Black women is the backbone of the music industry and the Connie Orlando Foundation celebrated it in the most wonderful way Black women in music dinner.
On June 12, the 2026 Black Women in Music Dinner took place at Audrey Irma’s Pavilion in Los Angeles. The annual event brought together artists, leaders, creators and cultural architects for an evening that was equal parts celebration, testimony and reminder that the women who built this industry deserve their flowers while they are still here to receive them.
According to the official press release, the event was hosted by comedian Zainab Johnson and presented in collaboration with Founding Partner HarbourView Equity Partners and is now firmly established as one of the cornerstone celebrations of Black Music Month. The room included Connie Orlando herself, Bresha Webb, Tracey Edmonds, Mona Scott-Young, Shaun Robinson and Gabrielle Dennis among the attendees, which tells you everything you need to know about the energy in that building on a Friday night in LA.
The honorees this year were quite literally icons. Chaka Khan received the Vanguard Award, presented by HarbourView Equity Partners founder and CEO Shersese Clarke. They looked at the legend and said, “Your voice didn’t just define an era; it continues to shape the future.”
Kelly Rowland received the Velvet Guard Award presented by none other than Tina Knowles, who came through with one of the most genuinely moving keynote speakers of the entire evening.
“Kelly, you are a rare gem and it has been a joy to be your bonus mom,” Tina said. “You are a superstar in every sense of the word, and you are also the best wife, mother, sister, friend and daughter anyone could ask for.”
Fatima Robinson, one of the most influential choreographers and creative directors in the history of the music video era, received the Guardian of Vision Award. Her award was presented by 2025 Vanguard Honoree Sylvia Rhone, who called her “my sister-friend, my creative guru and one of the most influential visionaries of our time.”
Natina Nimene received the New Guard Award. Presenter Juliette Jones noted that what sets Nimene apart is “her rare combination of steadfast protection and strategic focus” and her ability to “bridge the raw energy of the streets and the high-stakes boardroom.”
The evening also spotlighted Billboard’s Editor at Large for R&B and Hip-Hop, Gail Mitchell, and award-winning producer and sound engineer Ebonie Smith as the Foundation’s 2026 Guardian Angel Spotlights. This award honors the protectors and messengers of the music industry who quietly and consistently fight for the next generation. Both were presented by 2025 Guardian Angel Spotlight recipient DJ KISS, who also provided music for the evening.
Performances by YULI, David Michael Wyatt and the legendary Chanté Moore kept the room pumped up all night because a night honoring black women in music was always going to sound just right.
The Connie Orlando Foundation’s Black Women in Music Dinner also continued its important work of raising awareness and funds for breast cancer prevention, education and care in black communities. The event was more than a celebration of the gifted black women in music. It was a commitment to the very women it honored. Chaka Khan, Kelly Rowland and every woman in that room deserved every moment of it.
Congratulations!
See more photos from the evening below!
