The 2020 Black Music Honors aired Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020, and the honorees included Grammy Award-nominated R&B legends En Vogue, Grammy Award-winner, actress and Broadway star Deborah Cox, and gospel great Fred Hammond, the winner of a number of Stellar awards as well as Grammy Awards. The show honored artists and musicians who have influenced and made significant contributions to American music.
Cox received the Entertainer Icon Award at this year’s show. She says she was delighted to be honored and shared her surprise over the recent Deborah Cox Challenge that swept social media when people all over the world tried their hand at singing her chart-topping R&B hit “Nobody’s Supposed To Be Here.”
Celebrities such as KeKe Palmer, Melanie Fiona and Lizzo took a shot at the 1990’s hit. While Cox didn’t name a winner, she expressed that she was most impressed by the younger singers.
“I couldn’t believe what I saw, these 11 year olds, these kids my kids’ age[s], singing songs like they know the song, all in their soul,” said Cox.
Cox also revealed that she wouldn’t be keen to participate in the Verzuz series produced by Swizz Beatz and Timbaland because she didn’t believe the industry needed that spirit of competition but a spirit of “celebration.” She added that she would only compete against herself.
Comedian and radio show host Rickey Smiley returned as the host of the two-hour special that kicked off at 12 p.m. EST on Bounce TV. The show will air in national broadcast syndication starting Nov. 21 through Dec. 13, 2020.
