Singer-songwriter Lizzo in February won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year for her multiplatinum hit “About Damn Time,” the fourth statuette she’s taken home in her successful career.

Arguably just as meaningful and impressive was Lizzo’s first Emmy Award win five months earlier for Amazon Prime Video reality competition series Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls, which firmly established the hip-hop artist as a bonafide television star.

As the entertainment industry celebrates Black Music Month this June, Black female music performers continue to hit the right notes on the small screen, successfully bringing their performing talents and massive fan bases to TV. Grammy-winning performers such as Lizzo, Toni Braxton, Mary J. Blige, Stephanie Mills and Queen Latifah are quickly becoming just as well-known for their acting chops as they are for their vocal stylings. 

“It used to be that everyone was isolated in one lane — actors were actors, directors were directors and musicians were musicians,” Lifetime executive VP of movie, limited series and original movie acquisitions Tanya Lopez said. “Now, this migration of artists into other fields is continuing to provide opportunities for talent to really expand their horizons.” 

Star Power Sells

For decades, African-American artists from Diana Ross to Whitney Houston to Jennifer Hudson have successfully transitioned from the stage to the big and small screen. More recently, TV shows featuring Black women music performers have garnered strong critical acclaim. Emmy, Tony and Grammy-winning singer/actress Cynthia Erivo was nominated for a 2021 Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for her performance in Nat Geo’s Genius: Aretha series about the life of the legendary Queen of Soul.

Singer Andra Day was nominated for a 2021 Academy Award and won a 2021 Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture for her portrayal of Billie Holiday in Hulu’s The United States vs. Billie Holiday.

Lizzo’s Emmy win for Watch Out for the Big Grrrls was a surprise to industry observers, but Bunim/Murray Productions president Julie Pizzi said the artist’s huge star power and her commitment to working with the various dancers competing for a position on her concert tour contributed heavily to the show’s success. 

“It’s always helpful to have a big name … it draws viewers in and that certainly helps for promotion and marketing, but the core of all of these shows are regular people that are extraordinary,” she said. “You can look at it as a dance competition show, but Lizzo was intimately involved with the dancers and what they were doing and really cared about them — you don’t always see that in reality shows. That magic came from her and what she really gave to the project, and it translated on the screen.” 

As TV’s competition for eyeballs gets more and more crowded, industry observers said, Black female music performers can both appeal to a broad audience and attract the key demographic of African-American women, who historically watch more TV than other groups. 

Key Demographic Appeal

“They are stars that speak to Black female audiences,” National Public Radio TV critic Eric Deggans said. “Black women are increasingly a key component for traditional TV viewership, and having a show starring a strong, Black woman increases the chances that Black women will watch the show.”

Lifetime has worked with several Black female performers over the past decade including Queen Latifah, whose 2011 Lifetime film Steel Magnolias preceded her Emmy-winning portrayal of Bessie Smith in HBO’s 2015 film Bessie and her current starring role in The Equalizer on CBS. The network has also worked with Braxton, who last month reached a multi-project production deal with Lifetime and A&E under Braxton’s Braxtoni Productions banner. Braxton has appeared in previous Lifetime movies, including 2018’s Faith Under Fire and 2022’s Fallen Angels Murder Club.

“My team and I are looking forward to continued success with the network as we bring projects to life for the audience that has so graciously welcomed us into their homes over the years,” Braxton said of the production with Lifetime. 

Lifetime’s Lopez said television projects featuring popular and established music stars benefit from the crossover audience appeal the star brings from their music brand. Lifetime’s biopic The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel, starring popular gospel singer Kierra Sheard, drew nearly 3 million viewers in its 2020 debut, at the time Lifetime’s most-watched original movie since Braxton’s 2016 biopic Toni Braxton: Unbreak My Heart, which drew more than 3 million viewers.

“Most of these musicians have a brand so they bring an audience that’s different from our typical viewer,” Lopez said. “They are also talking to their audience all the time, so that has a lot of benefits to it that someone who’s just acting and doesn’t have that legacy of fans.”

Musicians approach working on television projects from a different perspective than traditional actors and directors, she added. “One thing I will say about artists with one foot in the music business and one foot in other businesses is that they are very detail-oriented,” Lopez said. “They come at it with a different point of view.”

Indeed, R&B star Stephanie Mills — who starred last month in Lifetime’s original movie Pride: A Seven Deadly Sins Story — said that the schedule transition from touring and producing music to acting was challenging but ultimately rewarding, as it gave the star of the 1970s Broadway hit musical The Wiz an opportunity to stretch her talents. 

“My only thought was just to let me remember my lines, and I did,” Mills said. “I have no expectations [on future acting roles] but I would love to do another movie at some point.” 

Other performers are continuing the beat of Black female music stars in starring television and movie roles. Hip-hop artist MC Lyte just finished her second season starring in sitcom Partners in Rhyme on the AMC Networks-owned streaming service ALLBLK. Grammy Award-winning gospel music performer Yolanda Adams, leads sophomore drama series Kingdom Business on BET Plus. And Blige headlines Starz’s Power Book II: Ghost, the first spinoff in the network’s successful Power franchise, now heading into its third season.

“For artists like Mary J. Blige, acting seems like a natural extension of their storytelling as singers,” Starz president of original programming Kathryn Busby said. “The craft and artistry it takes to write a song or headline a concert lends itself to losing yourself in a film or television role.”

Spinning Songs Into Shows

This month, Lifetime will feature two original movies based on Blige’s songs, “Real Love” and “Strength of a Woman.” The films are part of its monthly “Voices of a Lifetime” programming block on Saturday nights, which also includes documentary specials on artists like Keyshia Cole and TLC.

“Turning those songs into movies is a very interesting genre that I’m hoping will be successful,” Lopez said. “I think there is an audience that’s eager for that type of storytelling.” 

Deggans, author of Race-Baiter: How the Media Wields Dangerous Words to Divide a Nation, said today’s evolving entertainment landscape will continue to create more opportunities — and in some cases more of a need — for artists to spread their wings beyond their original vocation.  

“Today, it’s much harder to be an artist that only does one thing,” Deggans said. “Even successful artists will have to do some different things to make the same amount of money. For artists, fame and an [audience] following is currency in media, and once you have that, there’s a natural tendency to exploit that across a number of different platforms.” 

Vevo said it launched Afro Pulse, a new product featuring music videos from Black artists for advertisers looking to reach diverse audiences.

The launch comes at the beginning of Black Music Month, but Vevo said Afro Pulse will be around all year as part of its regular sales suite.

The launch comes at a time when more advertisers are promising to spend more of their ad dollars with minority media to reach more diverse audiences.

Also Read: Vevo Lets Advertisers Tap Into Nostalgic Music Videos

“Brands and agencies are actively looking to bolster diverse voices and content today more than ever, evident in the most recent pledges by Dentsu, IPG and GroupM, among others. They hear the demands by Black Americans for more culturally relevant programming that features Black leads and reflects their own lives and experiences,” said Jesse Judelman, senior VP of sales, Americas, Vevo.

“Given the importance of supporting Black culture, coupled with Vevo’s own rapidly expanding distribution network, we felt now was the perfect time to launch Afro Pulse, a product which was a couple of years in the making,” Judelman said. “Afro Pulse is also particularly unique to Vevo as it is an impactful synergy of the content and ad sides of our business, making it an offering that only we can provide through our extensive catalog.”

Also Read: Vevo Taps iSpot for CTV Audience Measurement

Afro Pulse is curated to include Black artists from all genres and career stages. This allows brands to connect with consumers that are actively seeking out new and emerging talent, instead of only targeting artists who are already household names or fit within a specific genre, Vevo said.

Programming for Afro Pulse is hand-picked and updated monthly by Vevo’s editorial team.

Also Read: Vevo Ads Available to Buyers on FreeWheel’s Strata Platform

“June is Black Music Month, but the appreciation we have for Black music is part of our everyday programming at Vevo. From Jazz to Rock to Rap to Hip Hop, Black voices and songs have shaped culture throughout the world and over the centuries, and continue to pave the way in music today,” said Arthur Dansby, Vevo’s ad operations team lead and creator of Afro Pulse. “As the custodians of music videos, it is our commitment and duty to foster the discovery and commercial support of Black artists from all genres, both emerging and established in their careers.”

In addition to Black Music Month, advertisers can pair Afro Pulse buys with Vevo’s BET Awards Tentpole program or with other TV channel takeovers or artist takeovers.

AXS TV in June will recognize Black Music Month with several documentaries, specials and concerts running throughout the month.

Among the original programming premieres slated for Black Music Month are the June 2 debut of Jimi Hendrix: Trapped in Amber, a profile of the famed guitarist as told by some of the people who knew him the best, as well as the June 19 broadcast premiere of Tina Turner -- Live in Barcelona, capturing Turner’s 1990 music concert, according to network officials.

Other Black Music Month highlights include the June 6 Motown All-Stars, a countdown special of best music from the trailblazing Detroit music studio and weekly Wednesday profiles of such influential artists as Jay-Z (June 9), Prince (June 16), Kanye West (June 23) and Lenny Kravitz (June 30). 

“For this June’s African-American Music Appreciation Month, we wanted to celebrate and recognize the many legendary artists who have written music history, from rock and pop, to hip-hop, soul, funk, R&B and everything in-between,” said Sarah Weidman, Head of Original Programming, Development and Multi-Platform Content for AXS TV in a statement. “We’re putting the spotlight on just a few of these talented artists who have influenced and inspired generations of fans and fellow icons—crafting a dream lineup for music lovers featuring informative specials, powerhouse concerts, original series and so much more, airing all month long.”

June is Black Music Month, and few cable shows embody the celebration of African-American musical artists more than TV One’s long-running Unsung. In its recently concluded 14th season, the docuseries — which has profiled performers ranging from Teddy Pendergrass to Rick James to DeBarge — finished as the network’s most-watched series and the most-watched show during its Sunday 10 p.m. time slot among African-American viewers, according to Nielsen.

With a new season already in the works, Unsung executive producer in charge of production Jason Ryan spoke to Multichannel News about the A. Smith & Co.-produced show’s longevity, as well as its strategy to attract younger viewers while remaining relevant to its core audience of adults 25-54.

MCN: How has Unsung helped to define TV One’s brand?

Jason Ryan:Unsung is our longest-running and our award-winning series. It’s one of those series that defines the network: People know TV One for Unsung just because it’s been running for so long. We get such a great response from fans and viewers, and many of the artists that have participated over the years have been really excited about being a part of the show.

MCN: What has the show done to help influence the business of music?

JR: It’s really important to provide a platform that really tells the story of influential black artists in this intimate type of setting. We celebrate their music, but we also tell their story. It’s just a really impactful platform, not only for the network but also culturally. Most of the time we hear artists when they are performing at a concert or they’re interviewing about a new project. This is a way to get into their story and give them a platform that you rarely see in the mainstream.

MCN: After initially focusing on artists from the ’60s and ’70s, more recent seasons of Unsung have also featured ’80s and ’90s artists. Has that introduced the series to a new generation of viewers?

JR: Incorporating some of those more-recent artists has helped broaden the scope of the show. Early on, it was more ’60s and ’70s artists, but as we’ve introduced some ’90s artists, those episodes have been received very well. As the show goes on through the years and we begin to separate from the eras, we can go back to those artists in the ’90s and 2000s because the show has been on for so long. That allows us to choose from an even larger pool of artists for future episodes that are more familiar to younger viewers.

MCN: Are you looking to make any changes to the format going forward?

JR: We’ve been talking long-term about some ways to tweak the show and make it stronger, but in the end it’s the artists and stories that make the show stand out. For the first time this past season, during our Dru Hill episode, we added an Unsung digital element in which an artist that’s featured performs a song live. For us, it’s not so much about changing the show, but more about evolving the show so that we can further engage the viewer and the artists. 

TV One will celebrate Black Music Month with the June debut of an original documentary project, The Beat Don't Stop, the network announced Wednesday. 

The special, which debuts June 21, chronicles the history and legacy of Go-Go music and its contribution to the musical landscape, according to the network. The documentary features appearances from such artists as Doug E. Fresh, Junk Yard Band, Trouble Funk, E.U., Backyard Band, TOB, TCB and DJ Kool. 

Boston -- TV One will debut its new original movie Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story on June 12, the network said.

The movie, which stars Teyonah Parris (Chi-Raq, Survivor's Remorse) as R&B singer Miki Howard, is the network’s first bio-pic inspired by its documentary series Unsung.

The movie, part of TV One's Black music month celebration, also stars Darius McCrary (The Leftovers, Family Matters); Vanessa Bell Calloway (Shameless, To Hell and Back); Gary Dourdan (CSI, Being Mary Jane); LisaRaye McCoy (Single Ladies, All of Us); and Amari Cheatom (Django Unchained, Night Catches Us).

"Black Music Month is the perfect time to share Miki Howard's inspiring and courageous journey of resilience with TV One's audience," said D'Angela Proctor, TV One's SVP, Original Programming & Production in a statement. "We are proud to have such an incredibly talented cast involved in Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story to help us represent with our first feature film from our award-winning Unsung series."