(L-R) Irving Azoff and Nicole Avant attend the Black Music Action Coalition’s 5th Annual BMAC Gala at The Beverly Hilton on September 18, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California.
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Entertainment
John Legend, Irving Azoff, Kai Cenat Honored at Black Music Action Coalition Gala: ‘Equity Is Not Charity. It’s Smart Business’
“Five Years of Impact.” That was the celebratory vibe reverberating inside the jam-packed ballroom during the Black Music Action Coalition’s (BMAC) fifth annual gala at Los Angeles’ Beverly Hilton on Thursday evening (Sept. 18). Presented by Live Nation, the dinner/awards ceremony saluted five music industry honorees: John Legend (BMAC Quincy Jones Humanitarian Award), Irving Azoff (BMAC Icon Award), Sherrese Clark of HarbourView Equity Partners (inaugural BMAC Harry Belafonte Change Agent Award), Kai Cenat and Apple/Apple Music (BMAC Social Impact Award) and Primary Wave Music (BMAC 365 Award).
Grammy-nominated country artist Mickey Guyton, who co-hosted the gala alongside multimedia entertainer Kenny Burns, opened the gala with an impactful performance of “Black Like Me.” Then, BMAC CEO/co-founder/president Willie “Prophet” Stiggers set the tone for the evening — celebrating the organization’s accomplishments since its inception five years ago while also emphasizing there’s still more work to be done when it comes to industry diversity, equity and inclusion, social justice and other issues.
“BMAC is in it for the long haul,” said Stiggers. “We don’t just gather to celebrate; we gather to measure progress, to honor the shoulders we stand on, to recommit ourselves to the fight for equity, justice and opportunity within the music business and beyond. We’re building an infrastructure to make sure that change lasts while still pushing our culture forward. We’ve seen corporations make big promises about justice, equity and inclusion … But today, too many of those same corporations have pulled back. They cut budgets, walked away from partnerships, abandoned the very movement they claimed to champion right when the fight got hard.”
Before the award presentations got underway, Stiggers also noted, “Equity is not charity. It’s smart business. Tonight, as we honor those who have used their platforms to drive real social change, let’s recognize this truth: BMAC is no longer just an organization. We are in fact a movement rooted in accountability and action, an unwavering belief that the future of music must be as just and as free and as powerful as the music itself.”
(L-R) Connie Orlando, EVP, Specials, Music Programming, Music Strategy, and News, BET Networks, Sherrese Clarke and Apollo Theater’s Kamilah Forbes attend the Black Music Action Coalition’s 5th Annual BMAC Gala at The Beverly Hilton on September 18, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California.
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Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds presented the Quincy Jones Humanitarian Award to Legend, drawing audience laughs when he playfully confessed to being jealous of Legend’s EGOT status. Declared Legend from his seat, “You have nothing to be jealous of.”
During his acceptance speech, Legend referenced following in the footsteps of other outspoken humanitarians such as his friend/industry icon Jones and Nina Simone. “Use your voice, use your platform, use your influence to fiercely protect those who are being brave, to shield the truth tellers facing retribution, to make space for more of us because the fight is as urgent as it’s ever been,” he proclaimed to fervent applause and a standing ovation. “Excellence is beautiful, it’s important, but freedom is more important.”
(L-R) Jeff Straughn, Donna Grecco, Lawrence Mestel and CeeLo Green onstage during the Black Music Action Coalition’s 5th Annual BMAC Gala at The Beverly Hilton on September 18, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California.
Johnny Nunez/Getty Images
Babyface was just one in a cast of surprise award presenters that included Cee Lo Green (to Primary Wave Music), Amina Diop (Cenat, who accepted via video), the Apollo Theater’s Kamilah Forbes and BET’s Connie Orlando (Clarke) and Nicole Avant (Azoff). Prior to receiving his award, Azoff — and the audience — were treated to another surprise when Earth, Wind & Fire’s Phillip Bailey, Ralph Johnson and Verdine hit the stage to perform two of the group’s classics: “Let’s Groove” and “September.” One of the evening’s most inspirational moments focused on a tribute to clemency recipient and criminal justice reform advocate Michelle West.
BMAC’s fifth gala follows in the wake of its recent announcement of a new $500,000 direct relief fund supporting families impacted by the Altadena, Calif., fires. BMAC also plans to expand its advocacy efforts globally, starting with the U.K. and Africa in 2026.
(L-R) Damien Smith, Caron Veazey, Co-Founder, BMAC, Ashaunna Ayars, Naima Cochrane, Shay Lawson and Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, CEO & President, BMAC attend the Black Music Action Coalition’s 5th Annual BMAC Gala at The Beverly Hilton on September 18, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California.
Johnny Nunez/Getty Images
Since BMAC’s inception in June 2020, Stiggers noted the organization has distributed over $4 million in direct economic relief. And through its various initiatives and grant programs, BMAC has worked with more than 5,500 students, mentored more than 500 emerging music artists and industry professionals, and established more than 200 paid internships and job placements.
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It’s the final new music Friday (April 24) of the month, and everyone from Noah Kahan to Kehlani and Suki Waterhouse have put forth some of their best work as May waits just around the corner.
This week, Vermont’s favorite folk-rock singer-songwriter finally returned with a new album after four years of Stick Season, his breakout album that reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200. The Great Divide is 17 tracks of Kahan reexamining his worldview after struggling with his mental health in the years since he found fame.
And, as if taking cues from the success of first-ever Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit “Folded” (which reached No. 6 on the chart in January), Kehlani leans fully into classic R&B flavors in an intentional push to recenter the genre’s traditions. “All the R&B artists, we want R&B to be back,” the artist told Billboard ahead of being named Billboard Women in Music’s Impact honoree. “We want good, long songs. We want three verses and bridges and modulations and all the things – we want that too. We just didn’t think anybody else wanted it. I have an allegiance to the genre, and I’ll keep it there.”
On top of the bounty of new albums, several artists have released fresh singles — including Suki Waterhouse, who returns with “Tiny Raisin” shortly after announcing her next album, Loveland, as well as Hayley Kiyoko and Gigi Perez, who teamed up for heartfelt duet “Collide.” Plus, Dylan Gossett adds “My Boy” to the mix, written as a letter to his son.
But which release is your favorite this week? Let Billboard know by voting in the poll below.
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It’s been almost three decades since the LA-based casual wear brand Juicy Couture first hit store shelves, and the Hollywood-loved label has made its way back into the spotlight in recent years thanks to the Y2K trend resurgence and newfound love from influencers online.
Best known for its T-shirts, handbags and yes, those velour tracksuits (reportedly designed exclusively for Madonna at first), Juicy Couture pieces were seen on practically every major celebrity in the 2000s, from Paris Hilton and Britney Spears, to Jennifer Lopez and Kim Kardashian. Musicians like Miley Cyrus, Nicole Scherzinger and even Beyoncé have also been spotted wearing Juicy Couture, and now, a new Amazon deal makes it easy for you to get into some JC as well.
LIMITED TIME DEAL
Juicy Couture Cap Sleeve T-Shirt (Five-Pack)
$38.24 $44.99 15% off
Amazon is selling a five-pack of Juicy Couture T-shirts right now for just $39. Part of the “Juicy Sport” line, the cropped T-shirts are made from a super soft and breathable “performance” fabric that features a touch of spandex for easy movement and stretch.
That makes the T-shirts as ideal for a workout or yoga session as they are for pairing with your everyday ‘fits. The crop top look leans into the Y2K aesthetic and Amazon’s website shows the shirts styled with shorts, leggings and mini skirts alike.
This Amazon deal gets you five Juicy Couture T-shirts for under $40. That brings the price of each tee down to less than $8 — a virtually unheard of deal for generic T-shirts, let alone a brand name pick.
We like the five-pack above, which gets you a T-shirt in two shades of pink (including a light pink with the signature Juicy Couture cherries), plus navy blue, gray and black. You can choose from other color combinations online. The tees are available in sizes small to XXL.
ALSO AVAILABLE
Juicy Couture T-Shirts (Three-Pack)
$29.74
Don’t need five T-shirts? Amazon also sells a three-pack of Juicy Couture tees for just $30, bringing the price of each individual shirt to under $10.
ALSO CONSIDER
Juicy Couture Queen of Everything Mini Duffle Bag
$45.09 $79.00 43% off
And if you need a bag to take to the gym (or for an overnight stay), we like this mini barrel-style duffle bag, on sale for 43% off. The two-tone bag measures approximate 8.2 x 4.9 inches in size, which is enough room for your wallet, keys, change of clothes and toiletries. Choose to carry the bag via the top handle or with the detachable shoulder straps.
All of the above picks are officially-licensed products sold through Amazon’s Juicy Couture storefront. As with all Amazon deals, the sale prices could end at anytime, so we recommend adding the deals to cart while they are still live.
Netflix is bringing us back to the ’80s, and it’s making sure we have the right music for the occasion.
On Wednesday (April 22), Billboard can exclusively reveal that an original soundtrack is coming this week for the brand-new animated spin-off series Stranger Things: Tales From ’85. The score album, composed by Brad Breeck (Gravity Falls, We Bare Bears), will be released globally Thursday (April 23) at midnight ET.
Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 also arrives Thursday on Netflix, bringing viewers back to the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, in the ’80s and reuniting us with some of the original show’s main characters. And much like Stranger Things, music plays a large role in the new show.
“This collection bridges the gap between the eerie depths of the Upside Down and the vibrant, neon energy of the mid-’80s,” Netflix said in a statement.
Tales From ’85 will feature not only a brand-new version of the original Stranger Things theme song, but the first episodes also include a selection of ’80s hits from artists like Black Sabbath, Billy Idol, Cyndi Lauper and more. Needle drops throughout the series include “We Got the Beat” by The Go-Go’s, “A Forest” by The Cure and “We’ll Meet Again” by Vera Lynn, “Rebel Yell” by Idol, and Lauper’s Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper “Time After Time.”
If it’s anything like the original show, artists with songs played in the new series could see a bump in streams and chart placements in the aftermath of the show’s premiere. After featuring the songs in pivotal moments, Stranger Things brought Kate Bush‘s “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” to a new peak of No. 3 on the Hot 100 in 2022, 37 years after its initial release, while Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” made its debut on the chart the same year, 36 years after it came out.
Fans can pre-save Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 (Soundtrack from the Netflix Series) by Brad Breeck here, and find the full score track list below.
Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 (Soundtrack from the Netflix Series) by Brad Breeck track list
Flamethrower (artists: Brad Breeck feat. Brian Parkhurst)
Kids Riding Bikes
Big Snowstorm Coming
Someone In There
HIC Theme
I Just Saved Your Life
Strange Stones
Gotta Go Dark
How Long Is Detention
Sewer Chase (artists: Brad Breeck feat. Brian Parkhurst)
Towns
Clean Up
Investigating Pumpkins
Heaven Eleven
Nice Time Tonight
Storm the Gates
What Were These Things
Ground Rules
seluR dnuorG
Her Royal Nastiness
We Have To Try
Tales from ’85 End Titles (artists: Brad Breeck feat. Cooper Babbes)
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