2023 Urban One Honors, Feting LL Cool J, Bobby Brown & More, To Have Two Encore Airings
Encore presentations of the fifth Urban One Honors will air Thursday at 9 p.m. ET (8 p.m. CT) and Sunday at 6 p.m ET (5 p.m. Central) on TV One and CLEO TV.
Under the theme “Icons of the Culture,” the fifth annual Urban One Honors premiered on Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day. R&B star Tank hosted the show, which was taped at The Eastern in Atlanta on Dec. 2. Former Destiny’s Child member LeToya Luckett hosted a special backstage pass segment.
LL Cool J received the Entertainment Icon honor. Other top awards went to Bobby Brown (the inaugural Phoenix Honor), Pharrell Williams (the Music Innovation Honor), David Mann and his wife, Tamela Mann (the Inspirational Impact Honor), and Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) (a Lifetime Achievement Honor).
The ceremony included performances by Keke Wyatt and Marvin Sapp; a celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip hop with DJ Spinderella, Monie Love and Doug E. Fresh; and a finale performance from T.I. (Clifford Harris) and his son Domani Harris.
Roland Martin, Pusha T, Rev. Run, Lamman Rucker, Keisha Lance Bottoms (former Atlanta mayor and currently director of the office of public engagement in the White House) and Michelle Rice (TV One/CLEO TV president) also appeared on the broadcast.
The show was executive produced by Eric Tomosunas and James Seppelfrick of Swirl Films. Daniel Moore served as musical director; Marilyn Gill as executive producer.
Kashon Powell is vice president of programming for Radio One and Susan Henry is the network’s executive producer in charge of production.
Paul Grein
Billboard