Rihanna To Receive ‘Black Girls Rock’ Award

Singer/songwriter Rihanna will be honored during BET’s Black Girls Rock! Awards show telecast airing in April, the network said Monday.

Rihanna will receive the Rock Star award as the award show, which honors the achievements made by Black women and girls, said network officials.

The 10th anniversary Black Girls Rock event, which will air April 3, will also  feature as honorees R&B musical icon Gladys Knight, writer/director/producer Shondra Rhimes, The Walking Dead actress Danai Gurira, award winning actress/activist Amandla Stenberg and Black Lives Matter founders Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza and Opal Tometi, said network officials.

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.