CAA’s Teyana Taylor and Lorrie Bartlett to be Honored at Culture Creators Awards (Exclusive)

Julia B.

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CAA’s Teyana Taylor and Lorrie Bartlett are among the honorees to be honored later this week at the eighth annual Culture Creators Innovators and Leaders Awards Brunch.

Bartlett will be honored with the Icon Award for her “outstanding contributions to the entertainment industry and her tireless commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion while leading initiatives to advance equality in Hollywood.” Bartlett’s client list includes Regina King, Michael Keaton, Samuel L. Jackson, Travis Kelce, Fantasia Barrino, Corey Hawkins, Madelyn Cline, Rachel Zegler, Andra Day, Ruth Negga, Laverne Cox and Josh Duhamel.

The multi-talented Taylor is being honored “for her profound influence on music, fashion, film and culture.” Taylor has released albums including KTSE And The album and appeared in films such as Thousand and One And The book Clarence. She will make her directorial debut on Get Lite starring Storm Reid.

The invitation-only event presented by BET will take place on June 28 at the Beverly Hilton International Ballroom, two days before the 2024 BET Awards. The event is also a benefit for the Culture Creators Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to closing the gap between high school and college and between college and graduation for underrepresented students in industries lacking diversity. Funds raised at the brunch will benefit the 2024 Academic School Year Scholarship Program for Campus Changemakers, the foundation’s first cohort of students from 35 colleges and universities.

“At Culture Creators, we believe in the power of diversity to drive innovation and progress,” explains Joi Brown, Founder of Culture Creators. “This event is a testament to our commitment to amplifying the voices and contributions of people from diverse backgrounds. By celebrating these trailblazers, we inspire a new generation of creators and leaders. That’s exactly why we created the Culture Creators Foundation – to create a pipeline that nurtures and supports underrepresented talent and ensures their impact on culture and society is profound and lasting.”

Other honorees include Monique Idlett, co-founder of Reign Venture Capital; Connie Orlando, executive vice president/head of specials, music programming and music strategy for BET; Morning mood with Tai’s Tai Beauchamp, Claire Sulmers of FashionBombDaily; social influence and brand engagement strategist Alencia Johnson; Cecil White of WME Sports; celebrity stylist duo Wayman + Micah, AI innovator and immersive technology expert Alton Glass; and Maya and Brian Smith, creators of Black-owned haircare line The Doux.

The event will be hosted by Gia Peppers and will include performances by Raheem DeVaughn and Infinity Song, as well as DJ sets by DJ RoseGold. The brunch will also feature conversations on the art of storytelling, leadership, mentoring and empowerment.

Previous Icon Award winners include MC Lyte, Busta Rhymes, Andre Harrell, Russell Simmons, Sylvia Rhone, Byron Allen, Swizz Beatz and LA Reid, while previous Innovator of the Year winners include Jesse Collins, Tiffany Haddish, Kevin Liles, Marsai Martin, Derrick “D-Nice” Jones, Robin Thede and Chloe x Halle.