Inside The 9th Annual Culture Creators Awards Brunch

The 9th annual Culture Creators awards brunch united industry legends for an afternoon of celebration. Hosted by journalist Gia Peppers, the upscale affair brought guests to the Fairmont Century Plaza hotel in Los Angeles to uplift the honorees. Presented by Moët Hennessy, tastings were provided during a cocktail reception ahead of the event as talent made their way down the red carpet.

“I love that Culture Creators has this event and that we could talk about the projects, talk about the people behind the projects, the people that make things possible, especially for an actress. So I just love it when we give people their flowers,” shared guest Kym Whitley with VIBE.

Powered by Lexus, this year’s brunch featured the theme “The Stories We Tell,” which stood as a tribute to the narratives that shape identity, preserve legacy, and light the path forward.

“There are a lot of different awards that a lot of us get that are special to our hearts and dear to our hearts, but I feel like Culture Creators because one, I know Joi [Brown] and I know how hard Joi has worked in the industry, and just overall on her own brand, it means a lot more to me than anything else. Especially also because it’s from our people,” explained the MUSIC Award recipient Tina Davis.

“This honor at Culture Creators means the world to me, because the culture is what is saving this country. The culture has always been the basis of salvation for the morality of this country, and just to make this country what it is. I like to say that, without us, there is no flavor. It is unseasoned. And so, Black culture, our culture, has really created American culture,” added MEDIA Award honoree Joy-Ann Reid.

“Our culture has always been the base. It’s been the baseline, and everyone pivots off of that. So, Culture Creators, to me, means Black people’s resilience. It means our seasoning, it means our contributions, and it means our souls.”

Honorees recognized at the event included, Davis, Reid, and Keke Palmer with Vic Mensa, Kiki Layne, Novi Brown, and more among the attendees. The event kicked off with a prayer from Minister Howard Lindsey of Grace Tabernacle Church and words from Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass before the festivities began. With grateful speeches from the awardees, the brunch also featured performances from Alex Isley and music provided by DJ Aktive.

View the full list of honorees below and take a look inside the 9th annual Culture Creators awards brunch.

The 2025 Honorees:

Larry Wilmore ICON Award
Keke Palmer INNOVATOR Award
Kandi Burruss TRAILBLAZER Award
Joy-Ann Reid MEDIA Award
Tasha Smith TV/FILM Award
Tina Davis MUSIC Award
Kimberly A. Blackwell BUSINESS Award