The culture was on full display in Beverly Hills, and nobody was playing nice with the drip or the energy. Hollywood Unlocked founder Jason Lee brought the stars out to the legendary Beverly Hilton for the 6th Annual Impact Awards, turning a traditional ballroom setting into a high-key family reunion packed with pure Black excellence.
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Hosted once again by Tiffany Haddish, the night wasn’t just about handing out trophies—it was a heavy reminder of what ownership, resilience, and building your own table look like when the mainstream chooses to look the other way.
Setting the Vibe: Legends, Freestyles, and Pure Collaboration
From the jump, the vibes were unmatched as musical director Babyface kept the room jumping with a live band that knew exactly how to set the mood. Before the formal programming even got rolling, an impromptu freestyle session took over the ballroom floor, featuring legends like Da Brat, Yo-Yo, MC Lyte, and Chante Moore getting everybody on their feet. Even gospel icon Kirk Franklin couldn’t sit still, sprinting from his table straight to the piano to show the room how it’s really done.
As Jason Lee later reflected on his personal journey, going from buying Tyler Perry’s Madea movies at Walmart to standing on a stage he built to honor the billionaire mogul himself, the room felt the true weight of the moment. Lee didn’t hold back his philosophy on why events like this matter, noting:
“Being Black is about being bold. And also not feeling like we need to compete with one another. Competition over collaboration is the death of the culture.”
Giving Flowers and Dropping Jewels
The awards themselves were a beautiful masterclass in giving icons their flowers while they can still smell them. The incomparable Patti LaBelle took home the inaugural Legacy Award, gracefully walking onto the stage barefoot—true to form—to accept her flowers from longtime friend Angie Martinez after a stunning tribute performance by Sheléa. Media powerhouse Tyler Perry accepted the Innovator Award, using his time at the mic to pass down crucial wisdom about unity and protecting voting rights in a politically heavy year.
Meanwhile, Kehlani brought the whole room to tears while accepting the Fearlessness Award, sharing a deeply personal childhood memory about how she only had two albums to get her through when her mother was locked up: Keyshia Cole and Kirk Franklin. Standing just a few feet away from the gospel legend, she directly thanked him for saving her life through his music.
A Night to Remember for the Culture
With heavy hitters like Meagan Good taking home the Spirit Award alongside her man Jonathan Majors, RZA snagging the Culture Award, and Tennessee State Representative Justin Jones delivering a fiery speech for his Community Award, the night solidified the Impact Awards as an essential staple for our community.
Between show-stopping performances by Chlöe Bailey and a powerhouse gospel finale of “Total Praise” by Kierra Sheard and Donald Lawrence, the event proved once again that we don’t need validation from outside institutions when we possess the power to celebrate ourselves this beautifully.