MTSU hosts second annual Urban Awards honoring black creatives

Story and Photos by Reana Gibson/Contributing Writer

BET met MTSU once again with the return of the second annual Urban Awards on Friday.

The Urban Awards was created by Urban Entertainment in 2019. The event is dedicated to celebrating black excellence. This year’s awards focused on creativity in the community and honoring the accomplishments of black creatives.

The night began with the blue carpet where nominees, attendees and guests took time to socialize and get pictures. An opening performance by MTSU singers kicked off the show. MTSU alumni such as Langston Bleu were invited to present awards and perform alongside current students. Along with co-hosts and award winners Debria Love and $avvy, they carried on the high energy of the awards throughout the night.

“It’s beautiful to see that we have a specific ceremony set aside to acknowledge those that come to this school, come to this establishment and just do creative things and what they want to do,” said $avvy.

“It’s beautiful to see that we have a specific ceremony set aside to acknowledge those that come to this school, come to this establishment and just do creative things and what they want to do.”

The crowd calmed during an emotional MVP Award tribute. Former athlete Brandon Archer, who passed away in September after drowning in the Buffalo River, was honored during this time.

The night ended with an announcement from Creatives’ Day founder Brian Sexton, who announced a collaboration with MTSU’s College of Media & Entertainment that will allow selected artists the opportunity to produce professionally. The closing performance by Young Soul followed. An after party took place at the Tom Jackson Building.

“I love hosting, I love interacting with the crowd. My friends are all executive boards in Urban and I’m really proud of them for putting on this event and celebrating creators. Giving us this platform is really honorable,” stated Debria Love.