Cathy Hughes, Urban One Founder and Chairwoman, announced the honorees, performers and presenters for the prestigious annual URBAN ONE HONORS event on Thursday, December 5, 2019, at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland. The two-hour telecast will air on TV One, a division of Urban One, on January 20, 2020, the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.
This year’s honorees include: veteran music executive Sylvia Rhone (Lifetime Achievement Award); Grammy Award-winning recording artist and producer Missy Elliott (Music Innovation Award); Academy Award-winning actor Jamie Foxx (Entertainment Icon Award); and actor/dancer and star of “Pose,” Ryan Jamaal Swain (Represent Pride Award).
Performers include: Grammy Award-winning recording artist and songwriter Ne-Yo; Grammy-nominated rapper Wale; Grammy Award-winning R&B superstar Brandy; R&B singer Eric Benét; gospel singer Pastor Charles Jenkins; new music artist Jac Ross; and television host Egypt Sherrod. Actor/singer and star of “Pose” Billy Porter, and the subject of Netflix’s documentary “The Black Godfather” Clarence Avant are among the show’s presenters.
“This will be an evening to remember,” stated Hughes. “We are extremely proud to present this showcase of talent in recognition of these exceptional men and women whose contributions “REPRESENT” our capacity to transform industries and effectuate change. I am overjoyed that we can celebrate the anniversary of Radio One with an event that honors what has been our mission of service to our community over these 40 years.”
URBAN ONE HONORS is presented by TV One and Radio One’s Washington D.C. market’s cluster of radio stations: Majic 102.3 and 92.7; WKYS 93.9, Praise 104.1, WOL 1450, Spirit 1340, and The Team 980 and 95.9. The televised event will herald the accomplishments of individuals who have made extraordinary contributions in entertainment, media, music, education, and the community. It will also pay tribute to the 40-year history of Radio One, the radio division of the company, and its extraordinary founder, Cathy Hughes.
Hughes continued, “We are blessed to have Billy Porter as part of our event. No matter how busy the Emmy, Grammy and Tony Award-winning performer is, he has made time to support Urban One and continues to be an advocate for black press.”
“It’s so amazing to be a part of an organization that is about the excellence of black people and to know that I’m an honoree at this year’s Urban One Honors in conjunction with celebrating the 40-year anniversary of Radio One,” stated Ryan Jamaal Swain. “It just shows we’re in a place where we are accepting innovation, diversity and inclusion – and not just buzz words. It’s so beautiful to have my pop-up Billy Porter presenting me with my award and it’s going to be an event that I feel will set the tone for the trajectory of entertainment, media, radio and also the world.”
“I’m very happy to be here to support Cathy Hughes, as a honoree of last year’s awards, it’s a good feeling to be recognized and appreciated” said Brandy, who is a featured performer at this year’s event.
URBAN ONE HONORS is produced for TV One by Eric Tomosunas and Keith Neal of Swirl Films. Kashon Powell, Vice President of Programming for Radio One, Susan Henry and Gold Morgan are the Executives in Charge of Production for TV One. For TV One’s Original Programming and Production, Robyn Greene Arrington serves as Vice President and Brigitte McCray serves as Senior Vice President.
