Legendary musicians Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz were recently honored by Stevie Wonder at the Grammys Black Music Collective ceremony at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Beverly Hills, California.
On Thursday evening (February 1), The Recording Academy Honors presented by The Black Music Collective (BMC) held their third annual ceremony celebrating Black culture and Black musicians who have been pushing the culture forward. The event, sponsored by Amazon Music and City National Bank, saw two music icons taking center stage before a ballroom cheering them on.
Those two legends were 5-time Grammy Award-winning artist Mariah Carey and 4-time Grammy winner Lenny Kravitz. They were each recognized as this year’s Global Impact Award recipients, which is a CEO Merit Award “honoring the essence and evolution of Black excellence,” as noted by Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr.
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In addition to the two honorees for the evening, the event had an array of musical performances and acceptance speeches that tugged at the heartstrings of the audience. Leading with a big, spirited, and standing ovation-worthy performance of “Mona Lisa” was Afrobeats superstar Davido.
Spearheaded by the event’s music supervisor Adam Blackstone, other performers included Erica Campbell, Andra Day, Gabby Simone, and many more. Meanwhile, H.E.R. paid tribute to singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Lenny Kravitz, which was later followed by Quavo, George Clinton, Andrew Watt, Chad Smith, and Verdine White joining forces to perform “Fly Away.”
During his acceptance speech, Lenny Kravitz said, “I love this music because it feeds our hearts and strengthens our resolve to keep conveying hope and healing to a whole new world. To be a part of this lineage is a privilege I cherish. It is with deep gratitude that I thank you, knowing that music in every corner of the planet uplifts and expresses the goodness of God’s everlasting love.”
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Soon after Stevie Wonder took to the stage to pay tribute to Mariah Carey, which involved him sharing a few touching words and performing a tribute song. During his speech, he said, “Every time we meet and talk, it’s like having a brand new day. I thank you for your friendship, your heart, and the consistent spirit of love that you show … and I’m just going to say this …”
Carey soon joined Wonder on stage, where she thanked him, telling him, “I will never not get excited to be in the company of your greatness!” After causing the audience to roar in laughter as she told them she hadn’t won a Grammy in a long time, Carey continued to thank Harvey Mason Jr. and the Academy, congratulate fellow honoree Kravitz, and wish everyone a happy Black History Month.
During her speech, she said, “When I first started in the music business, I was often told to conform to certain expectations. I wasn’t encouraged to focus on my love for Black music. It took countless arguments, endless tantrums, and mostly unwavering determination. But eventually, I was able to reveal my authentic self, as they say, and create music that came from my heart … I discovered a newfound sense of freedom and fulfillment. As I accept this award, I do so with gratitude for all of you here and every person who has supported me along this journey; the fans that have stood by me through thick and thin.”
Mariah Carey continued, “But most importantly. I accept this award on behalf of every person who has ever felt silenced or marginalized, who has ever been told their voice doesn’t matter. Your truth matters. We will continue to pave the way together for a future where authenticity is celebrated, diversity is embraced and music has the power to change the world.”
Carey soon began performing snippets of her songs from her catalog and other artists like Babyface, Busta Rhymes, Tori Kelly, and Yolanda Adams. Speaking with Hollywood Unlocked before the event, was HU’s founder and CEO Jason Lee, plus musicians Jordan Sparks, LeToya Luckett, Davido, Erica Campbell, Tyrese, Kim Burrell, Flavor Flav, Lady London, Lakeyah, Major., Rico Love (BMC’s leadership chair), and more.
More information on BMC: The Recording Academy®’s Black Music Collective (BMC) is a group of prominent Black music creators and professionals who share the common goal of amplifying Black voices within the Academy and the music community.
The Black Music Collective is a hub for power players in Black music, across all genres, under the GRAMMY roof, bringing together creative geniuses and business leaders to set unified goals, align on a shared agenda, and build community. For more information on the Black Music Collective, visit here. For exclusive content, please join the Black Music Collective’s social communities on Instagram and Facebook.
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