The 2026 MLK Jr. Beloved Community Awards unfolded not as a conventional awards ceremony, but as a call to conscience, one rooted in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s enduring belief that love, when practiced with courage, can reshape society.
“This is not just an award show,” said Dr. Bernice King, CEO of The King Center and Daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., as she opened the evening. “This is a gathering of purpose, a convocation of light, a summons to the soul of a nation.”
Held as part of The King Center’s annual King Holiday observance, the Beloved Community Awards recognize national and international individuals and organizations whose lives and labor reflect Dr. King’s vision of a just, humane and peaceful world. For the first time, the ceremony will reach a global audience when it airs nationally on BET in February, expanding the reach of its message of hope, healing and humanity.
“These are not celebrity honors,” King told the audience. “These are humanity honors.”
The 2026 honorees spanned civic leadership, social justice advocacy, youth empowerment, environmental justice, corporate responsibility and cultural influence. Together, they embodied what King described as “truth tellers, bridge builders, healers, innovators, disruptors of injustice and architects of hope.”
Actor and producer Viola Davis received the Coretta Scott King Soul of the Nation Award, honoring her cultural leadership and commitment to reshaping representation through storytelling. In introducing Davis, Dr. King emphasized that culture is not peripheral to justice, but central to it. “Culture shapes consciousness, and stories shape souls,” she said, invoking her mother’s belief that women help form the moral core of the nation.
Accepting the award, Davis reflected on her journey from poverty in Central Falls, Rhode Island, to global recognition, and the responsibility that journey carries. “There is no becoming without healing and without a radical acceptance of one’s truth,” Davis said. “There is no soul of a nation without the soul of its people.”
The Beloved Community Social Justice Award was presented to Mónica Ramírez, founder and president of Justice for Migrant Women, whose decades of advocacy have centered the dignity and safety of migrant and farmworker women. Ramírez has led groundbreaking efforts to confront workplace sexual violence, gender inequity and immigrant injustice, often in communities rendered invisible despite sustaining the nation’s economy.
“We are the product of the dreams of our families, of our ancestors’ sacrifices,” Ramírez said. “We are their dreams harvested, and we have the obligation to continue the work.” She dedicated the honor to immigrant families living in fear and isolation, underscoring the urgency of love-centered leadership in a moment of deep polarization.
Former NFL player and philanthropist Warrick Dunn was honored with the Yolanda D. King Higher Ground Award, recognizing leadership rooted in service, resilience and moral courage. After losing his mother, Baton Rouge police officer Betty Smothers, in the line of duty when he was 18, Dunn became a guardian to his younger siblings, an experience that shaped his life’s work.
Through Warrick Dunn Charities and the Homes for the Holidays program, Dunn has helped hundreds of single-parent families achieve homeownership, supported by financial education, health and wellness initiatives, and mental health resources. “My mom wanted us to have a stable environment, a place we could call home,” Dunn said. “I don’t want any other kid to go through what I went through.”
Environmental leadership and youth influence were also recognized throughout the evening. Billie Eilish received the Beloved Community Environmental Justice Award for using her platform to advance sustainability and climate awareness, particularly among younger generations. The Beloved Community Youth Influencer Award (Individual) was presented to Dr. Dorothy Jean Tillman II, founder and CEO of the Dorothyjeanius STEAM Leadership Institute, while the LeBron James Family Foundation received the Youth Influencer Award for an organization.
Civic and institutional leadership were honored as well. Dr. DuShun Scarbrough Sr., executive director of the Arkansas Martin Luther King Jr. Commission, received the Beloved Community Civic Leadership Award. Cody Sooden, CEO of Kara Water Inc., was honored with the Beloved Community Technological Innovation Award for advancing sustainable water solutions. Sesame Workshop received the Christine King Farris Legacy of Service in Education Award.
Corporate and philanthropic impact rounded out the evening’s recognitions. Cisco Systems Inc. received the Salute to Greatness Corporate Social Impact Award, accepted by Brian Tippens, while Robert F. Smith, founder, chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, was honored with the Salute to Greatness Humanitarian Award for his long-standing investments in education, equity and economic opportunity.
Throughout the ceremony, Dr. King returned to her father’s teachings, reminding the audience that nonviolence is not passive, but transformative. “Love is not a sentiment,” she said. “It is a force.”
As Dr.King told the audience, the mission remains possible. “And we are the generation called to fulfill it.”
