Gayle King to be honored at second annual ‘Byron Allen Presents The Washington, D.C. Gala’

Comedian Roy Wood Jr. is scheduled to host the event at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture and Diana Ross is set to perform.

For the second year in a row, theGrio is hosting a gala honoring a Black journalist following the White House Correspondents’ dinner.

During “Byron Allen Presents The Washington, D.C. Gala” this weekend, journalist Gayle King is to receive theGrio’s Journalist Icon Award. She will be recognized for her accomplishments and service in journalism.

In addition to King’s role as co-host of “CBS Mornings,” she also serves as editor-at-large of Oprah Daily and hosts “Gayle King in the House,” a weekly show on SiriusXM. She is a three-time Emmy Award winner, a recipient of the 39th Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism and a member of the 2018 Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame class.

CBS Mornings Co-Host Gayle King. Photo: Michele Crowe/CBS ©2021 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Roy Wood Jr., comedian and correspondent for Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” is scheduled to host the star-studded affair. Diana Ross, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and two-time Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner (one as a solo artist and one with The Supremes) is slated to perform at the gala.

“Gayle King and Diana Ross are both American treasures, and I can’t think of a better way to honor their excellence than by hosting this event at The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture,” Byron Allen, who is the founder, chairman and CEO of Allen Media Group — the parent company of theGrio — said in a statement. “I created the Washington, D.C. Gala to be a spectacular celebration, informative, and a great deal of fun.”

A one-hour television special, “The Washington, D.C. Gala,” which is scheduled to premiere Monday on theGrio Television Network and other platforms, will chronicle the event. It will feature gala highlights, including interviews with politicians, power players and celebrities.

Originally titled “A Seat at the Table: A Celebration of Black Media,” last year’s inaugural gala honored April Ryan, theGrio’s White House correspondent and author. Nine-time Grammy Award-winner Mary J. Blige gave a special performance with guest DJ D-Nice.

“Byron Allen Presents The Washington, D.C. Gala,” which Allen Media Group, Procter & Gamble and My Black is Beautiful are sponsoring, is scheduled for Saturday at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture.

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