BLACK GIRLS ROCK!
CountryUnited States
First awarded2006
Websitewww.blackgirlsrock.com
Television/radio coverage
NetworkBGR!TV NETWORKS

BLACK GIRLS ROCK! is a company founded by executive producer, businesswoman, celebrity DJ, and former model Beverly Bond.[1] The company hosts an annual award show of the same name that honors and promotes Black women's achievements. BLACK GIRLS ROCK! also has a nonprofit arm [2] that teaches leadership skills and develops confidence in teenage girls through its annual "BLACK GIRLS LEAD" conference.[3]

History

BLACK GIRLS ROCK! was founded by celebrity DJ and model Beverly Bond in 2006. The inaugural BLACK GIRLS ROCK! AWARDS ceremony honored rapper MC Lyte and DJ Jazzy Joyce at powerHouse Arena, an art gallery and powerHouse Books location in DUMBO, Brooklyn. [4] For the second annual BLACK GIRLS ROCK! Awards the organization honored Missy Elliott, Sylvia Rhone, and DJ Diamond Kuts at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City with actress Regina King as its host. The organization continued to independently produce its annual award show in New York City until 2009. In 2008 Regina King hosted the award show again and in 2009 the award show was co-hosted by Regina King and Tracee Ellis Ross.

In 2010 BLACK GIRLS ROCK! collaborated with BET to bring its annual award ceremony to television. [5][6] The award show aired on BET from 2010 through 2019. In 2021, Beverly Bond, launched BGR!TV Networks, which streams original content celebrating Black women and girls including the BLACK GIRLS ROCK! Awards. The BGR!TV Networks first program was the BLACK GIRLS ROCK! 15th-anniversary Fundraising Gala which was headlined by Chaka Khan and featured Grammy-nominated artists Alice Smith and Maimouna Youssef, a.k.a. MuMu Fresh; D.C.'s all-woman go-go band Bela Dona; Grammy Award-winning gospel singer Tasha Cobbs Leonard; celebrity DJ Active; and an exclusive collaboration with Chaka Khan and Def Leppard lead guitarist Phil Collen.

In 2019, in collaboration with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, BLACK GIRLS ROCK! hosted BGR!Fest.[7] The three-day celebration was timed to coincide with International Women's Day, and included a dance party and a weekend of music performances.[8] A second BGR!Fest was held in 2020,[9][10] The Kennedy Center announced that the BGR!FEST will return in March 2022 and BLACK GIRLS ROCK! is currently collaborating with the National Symphony Orchestra to produce another event at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.[11]

BLACK GIRLS ROCK! also holds an annual BLACK GIRLS LEAD conference for girls and hosts educational STEM programs through its platform Girls Rock Tech![5]

Award Show

Each year, BLACK GIRLS ROCK! celebrants are recognized in categories including, but not limited to, "The Rock Star", "Social Humanitarian", "Who Got Next?", "Living Legend", "Shot Caller", "Trailblazer", "Motivator", "Young, Gifted & Black", "Star Power", "Icon" or "Visionary" award.[12] The program features musical performances by female recording artists in the R&B and Soul music genres. Notable speakers have included Michelle Obama (2015) and Hillary Clinton (2016).[5][13]

Since its first televised ceremony on Nov 7, 2010,[14] Black Girls Rock! has become an annually televised event on BET and BET Her.[15] That year the ceremony was hosted by actress Nia Long and featured recognitions and musical performances by SWV, Coko, Raven-Symoné, Keke Palmer, Ruby Dee, Teresa Clarke, Marcelite J. Harris, Iyanla Vanzant, Kelly Price, VV Brown, Keyshia Cole, Marsha Ambrosius, Jill Scott, Ledisi, Keri Hilson, Ciara, and Missy Elliott.[12][16]

The 2013 show garnered over 2.7 million television viewers.[17] Since 2015, the annual ceremony has been produced from Newark's New Jersey Performing Arts Center.[18]

The 2019 event was hosted by actress Niecy Nash on August 25, 2019 and aired on September 8, 2019 on BET.[19]

The award show has won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Variety in the Series of Special category three times (2013, 2017, 2019) and been nominated five times.[20]

Honorees

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2018 Book: Black Girls Rock! Owning Our Magic. Rocking Our Truth.

In February 2018, Simon & Schuster published Black Girls Rock! Owning Our Magic. Rocking Our Truth. The book was edited by Beverly Bond and features insights from nearly sixty influential Black women, including Michelle Obama, Angela Davis, Shonda Rhimes, Misty Copeland, Yara Shahidi, and Mary J. Blige.[34][35]

References

  1. ^ Sydney Scott, "Black Girls Rock! What The Annual Celebration Of Black Magic Looked Like 10 Years Ago". Essence, October 26, 2016
  2. ^ Mia Hall, "7 Nonprofits Dedicated to Empowering Young Brown Girls". "NBC News", May 16, 2017
  3. ^ Michelle Fox, "What it takes for Black girls to become leaders, according to Michelle Obama", CNBC, Aug. 27, 2020.
  4. ^ BRITTO, BRITTANY (2018-03-01). "Creator of movement, awards show reveals why 'Black Girls Rock'". The Baltimore Sun.
  5. ^ a b c Best, Tamara (2016-04-04). "Black Girls Rock! Holds Up an Unapologetic Mirror". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  6. ^ Denise Petski, "Black Girls Rock! Founder Beverly Bond Inks Development Deal With BET". Deadline, March 2021.
  7. ^ Kai, Maiysha (2019-03-06). "On International Women's Day, Beverly Bond Breaks New Ground in D.C. with the 1st Black Girls Rock! Fest". TheRoot.
  8. ^ Eve M. Ferguso, "Inaugural Black Girls Rock Festival Culminates with Marathon Concert". Washington Informer, March 20, 2019.
  9. ^ "Inside Lauryn Hill and Alice Smith's Performance At BGR Fest 2020". Essence.
  10. ^ Maria F. Barrios, "Black Girls Rock! Festival returns to the Kennedy Center". Washington Post, March 4, 2020.
  11. ^ "NSO Pops: BLACK GIRLS ROCK! | Kennedy Center". www.kennedy-center.org. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  12. ^ a b Respers, Lisa (6 November 2010). "'Black Girls Rock!' on BET". The Marquee Blog. CNN.com. Archived from the original on 28 July 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  13. ^ Workneh, Lilly (2016-04-06). "Black Girls Rock! Is The Ultimate Celebration Of Sisterhood". HuffPost. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  14. ^ Pendleton, Tonya. (2011). "Beverly Bond Shows, Proves that Black Girls Rock" Archived March 31, 2013, at the Wayback Machine BLACKAMERICAWEB.COM. Retrieved 2012-11-12.
  15. ^ Lesley Goldberg. "Beverly Bond Inks New BET Deal for 'Black Girls Rock' Awards (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter, November 18, 2013.
  16. ^ Wolfe, Roman (26 September 2007). "Female Rappers, Executives Honored At Black Girls Rock! Awards". AllHipHop. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
  17. ^ "'Black Girls Rock!' to the Tune of 2.7M Viewers for BET, Increased Ratings (Exclusive)". TheWrap. 2013-11-05. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  18. ^ "In Newark, Michelle Obama declares 'Black Girls Rock!'", NJ.com, March 29, 2015.
  19. ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (August 19, 2019). "Niecy Nash Set As Host For BET's Black Girls Rock! Awards". Deadline. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  20. ^ "Beyoncé Leads the Pack of 2017 NAACP Image Awards Nominees". EW.com. Retrieved 2021-08-20.
  21. ^ a b "Creator of movement, awards show reveals why 'Black Girls Rock'". www.baltimoresun.com. September 25, 2021. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  22. ^ a b c Greg, Grouchy (September 26, 2007). "Female Rappers, Executives Honored At Black Girls Rock! Awards". Exclusive Hip Hop News, Interviews, Rumors, Rap & Music Videos | Allhiphop. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
  23. ^ a b c d e f g "Black Girls Rock! Awards Honor Erykah Badu, Pam Grier, Iman and More". Essence.com. December 16, 2009. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
  24. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Black Girls Rock Awards". blackgirlsrock.wordpress.com. May 5, 2010. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
  25. ^ a b c d e f g "Nia Long Hosts BET's First Ever 'Black Girls Rock' Tribute to Black Women This Sunday | EURweb". EURweb. November 4, 2010. Archived from the original on January 7, 2017. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
  26. ^ a b c d e f "Black Girls Rock! 2011" (PDF). sunsetlaneentertainment.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 7, 2017. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
  27. ^ a b c d e f Obenson, Tambay A. "'Black Girls Rock!' 2012 Celebrates, Inspires On Sunday, Nov. 4 At 7pm/ET Exclusively On BET | IndieWire". www.indiewire.com. Archived from the original on January 7, 2017. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
  28. ^ a b c d e "BLACK GIRLS ROCK! 2013 honors black women making an impact, airs on BET". Affrodite. October 24, 2013. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
  29. ^ "Girlfriends Reunite at 'Black Girls Rock'!". Ebony, November 4, 2013
  30. ^ a b c d e f "2015 Black Girls Rock Awards Show, Newark". www.averagesocialite.com. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  31. ^ a b c d Worknegh, Lilly (June 4, 2016). "Black Girls Rock! Is The Ultimate Celebration Of Sisterhood". HuffPost.
  32. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "2016 Awards". BET.com. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  33. ^ Sanchez, Chelsey (September 9, 2019). "Twitter Is Raving Over Angela Bassett's Powerful Speech at the Black Girls Rock! Awards". Harper's Bazaar.
  34. ^ Rachel Leah, "Black Girls Rock!: Celebrating the power and magic of black women". Salon, March 24, 2018.
  35. ^ Britto, Brittany. "Creator of movement, awards show reveals why 'Black Girls Rock'". baltimoresun.com. Retrieved 2021-08-19.

External links

NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Variety – Series or Special
Categories