The 2024 Urban One Honors brought Black excellence to the forefront during a star-studded celebration, and you’ve got to read up on the magically melanated honorees!
Source: TV ONE / Urban One Honors
As previously reported the tribute show premiering Sunday, February 25, 2024, on TV One and simulcast on CLEO TV, brought bigwigs to Atlanta’s Coca-Cola Roxy for a night of excellence and elegance as attendees celebrated the enduring legacies of iconic artists amid red-hot fashion, performances and moving speeches.
This year’s celebration had a “Best in Black” theme and celebrated stars who’ve left an indelible mark on art, media, and music while also contributing significantly to the betterment of society.
In case you need a refresher on the magically melanated celebs who were honored at the Urban One Honors, take a look below.
Chlöe Is The Urban One Honors’ Generation Next Honoree
You can tune in to the Urban One Honors to see talented singer, and songwriter, Chlöe, be celebrated as the Generation Next Honoree.
Source: Joi Stokes / Getty
The 25-year-old began her career as one-half of the R&B duo Chloe x Halle, alongside her younger sister, Halle Bailey and the singing siblings caught the attention of Beyoncé after she discovered their song covers on YouTube. The Queen quickly signed them to her label, Parkwood Entertainment in 2015 and her impact on them is clear to see.
Chlöe previously told E! News that when it comes to her mentor King Bey, she’s particularly drawn to “how she carries herself and the way she performs and lets everything go.” She also shared the best advice Beyoncé gave her and her sister.
“What she told us is the no scroll rule,” said the songstress. “Don’t read any comments. Don’t read what people have to say about you.”
In 2016 Chloe x Halle released their debut EP, Sugar Symphony, which infused R&B, soul, and pop, and the sisters’ harmonious vocals garnered high praise from fans and music critics. Chloe x Halley released their debut album in 2018, “The Kids Are Alright”, showcasing their growth as artists earning critical acclaim. Beyond music, Chlöe in addition to her sister ventured into acting, starring in Kenya Barris’ Growish — a spin-off from the popular ABC show Black-ish.
After going solo, her single “Have Mercy” reached No. 1 on the mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop airplay chart. The multi-hyphenate returned to acting, starring in the hit thriller, Swarm, released in March 2023, and launched her sold-out London Tour the following month.
During this year’s Urban One Honors, an ecstatic Chlöe said she “felt like a princess” during the celebration and we’re excited to see the artist with a keen ability to sing, write, produce, dance, and continue to be a force of the future.
Source: Paras Griffin / Getty
Dionne Warwick Receives Lifetime Achievement Award At The Urban One Honors
Grammy-winning singer, actress, and television host, Dionne Warwick, was the perfect person to be the Urban One Honors’ Lifetime Achievement Honoree.
Source: Brian Stukes / Getty
The songstress whose musical roots were birthed in church, has musicality in her genes. The six-time Grammy nominee who has sold over 100 million records saw her family members have success as the Drinkard Singers, the first gospel group to perform at the Newport Jazz Festival and the first to record on RCA.
Included in that group was her mom’s sister, Cissy, later known as Cissy Houston, who sang backup for Aretha Franklin and Elvis Presley, and passed down that vocal gift to her daughter Whitney.
“Cissy had an incredible voice and that transferred to her little baby, Whitney [Houston],” the icon told PEOPLE in 2022. “Whitney came up exactly the way we all did, in the church choir. It was just preordained, she was going to sing. Her destiny was as was the rest of the family. As if God pointed a finger at us and said ‘Let them vocal cords do what they got to do.’”
Dionne’s vocal cords “did what they had to do” as her career soared.
Her first major release in 1962 was “Don’t Make Me Over” and following that, Urban One reports that she released chart-toppers including, “Walk on By,” “Anyone Who Had a Heart,” “Message to Michael,” “Promises Promises,” “A House is Not a Home,” “Alfie,” “Say a Little Prayer,” and “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again.”
She’s also celebrated for becoming the first African-American female artist to appear before the Queen of England at a Royal Command Performance.
In addition to music, she’s explored acting and television hosting and led the popular music show, “Solid Gold”, as well as many television programs and films. Philanthropy ignited Warwick, evident in her various charitable activities including her work with AIDS research and the American Red Cross, and her distinctive voice and timeless music continue to inspire today’s top artists.
Urban One is proud to present Dionne Warwick with her flowers because she deserves them all.
Source: Paras Griffin / Getty
Frankie Beverly Honored As A Living Legend At The Urban One Honors
It’s time to get up and dance because Frankie Beverly is this year’s Urban One Honors Living Legend honoree!
Source: Prince Williams / Getty
Frankie — born Howard Beverly — began singing gospel music as a young boy in a local Philadelphia church, and considering that he was a huge fan of Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers, he began calling himself Frankie at the age of nine, in 1956.
Andscape reports that Beverly’s career took off after he relocated from Pennsylvania to California where he and his bandmates of the group The Butlers changed their name to Raw Soul and caught the attention of Marvin Gaye. The band performed with the megastar as an opening act and it was also Gaye’s idea for the group to change their name to Maze ahead of him advocating for their signing at Capitol Records in 1976.
“For the next [few] months, we kicked names in the butt,” Michael Burton, the original stage manager of Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, told Andscape.
“We go back to Marvin and say, ‘How about Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly’? We did a name check and found out there was a band already called Maze. Marvin said, ‘Don’t worry about it, we’ll take care of that.’ From my understanding, we bought the name. It’s been Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly ever since.”
The newly dubbed Maze released their debut album in 1977, containing the hits “Lady of Magic”, While I’m Alone” and”Happy Feelin’s.” The project went gold and earned the group a cult-like following. Maze’s second album, Golden Time of Day, released in 1978, also reached gold status, containing the R&B hit “Workin’ Together.” Inspiration premiered in 1979 and Joy and Pain in the 1980s followed, claiming their respective gold achievements.
The group’s arguably biggest hit, “Before I Let Go” was featured on their first live album, Live in New Orleans, in 1981. Beyoncé covered the hit on her 2019 live project, Homecoming: The Live Album, and in an interview with Billboard, Beverly shared that it was “one of the high points of [his] life… in a class of its own” and made him feel “bigger than ever.”
“I feel like I have a huge smash out there,” said the singer.
Frankie Beverly continues to perform, providing his devoted fan base with a memorable live show, featuring his timeless classics, but the living legend recently announced that he’s going on a farewell tour.
Even after he retires, we’ll always have “Happy Feelin’s” about Frankie Beverly.
Source: Carol Lee Rose / Getty
Donald Lawerence Honored For His Inspirational Impact At The Urban One Honors
It’s time for some praise as Grammy winner Donald Lawrence was honored with the Inspirational Impact award at the 2024 Urban One Honors.
Source: Derek White / Getty
The gospel music, songwriter, singer, and producer who hails from Gastonia, North Carolina began leading the Tri-City singers in the ’90s.
The group’s first album, A Songwriter’s Point of View, debuted in 1993 and reached No. 2 on the Billboard Top Gospel Charts.
Urban One reports that The Tri-City Singers’ next project, Bible Stories, was released in 1995, topping the same charts. It was the first to be entitled, Donald Lawrence & The Tri-City Singers, and featured the popular hits “A Message For The Saints”, “Stranger” and “I Am God.” The album was released on Lawrence’s newly minted label, Crystal Rose Records, which was distributed through Sparrow Records.
Lawrence & The Tri-City singers would go on to see much success through the years via their litany of hits including the crossover single “Testify” which soared to No. 33 on Billboard’s Mainstream Dance Charts after artist Junior Vasquez released house remixes of the track.
Donald Lawrence has over 30 Stellar Award wins and 4 Dove Award wins and has been nominated for 18 Grammy awards throughout his career. He took home a Grammy win in 2008 and has also served as the face of Verizon’s “How Sweet The Sound” national tour. He also served as the Musical Director for the McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour, and the Music Supervisor for the BeBe Winans hit theatrical production, Born For This.
His music and legacy continue to inspire and ignite artists and gospel singers alike so his recognition at the Urban One Honors makes perfect sense.
Source: Brian Stukes / Getty
Mary J. Blige Is The Urban One Honors’ Entertainment Icon
Who better to be honored by Urban One than the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul?
Source: Paras Griffin / Getty
Mary J. Blige has had a storied career that includes eight multi-platinum albums, nine Grammys, 32 Grammy nominations, two Academy Award nominations, two Golden Globe nominations, a SAG Award nomination, and an EMMY.
After being signed to Uptown Records in 1989 by its founder Andre Harrell, she became the label’s youngest and first female artist. Blige’s official bio notes that her musical inspirations were
Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, and Gladys Knight, and her love for music drove the release of her 1992 debut album “What’s the 411?”
The multi-platinum album caused an impact amongst music lovers and spurned two R&B No. 1s; “You Remind Me” and “Real Love.”
Blige is credited with helping redefine R&B and her chart-topping hits include crowd favorites like “Be Without You,” “No More Drama,” and “Family Affair,” and span 15 studio albums.
Mary is beloved for her raw takes on life’s ups and downs and also for her standout style which includes her signature blonde hair and thigh-high boots. According to Mary herself, she knows she’s a trendsetter and she embraces it.
“I was ghetto-fabulous, and I still am,” she said while receiving the Icon Award at the 2022 Billboard Awards. “So ghetto, so fabulous — and people were threatened by that. And, now, everybody wants to be ghetto-fabulous.”
Michelle Rice, president of TV One and CLEO TV, previously said that Mary fully personifies the ”Best in Black” theme of this year’s Urban One Honors and we couldn’t agree more.
“Mary’s immeasurable talent and award-winning music has shaped our culture and has had a profound impact on artists and music across all genres, but most notably the elevation of female artists in both R&B and Hip Hop across generations,” said Rice.
We’ll be tuned in and cheering for Mary as she receives her Entertainment Icon Honoree award during the Urban One Honors.
Source: Carol Lee Rose / Getty
The 2024 Urban One Honors Air On Sunday, February 25, 2024, on TV One and simulcast on CLEO TV.
The 2024 Urban One Honors beautifully showered Chlöe, Dionne Warwick, Frankie Beverly, Donald Lawrence, and Mary J. Blige with adoration and praise during the elegant evening of Black Excellence and we can’t wait for you to see these magically melanated honorees in action!