Style, substance, and star power converged at theGrio Awards’ first-ever gala

TheGrio Awards' inaugural celebration attracted luminaries from the worlds of entertainment, politics, social justice, and more.

Maiysha Kai
Oct 23, 2022

Los Angeles’ Beverly Hilton was a beacon of Black excellence on Saturday night as it hosted theGrio Awards‘ first-ever ceremony and gala. With help from hosts Sheryl Underwood and Taye Diggs, Allen Media Group’s Founder, Chairman and CEO Byron Allen welcomed an impressive roster of guests for the evening, including many of this year’s honorees; Queen Latifah, Patti LaBelle, Jennifer Hudson, Allyson Felix, Ben Crump, Don Peebles, and Robert F. Smith. Luminaries Nikole Hannah-Jones, Terrance Howard, Jackée Harry, Marla Gibbs, Kim Coles, and Congressman Bobby Rush also made appearances on theGrio’s red carpet—as did several of theGrio’s best-known names and faces—April Ryan, Natasha Alford, Panama Jackson, and Michael Harriot.

TheGrio Awards 2022 theGrio.com
Patti LaBelle (L) and Byron Allen attend TheGrio Awards 2022 at The Beverly Hilton on October 22, 2022, in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by JC Olivera/Getty Images)

“I created theGrio Awards to celebrate and amplify African-American excellence and the incredible champions from other communities who truly support us,” said Allen in a statement announcing theGrio Awards. “Celebrating and amplifying iconic individuals is something we can never do enough of, especially for our children.”

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With that purpose in mind, TheGrio Awards’ first gala was a star-studded evening full of well-deserved recognition, revelry, and reunions (we see you, ladies of “Living Single” and “227”)! The Black star power continued onstage as Music Icon honoree LaBelle also graced the audience with her incredible voice, as did fellow performers Yolanda Adams, Tyrese, and Fantasia. Musical legend Greg Phillinganes served as the evening’s musical director, while DJ Kiss did double duty as D.J. and announcer.

If you weren’t on the invite list for theGrio Awards 2022, never fear. The awards ceremony will be airing on theGrio Television Network and other Allen Media Group television and digital platforms as well as broadcast television stations nationwide on a soon-to-be-announced date, so stay tuned to this and all theGrio’s platforms for updates. In the meantime, enjoy a preliminary glimpse at the celebration in our red-carpet gallery below.

Queen Latifah

Queen Latifah attends TheGrio Awards 2022 at The Beverly Hilton on October 22, 2022 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by JC Olivera/Getty Images)

Correction: Monday, October 24, 2022, at 12:40 p.m., ET: Captions in an earlier version of this article mislabeled the photo of Kerry Gordy and Gary Hecker and that of Eric Austin, Marc Pritchard, and Damon Jones. The captions have since been corrected.

Maiysha Kai is theGrio’s lifestyle editor, covering all things Black and beautiful. Her work is informed by two decades’ experience in fashion and entertainment, great books and aesthetics, and the brilliance of Black culture. She is also the editor-author of Body (Words of Change series). 

TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. TheGrio’s Black Podcast Network is free too. Download theGrio mobile apps today! Listen to ‘Writing Black’ with Maiysha Kai.

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