My name is Bella. I am a Web Developer, and I'm very passionate and dedicated to my work. With 20 years experience as a professional Web developer, I have acquired the skills and knowledge necessary to make your project a success. I enjoy every step of the design process, from discussion and collaboration.
SOURCE: variety.com
Legendary music executive Sylvia Rhone — who was the first woman to lead a major music company — will receive the “Ultimate Icon” award at the BET Awards on Sunday, June 28 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The show will air on BET from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
According to the announcement, “The Ultimate Icon Award honors the trailblazers whose work has transcended their field, figures whose names have become synonymous with excellence. This distinction belongs to those few who didn’t just succeed within the culture; they expanded what the culture believed was possible, leaving a mark so enduring it cannot be measured by any single era or achievement.”
Rhone’s legacy encapsulates that and more: Rhone, 74, who stepped down as chairman of Epic Records last fall, began her career as an assistant at Buddah Records and rose through the ranks over the years to become the first woman to be named chairman and CEO of a major record label, at the age of 42 no less, when she was named CEO of Warner Music Group’s Elektra label (Metallica, Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, En Vogue and Natalie Merchant were among the hit artists on the roster at the time). She was already being recognized with such descriptors as “first woman” and “only African American” to hold such a title. A decade later, she would take the chief executive position again at Universal Motown (Akon, India.Arie, Erykah Badu).
She spoke with Variety in 2020 at length about the industry and her career.
Artists she’s worked with closely over the years also include Stevie Wonder, Lil Wayne, Tracy Chapman, Erykah Badu, Brandy, Kid Cudi, Gerald Levert, Anita Baker, Tamia, MC Lyte, Yo-Yo, Yolanda Adams, Akon, Fabolous, Ol Dirty Bastard and more.
“Sylvia Rhone’s influence extends far beyond the music business and into the culture itself,” said Connie Orlando, EVP & Head of Programming, BET. “She championed artists and executives, shattered ceilings that had never been broken, and redefined what leadership looks like for women and people of color in every boardroom that followed. Her legacy is heard in the music, seen in the careers she built, and felt in the generation of leaders walking the path she cleared. We are proud to honor Sylvia Rhone with the Ultimate Icon Award at the ‘BET Awards’ 2026.”
