Solange Knowles decided to spread her reward to her home town. Solange was awarded as the inaugural Lena Horne Prize for Artist Creating Social Impact. She was awarded a $100,000 prize in which she has donated to Houston’s Project Row Houses.
News broke of Solange’s reward on December 6th, 2019. The award is billed as the first major entertainment award to be named after a woman of color. The Lena Horne Prize was created by Michael Matuza, Jeb Gutelius and The Town Hall, who will jointly produce the event, along with Marion Rosenfeld. The event will feature music, art, short films and spoken word presentations. The award honors “excellence at the intersection of arts and activism.”
Solange will accept her award on February 28, 2020, in which she will then turn over to Project Row House.
In a statement, Knowles said she is “beyond humbled” to be the first recipient of the award. “I will never forget being a young girl and the impact of hearing the great Lena Horne so radiantly and powerfully singing the words ‘believe in yourself’ from that remarkable moment in The Wiz. I have carried it with me closely my entire life. At the age of 12, I played this very role at the Ensemble Theatre in Houston, Texas and it was then I learned about Lena’s dedicated activism and fearless integrity as a woman and groundbreaking artist. I am honored to be receiving an award that bears her name and continue her legacy of using the arts to inspire reflection and evoke change.”
Solange posted the informaton on her gram saying, “I hope I make my city and 3rd ward proud.”
Most recently, Solange delivered an elaborate performance on Jimmy Fallon featuring a selection of songs from her new album When I Get Home. After opening with “Things I Imagined,” she sang “Down With the Clique,” “Binz,” and “Almeda.”
Sponsorship packages, including tickets to the award event, gala dinner, and ancillary events, are available now at LenaHornePrize.com. Tickets to the award event will be available in early January 2020 through The Town Hall and Ticketmaster.
