BNC Teams Up with Café Mocha to Present the Salute THEM Awards Sunday, June 6 at 10:00 P.M. ET

Special Event Honors Musical Vanguards from the New National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) in Nashville

Legendary Sly Stone and Earth Wind & Fire, gospel Ambassador Dr. Bobby Jones, hip hop pioneer Ludacris, jazz pianist Patrice Rushen, renowned songstress Darlene Love, director Billie Woodruff, choreographer Jamal Josef and celebrity stylist June Ambrose to be honored for Black Music Month

WASHINGTON  –  In celebration of Black Music Month, BNC and Café Mocha, the #1 nationally syndicated radio show for ‘women of color,’ announced today the Salute THEM Awards  ‘soundtrack of our lives’ will broadcast on BNC Sunday, June 6 at 10:00 P.M. ET. The awards will feature several musical tributes and will be co-hosted by Café Mocha Gracie Award Winners Yo-Yo, Loni Love and “Ain’t Too Proud” Broadway star Saint Aubyn from the new National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) in Nashville.

This is a first for the Salute THEM Awards, airing on the newly re-launched BNC, which is available in more than 52 million households with linear agreements in place with major providers including Xfinity (Ch 1116), DIRECTV (Ch 342), Spectrum, DISH (Ch 361), and also available on over 200 million internet-connected devices via partnerships with Amazon Fire TV, Pluto, Roku, Tubi, Vizio, Samsung and more.   

The Salute THEM Awards ‘soundtrack of our lives’ is the second in a unique, “Saluting Our Culture,” awards series that recognizes the indelible impact of those who serve as a catalyst for change through their artistry. The awards will be the first-ever to take attendees on a historical journey of Black music curated from the National Museum of African American Music. In 1979, President Jimmy Carter decreed June as “Black Music Month” in recognition of Black Music’s remarkable contributions to American culture.

“Café Mocha is ecstatic to pay homage to this year’s honorees, who collectively exemplify a body of creative forces from legendary musical treasures to the architects of contemporary music today,” says Café Mocha creator and executive producer Sheila Eldridge.  

“We applaud the efforts of Café Mocha Radio in providing a platform to voice Black-owned businesses and experiences,” said Alva Adams-Mason, Group Manager, Multicultural Business Strategy, and Dealer Relations for Toyota Motor North America.“Toyota is proud to support the impressive trajectory of the Salute THEM Awards from in-person engagements to virtual shows to now broadcast.” 

2021 Salute THEM Honorees: 

• Sly Stone, musician, songwriter and record producer, Legend Award
• June Ambrose, award-winning creative director, stylist, costume designer, and entrepreneur, Woman of Style Award
• Jamal Josef, celebrity choreographer and author, Champion for Children Award
• Earth, Wind & Fire, 6x Grammy Award-winning male group, Creating the Legacy Award
• Bille Woodruff, award-winning music video and film director, Director’s Award
• Dr. Bobby Jones, singer, TV host and “Ambassador of Gospel Music”, Spirit Award
• Patrice Rushen, Grammy Award-nominated jazz pianist and producer, Trailblazer Award
• Ludacris, 3x Grammy Award-winning hip hop artist, actor and philanthropist, Game Changer Award
• Darlene Love, legendary songstress, Soul Solidarity Award

This year’s tribute performers include 2021 ACM Awards new male artist of the year Jimmie Allen, multi-Stellar Award nominee and GMA Dove Award winner Maranda Curtis; and multi-GRAMMY nominated songwriting and production duo Louis York. 

“BNC is excited to partner with Café Mocha to present the Salute THEM Awards and pay tribute to a fantastic collection of honorees,” said Princell Hair, CEO of BNC. “This event marks the first of many partnerships and presentations that will allow BNC to honor and showcase Black excellence and the myriad of contributions that people of color have made to American culture.”      

Presented by Toyota North America and AARP, the Salute THEM Awards honors the phenomenal contributions of Black creatives. Through a longstanding collaboration with AARP, Café Mocha is proud to bring together the National Museum of African American Music and Salute THEM Awards, as they “Celebrate Black Joy” in music. 

The Salute THEM Awards benefits the Mocha Cares Foundation to support housing and services to combat homelessness and domestic violence through mentorship programs.

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The awards will broadcast on BNC and via www.SaluteTHEMAwards.com across all Café Mocha network’s social media platforms @cafemocharadio. To register for a special gift, visit www.SaluteTHEMAwards.com.