New York, NY (Top40 Charts) BET Networks and Beverly Bond, CEO, Founder and Creator of "BLACK GIRLS ROCK!™"are excited to announce this year's BLACK GIRLS ROCK!™Awards taping on Saturday, August 5, 2017 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center's Prudential Hall in Newark, NJ. The broadcast will premiere on Sunday, August 20, 2017 at 8:00 P.M. ET/PT on BET.
The 2017 BLACK GIRLS ROCK!™ celebrants are "Insecure" creator, actress, writer and producer Issa Rae (Star Power Award), actress and activist Yara Shahidi (Young Gifted and
Black Award), GRAMMY Award-winning songstress
Roberta Flack (Living Legend Award), Wall Street powerhouse and pioneer Suzanne Shank (Shot Caller Award) and Community organizers Derrica Wilson and
Natalie Wilson of The
Black & Missing Foundation (Community Change Agent Award). Created by celebrity DJ and women's empowerment advocate Beverly Bond, the 2017 "BLACK GIRLS ROCK!™" 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 - time NAACP Award winning "BLACK GIRLS ROCK!™" 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.
"The BLACK GIRLS ROCK!™ Awards continues to be instrumental in propelling
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 year's cohort of honorees is another incredible example of
Black women's unparalleled contributions to the world. BLACK GIRLS ROCK!TM on BET has become an annual culmination of
Black girl preeminence and is a beautiful salute to our glory." says Beverly Bond, BLACK GIRLS ROCK!™ CEO, Founder and Creator.
BET Networks CEO and chairman, Debra Lee added, "Celebrating 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 "Black Girls Rock"! Every year this show goes higher to showcase the beauty, talent, intelligence and sisterhood among African American women. This year won't be any different."
The "BLACK GIRLS ROCK! 2016 celebrants included: GRAMMY Award winning recording artist
Rihanna (Rock Star Award), ShondaLand producer and television writer Shonda Rhimes (Shot Caller Award), The Walking Dead actress and Eclipsed playwright Danai Gurira (Star Power Award), social activist, actress and musician Amandla Stenberg (Young, Gifted and Black) and
Black Lives Matter founders Patrisse Cullors, Opal Tometi and Alicia Garza (Community Change Agent Award). R&B icon Gladys Knight (Living Legend Award) brought the audience to its feet with a medley of her most popular classics including "Love Overboard" and "Midnight
Train to Georgia". Additional performers included some of R&B's reigning queens: Andra Day, Brandy, Jazmine Sullivan, Monica, Corinne Bailey Rae,
Marsha Ambrosius and Imani Uzuri. Lauryn Hill's special surprise performance of "Lost Ones" closed out the epic evening.
The televised special, "BLACK GIRLS ROCK!™" on BET is a BET Networks, B.G.R. Enterprises Inc./BONDVISION MEDIA and
Jesse Collins Entertainment production. The executive producers are Beverly Bond, CEO, Founder and Creator of "BLACK GIRLS ROCK!™," Connie Orlando, BET Interim Head of Programming, and
Jesse Collins and Jeannae Rouzan - Clay of
Jesse Collins Entertainment.
Join the conversation on social media by logging on to our social media platforms:
• On Twitter by using hashtag: #BlackGirlsRock; follow us @BET and @BLACKGIRLSROCK
• On Facebook by liking the fan pages at facebook.com/BET and facebook.com/BLACKGIRLSROCK
• On Instagram @betnetworks and @BLACKGIRLSROCK
Founded by celebrity DJ, model and executive producer, Beverly Bond, BLACK GIRLS ROCK! is a multifaceted movement dedicated to shifting the culture of media images depicting
Black women and girls. Since 2006, BLACK GIRLS ROCK!™ has been committed to empowering women through media and enriching girls through leadership, education, and positive identity development programs. For additional information on BLACK GIRLS ROCK! ™, visit https://www.blackgirlsrock.com.
