Patti LaBelle, Common and Public Enemy Honored at BMAC Gala

Patti LaBelle, Common and Public Enemy were among the artists honored on Thursday night at the sixth annual Black Music Action Coalition Gala, held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.

Throughout the evening, BMAC and its president/CEO Willie "Prophet" Stiggers recognized key figures in the music industry who have used their influence for good while amplifying the organization's goals and accomplishments. Kenny Burns returned as host for the sixth year, and the house band 1500 or Nothin' provided the music.

LaBelle stood at the center of the evening as recipient of the BMAC Icon Award. R&B singer Chanté Moore paid tribute with a rendition of "Love, Need and Want You." Le'Andria Johnson followed with an impassioned, church-reared performance of "You Are My Friend," wading into the audience to duet with LaBelle herself.

Director Lee Daniels took the podium to dedicate the award, sharing how LaBelle's presence in his life helped him overcome his battle with addiction. "Your voice is healing. Your voice is power, your voice is soul," Daniels said. "When I first heard your music, I was 22 years old. It changed my life, and I knew I wanted to be an artist."

LaBelle thanked BMAC and expressed gratitude for being honored at 82. "I want you to know that music is medicine," she said. "We all need that medicine, especially now that we're going through all these trying times. Music is my life, and music will heal us all. And thank God we're all here and that we all woke up this morning."

One of the evening's most emotional moments came when Dr. Mahalia Hines introduced her son, rapper Common, who received the Harry Belafonte Change Agent Award. She commended his activism and his willingness to perform concerts and hold conversations with incarcerated individuals across the United States.

Common recalled words shared by Ambassador Andrew Young on the set of "Selma." "'What are you willing to die for? Live for that,'" Common said. "That day, I went home thinking I've been doing activist work, but I ain't doing any of that. Am I living for it each and every day? That made me want to improve, grow, learn and figure out ways I can improve our communities in ways that I never thought of."

The honors continued across the night. Big Daddy Kane presented Public Enemy with the Social Impact Award. Tennessee State University alumna Jamea Kollie presented the BMAC Founders Award to the Team's Lee Anderson, Marty Diamond, Lenore Kinder, Kevin Shivers and Mallory Smith. Nicole Wyskoarko received the inaugural Sylvia Rhone Visionary Award, presented by Rhone herself. R&B group Flo gave the BMAC 365 Award to the Universal Music Group Global Impact team. Montell Jordan presented Tina Davis with the BMAC Clarence Avant Trailblazer Award.

The gala's sixth edition signals the coalition's continuing effort to place artists' social engagement at the center of an industry night, pairing marquee tributes with recognition of executives and teams working year-round.