caller Award),ย The Walking Deadย actress andย Eclipsedย playwrightย Danai Guriraย (Star Power Award), social activist, actress and musicianย Amandla Stenbergย (Young, Gifted and Black) and Black Lives Matter foundersย Patrisse Cullors, Opal Tometiย andย Alicia Garzaย (Community Change Agent Award). R&B iconย Gladys Knightย (Living Legend Award) brought the audience to its feet with a medley of her most popular classics including โLove Overboardโ and โMidnight Train to Georgiaโ. Additional performers included some of R&Bโs reigning queens:ย Andra Day, Brandy, Jazmine Sullivan, Monica, Corinne Bailey Rae, Marsha Ambrosiusย andย Imani Uzuri.ย Lauryn Hillโs special surprise performance of โLost Onesโ closed out the epic evening.
The televised special,ย โBLACK GIRLS ROCK!โขโย on BET is a BET Networks, B.G.R. Enterprises Inc./BONDVISION MEDIA and Jesse Collins Entertainment production.ย The executive producers are Beverly Bond, CEO, Founder and Creator ofย โBLACK GIRLS ROCK!โขโ,ย Connie Orlando, BET Interim Head of Programming, and Jesse Collins and Jeannae Rouzan โ Clay of Jesse Collins Entertainment.