BYRON ALLEN ACCEPTS THE ICON AWARD AT THE 4TH ANNUALCULTURE CREATORS INNOVATORS & LEADERS AWARD

All Photos by: Jerritt Clark Photographer/Getty Images for Culture Creators 

Culture Creators Hosted Its Biggest & Boldest “Innovators & Leaders”Awards Brunch This Past Weekend (Los Angeles, CA) -- Celebrating leaders throughout the creative community and upholding a commitment to diversity, Culture Creators hosted its fourth annual “Innovators & Leaders” Awards Brunch at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in the International Ballroom on Saturday,June 22. It was hosted by Tanika Ray, co-host of EXTRA, and DeMarco Morgan, co-anchor of CBS2 News This Morning. Check out photos and video of the event below! This year, businessman, television producer, comedian, philanthropist, and founder, owner, and CEO of Entertainment Studios, Byron Allen accepted the Icon Award. His acceptance of the honor was preceded by a Culture Chat that engaged attendees, moderated by Amy DuBois Barnett, the EVP, Digital + Chief Content Officer of The Grio—an Entertainment Studios-owned platform. Michael Ealy presented James Lopez with the Culture Creator Award for Film & Television Excellence, while Marsai Martin spoke directly to young girls of color who don’t feel like they belong, as she accepted her honor of Innovator of the Year. Check out the full list of honorees, below. Additionally, attendees of the gala were first to hear an exciting announcement from Andréa Richardson, Director, Multicultural & Diversity Relations and Global Corporate Affairs at Hilton. On behalf of Hilton, she announced a new initiative between the leading hotelier and Culture Creators: The HBCU Summit. This event will allow Culture Creators to extend its impact on our world today with their expanded resources. More information on the partnership will be forthcoming. The event also welcomed corporate partners such as Hilton, Don Julio Tequila, Pepsi, and Lexus. The exclusive invite-only gala maintained its status as one of the most sought-after and influential events of BET Awards Weekend for the fourth consecutive year. 2019 saw the event expanded and evolved as it highlights the achievements of thought leaders, philanthropists, executives, entertainers, artists, and other pillars of African American culture in an intimate setting among key players. Talent from this year’s gala included: Past Icon Honoree Sylvia Rhone, Lalah Hathaway, Ryan Destiny, Lecrae, Chris Chalk (When They See Us), Omar Bolden, Brandon Marshall, Mona Scott-Young, Van Lathan, Kendrick Sampson, and more. These “Culture Creators” continue to set the pace for diversity in the fields of entertainment, music, sports, and beyond. The list of 2019 honorees: Innovators & Leaders Award 2019 Icon Award Byron Allen Founder, Chairman, CEO Entertainment Studios Innovator of the Year Marsai Martin Actress, Executive Producer Film & Television James Lopez, President Will Packer Productions Business Tiffany R. Warren, Senior VP, Chief Diversity Officer for Omnicom Group Founder & President, AdColor Technology Morgan DeBaun, Founder & CEO Blavity Inc. Iddris Sandu, Entrepreneur Finance Phyllis Newhouse Founder & CEO of Xtreme Solutions, Inc. and Founder of ShoulderUp Music Quality Control Music: CEO Pierre “Pee” Thomas and COO Kevin “Coach K” Lee Fashion Antoine Phillips Vice President, Brand and Culture Engagement, GUCCI Sports Alexys Feaster Senior Director Player Development, NBA Art Simphiwe Ndzube