Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame
The Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame, located in Atlanta, Georgia, started in January 2021,[1] to honor African Americans, and Black people internationally, with a monument for their achievements in entertainment.[2] The walk of fame is located in the historic Downtown Atlanta area, on the sidewalks of Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive and Northside Drive.
| Established | 2021 |
|---|---|
| Location | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Type | Entertainment walk of fame |
| Website | Official website |
Quincy Jones, Otis Redding, and James Brown were among the first to be honored, as "Foundational Inductees", and were inducted in June 2021.[3] There are seven categories for induction; there are separate male and female categories in both hip-hop and mainstream (the Walk of Fame uses the term "mainstream" to differentiate R&B from hip-hop). While there’s one combined male/female category for legacy artists, gospel and music & entertainment moguls.[4] Thirty-five performers were nominated for the inaugural ceremony.[5] The ceremony was set for June 17, 2021. Other inaugural inductees include Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, Usher, Missy Elliott and Outkast.[6]
Honorees

| Name | Nationality | Specialty | Date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quincy Jones | Foundational | June 17, 2021 | [7] | |
| James Brown | ||||
| Otis Redding | ||||
| Stevie Wonder | [6] | |||
| Michael Jackson | Legacy | |||
| Sean Combs | Mainstream mogul | |||
| Beyoncé | Mainstream Female | |||
| Usher | Mainstream male | |||
| Missy Elliott | Hip-hop female | |||
| Outkast | Hip-hop males | |||
| Shirley Caesar | Gospel female | |||
| Kirk Franklin | Gospel male | |||
| Fela Kuti | International | February 17, 2022 | [8] | |
| Smokey Robinson | Foundational | [7] | ||
| Berry Gordy | ||||
| Cicely Tyson | ||||
| Ray Charles | [9] | |||
| Lionel Richie | Legacy | |||
| Tyler Perry | Mainstream mogul | |||
| Mary J. Blige | Mainstream Female | |||
| Prince | Mainstream male (later upgraded to Legacy) | |||
| Lauryn Hill | Hip-hop female | |||
| Snoop Dogg | Hip-hop male | |||
| Yolanda Adams | Gospel female | |||
| Donald Lawrence | Gospel male | |||
| New Edition | Mainstream Male Group | |||
| TLC | Mainstream Female Group | |||
| BeBe & CeCe Winans | Gospel Group | |||
| Bob Marley | International | June 18, 2022 | [8] | |
| Cathy Hughes | Foundational | [10] | ||
| Duke Ellington | ||||
| Gamble and Huff | ||||
| Run-DMC | ||||
| T. D. Jakes | ||||
| Robert Smith | ||||
| Patti LaBelle | Legacy | |||
| Steve Harvey | Mainstream mogul | |||
| Angela Bassett | Mainstream Female | |||
| Charlie Wilson | Mainstream male | |||
| Nas | Hip-hop male | |||
| Tamela Mann | Gospel female | |||
| Donnie McClurkin | Gospel male | |||
| The Clark Sisters | Gospel Group | |||
| Bobby Jones | Foundational | February 28, 2023 | [11] | |
| Andrew Young | ||||
| Danny Glover |
References
- "Black Music And Entertainment Walk of Fame Unveiled In Atlanta". BET.com. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
- "PAVING THE WAY FOR ATLANTA'S BLACK MUSIC WALK OF FAME". HITS Daily Double. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
- Digital and Radio Facts (February 22, 2021). "Black American Music Association (BAM) And Georgia Entertainment Caucus (GEC) Announce Walk Of Fame Nominees - Digital And Radio Facts". Retrieved April 14, 2021.
- "Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame Announced With First Three Inductees". www.billboard.com. February 18, 2021. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
- Rob, D. J. (February 21, 2021). "For the Black Music Walk of Fame in Atlanta to be taken seriously, it first has to BE serious!". Djrobblog.com. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
- Ruggieri, Melissa (May 5, 2021). "Black Music Walk of Fame to honor James Brown, OutKast, Usher and others in Atlanta". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- "Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame Announced With First Three Inductees | Music Industry Wire". Archived from the original on April 14, 2021. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
- Conteh, Mankaprr (February 22, 2022). "More Excellence: Snoop Dogg, Fela Kuti, Berry Gordy Honored at Atlanta's Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
- Nazareno, Mia (December 17, 2021). "Smokey Robinson, Berry Gordy, Jr. & More to Be Inducted at 2022 Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame". Billboard. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
- BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors (May 16, 2022). "Inductees Announced For The Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame June 2022 Induction". Black Enterprise. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- "Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame Announces its Black History Month Class of Inductees" (Press release). PR Newswire. February 1, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2023.