Photo: Joshua Blanchard/Getty Images for A24
The Weeknd will receive the Quincy Jones Humanitarian Award at the inaugural Music in Action Awards, put on by the Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC).
The awards show aims to honor musicians, and music industry executives who’ve made major contributions to social justice, change and equity over the past year, the Coalition said in a statement.
The "Blinding Lights" singer is being honored for the millions of dollars he donated in the last year to a range of causes including Black Lives Matter Global Network, Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp, and National Bail Out, Variety reported.
The Weeknd also gave to MusiCares’ COVID-19 pandemic relief causes and in his hometown of Scarborough, Ontario. Internationally, the singer contributed to relief efforts in Ethiopia and Lebanon while getting others to join in the fundraising.
The ceremony will also award honorees the Berry Gordy Social Impact Award, the Clarence Avant Trailblazer Award and the Agent of Change Award. The show will also take a look at the annual Music Industry Action Report Card, a pioneering assessment of racial equity in the music industry, that launched this year on Juneteenth.
“BMAC promised to work with the music industry to advance racial equity, and are proud to have done everything we said we would do. Now, while we celebrate the achievements of our industry, we also look forward to continued work with every company in our industry to eliminate all forms of systemic and structural racism,” BMAC Co-chair, artist manager, and executive Binta Niambi Brown said.
“We welcome conversations with all who share our commitment to justice and equality and are enthusiastic about the change we will create together.”
The ceremony is scheduled to take place on September 23 in West Hollywood, California.
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