Time Inc.’s Essence, the preeminent brand for African-American women, will host its highly anticipated eighth annual “Black Women in Music”—an official GRAMMY Week event—on Thursday, February 9th in Los Angeles. The invitation-only soiree will salute the year’s extraordinary GRAMMY nominees and fête four-time GRAMMY winner Erykah Badu on the 20th anniversary of her groundbreaking debut album, Baduizm. The evening will also feature a performance by Roc Nation management artist Tiwa Savage, an award-winning Nigerian singer songwriter making an indelible impact in the US.

“From the time that she first hit the scene with her album Baduizm, we all fell in love with the genius that is Erykah Badu. It is only fitting that we honor the accomplishments of our neo-soul queen, whose remarkable artistry still moves us 20 years later,” said Essence Editor-in-Chief Vanessa De Luca. “We congratulate Erykah on her incredible career, as well as all of this year’s GRAMMY nominees, who share their amazing gifts with the world.”

“Our collaboration with The Recording Academy underscores the mission of our ‘Black Women in Music’ platform,” said Essence President Michelle Ebanks. “Essence, like the GRAMMYs, has always been at the forefront of recognizing the genius of so many artists and influencers—from iconic legends to the next generation’s rising stars, like Tiwa Savage. We also applaud our event sponsor, Lincoln, for returning once again to support the vision of this event.”

“We’re closely aligned with the inspiration behind the ‘Black Women in Music’ event that helps bring a highly talented group of artists together through the power of music,” said Evan Greene, chief marketing officer of The Recording Academy. “The Recording Academy has always strived to recognize and celebrate diversity within the music industry.”

Established in 2010, Essence ‘Black Women in Music’ has heralded the accomplishments of both emerging and established artists and influencers during GRAMMY week. Previous celebrants include GRAMMY Award winners Jill Scott, Mary J. Blige, Kelly Rowland and Janelle Monáe, GRAMMY Award nominees Solange and Andra Day, as well as music industry veteran Sylvia Rhone and singer/songwriters Lianne La Havas and Emeli Sandé.

The 2017 ESSENCE ‘Black Women in Music’ event is sponsored by Lincoln.

Author: Buddy Iahn

Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. As a lifelong drummer, he decided to take a hiatus from playing music to report it. The website began as a fun project in 2013 to one of the top independent news sites.