Icons Take the Stage: Bronner Bros Launches First-Ever Beauty Icon Awards

( ENSPIRE Beauty ) From Chaka Khan to Danessa Myricks, Beauty Legends and Innovators Gather for a Night of Recognition, Glamour, and Groundbreaking Inspiration

ENSPIRE Contributor: Madison Dinges

The first-ever Bronner Bros. Beauty Icon Awards brought Atlanta’s creative community together for a night to honor the trailblazers, visionaries, and rising stars that are redefining Black beauty culture. Held at the Bronner Center of Performing Arts (Riverside EpiCenter) and hosted by Segun Oduolowu and media personality Shamea Mortion, the star-studded evening celebrated the artistry, innovation, and cultural impact of the Black beauty industry.

Presented by Bronner Bros., in partnership with Vivace and Red by KISS, the event blended glamour, history, and performance to pay tribute to those who shaped beauty’s creative and entrepreneurial landscape. The red carpet, hosted by social personality Big Sexy, set the tone with bold looks and statement hairstyles from celebrity guests, including rap artist DaBrat, style maven and television personality Marlo Hampton, actor Keith D. Robinson (CBS’ Beyond the Gates), actress Nzingha Imani (BET’s Zatima), actress Ambyr Michelle (CBS’ Beyond the Gates), radio personality DeDe McGuire, R&B Singer J. Brown, celebrity makeup artist Merrell Hollis, television personality and founder of Yelle Skincare Yandy Smith, celebrity hairstylist Alonzo Arnold, to name a few who graced the carpet in statement fashion look pieces, sculptural hairstyles, and eye-catching accessories. The atmosphere buzzed with energy as media and guests captured every arrival, setting the tone for an evening of celebration and cultural pride.

The awards program unfolded in four acts: The Becoming, The Revolution, Amplified, and Seen, each capturing an era’s essence, artistry, emotion, and evolution of Black beauty through time and culture. Conceptualized and beautifully directed by Grammy Award-winning celebrity hairstylist and honoree Terence Davidson, the show traced beauty’s roots from ancestral origins to modern expression, celebrating it not just as style but framing it as identity, resistance, and art. 

Among the evening’s highlights was a soulful Teddy Pendergrass tribute performed by Terell Carter, who brought the audience to their feet. The night also marked the induction of the Bronner Bros. Hall of Fame, recognizing pioneers whose artistry and leadership transformed the beauty industry for generations. Those Honorees included: 

Spoken by Kelly Keith, the Executive Producer, wonderfully says, “The Beauty Icon Awards truly began as a love letter to beauty, a celebration of the artists, visionaries, and founders who built the foundation of this industry. We wanted to create something that felt like our own Academy Awards for beauty, where we could honor those behind the chair, on set, and in boardrooms who shaped culture. Seeing it finally come to life —our history, our impact, our legacy — was emotional. It reminded me that Black beauty has always been more than style; it’s our contribution to culture and to the world.”

At the conclusion of the event, it was clear that the Beauty Icon Awards were more than an awards show; it was a cultural moment. Bronner Bros not only recognized excellence, but they created a new cultural tradition within the heritage, one that writes beauty into history where it has always belonged. 

The Bronner Bros. International Beauty Show is the largest and longest-running multicultural beauty event in the world, attracting thousands of professionals and creatives each year. Founded over 78 years ago, Bronner Bros. embodies what ENSPIRE Magazine celebrates, representing empowerment and an unwavering spirit of innovation to uplift communities. By honoring the legends and visionaries who built the foundation of Black beauty while spotlighting the new voices of the future, the event exemplifies ENSPIRE’s mission to highlight stories that motivate, inspire, and redefine what success and cultural impact look like.

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