
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Global Black Pride Announces Inaugural Honors, Led by France’s Own
Paris takes center stage as the host nation delivers its strongest slate, two honorees tie for the most nominations of the year, and three French nominees make LGBTQ+ history on the list
PARIS, France — July 22, 2026 — Global Black Pride today announced its inaugural Honors ahead of Global Black Pride Paris 2026, taking place September 9–13, recognizing Black LGBTQ+ excellence across twelve categories in music, film and television, literature, sport, drag, ballroom, and nightlife.
Editor’s note on structure: this release covers the Honors only — a twelve-category recognition list that will be acknowledged throughout Global Black Pride Paris 2026, with winners announced on the day of the ceremony. It is separate from the Black Excellence Awards Gala, taking place September 11, 2026, as part of the official Global Black Pride Paris 2026 program; that gala’s categories and nominees will be announced separately.
With the ceremony hosted on French soil for the first time, organizers built representation into the Honors’ foundation — and France answered emphatically. Seventeen French nominations appear across eight categories, anchored by singer-songwriter Lycinaïs Jean, ballroom’s founding architects, and two nominees making history on the Drag Race franchise this year.
“This is a huge moment to celebrate our culture,” said Micheal Ighodaro, President of Global Black Pride. “The Black LGBTQ+ community isn’t just part of culture right now — we’re moving it, shaping it, changing it. These Honors are our way of putting that on record.”
France Takes Center Stage
Singer-songwriter Lycinaïs Jean leads the ceremony’s French contingent with three nominations — Recording Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, and Album of the Year — for her EP Story Time (Prelude) and its viral single “Danje” (18 million-plus views). Jean holds a singular place in Caribbean music history: she is widely credited as the first Caribbean singer to publicly come out, having done so in 2015, and has spent a decade building one of French Caribbean pop’s most distinctive catalogs.
She’s joined by Kiddy Smile, who returns this year with his first new music in four years — the EP Repris de Justesse and lead single “DMQTMA (Dis-moi que tu m’aimes)” — earning him nominations for Song of the Year and Album of the Year on top of his existing recognition for Creative Artist of the Year and DJ of the Year. That’s four nominations in total, tying him with Rising Star nominee Zach Campbell for the most of any honoree this year.
France’s ballroom architects are honored together in Ballroom Icons & Legends: Vinii Revlon, Nikki Gorgeous Gucci, Lasseindra Ninja, and Matyouz Gorgeous Gucci — the founders whose work built the culture the rest of the Honors celebrate.
The French slate also includes Keiona, a Paris ballroom legend in her own right and the first Black queen to ever win a European Drag Race season — a result read across the ballroom world as a victory for French ballroom specifically. Honored in Drag Queen / King of the Year, she arrives with a 2024 run on Danse avec les stars and a 2025 guest-judging stint on Drag Race Brasil, making her one of these Honors’ clearest icons: a homegrown Legend whose win carried an international flag.
Rounding out the French slate: Soa de Muse (Drag Queen / King of the Year), Jérémy Clamy-Edroux (Sports Personality of the Year), and Morgan Noam (Social Media Influencer of the Year) — alongside Malawitte, who makes her own piece of history below.
Most Nominated: Kiddy Smile and Zach Campbell
Two honorees lead this year’s list with four nominations apiece. Kiddy Smile (France) is honored for Creative Artist of the Year, DJ of the Year, Song of the Year, and Album of the Year — recognition spanning his ballroom curation, his Toulouse festival programming, and his musical return after a four-year hiatus. Independent American artist Zach Campbell matches him with four nominations — Recording Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year, and Rising Star — for his debut EP Midnight Bodies.
Their tie reflects Global Black Pride’s stated mission to platform emerging and independent artists alongside established names, rather than reserve its top recognition for major-label reach alone.
History on the Honors List
Several honorees are recognized this year for genuine firsts:
- Qween Jean — the first transgender person ever to win a Tony Award (Best Costume Design, CATS: The Jellicle Ball, June 2026)
- Omari Wiles & Arturo Lyons — the first Tony Award ever given for ballroom choreography, for the same production
- Liniker — became the most-awarded trans woman in Latin Grammy history with a three-win sweep for CAJU
- Lycinaïs Jean (France) — profiled above; widely credited as the first Caribbean singer to publicly come out
- Keiona (France) — profiled above; her Drag Race France win is a landmark case of a French icon making international history
- Malawitte (France) — the first cis queer woman to compete on Drag Race France
- King Molasses — winner of the inaugural King of Drag, the first-ever televised competition for drag kings
- House of Miyake-Mugler — the first ballroom house with its own reality television series
Three of those firsts — Lycinaïs Jean, Keiona, and Malawitte — belong to France, making this ceremony’s host nation not just the most represented on the list, but the site of three of its most historic nominations.
How Honorees Are Recognized
Unlike the Black Excellence Awards Gala, the Honors are not presented in a formal on-stage segment. Instead, winners across all twelve categories will be announced on the day of the event and acknowledged throughout Global Black Pride Paris 2026 — a format designed to celebrate a wider group of artists, athletes, and cultural figures than a single awards segment allows.
The Black Excellence Awards Gala, Global Black Pride’s separately presented on-stage awards ceremony, takes place September 11, 2026, as part of Global Black Pride Paris 2026; its categories and nominees will be announced separately.
Selections across the Honors are made internally, with recipients approached directly ahead of the event — except for Ballroom Icons & Legends, which is decided by a panel of ballroom community members to ensure the category reflects lived experience in the scene.
Event Details
- Dates: September 9–13, 2026
- Location: Paris, France
- Tickets / RSVP: https://lybertine.com/events/the-global-black-queer-assembly
About Global Black Pride
Global Black Pride is a global movement and convening space celebrating, connecting and advancing Black LGBTQ+ communities. Global Black Pride Paris 2026 takes place September 9–13, 2026, bringing together community, culture, advocacy and celebration in Paris, France.
Media Contact
- Email: info@globalblackpride.org
###










































