Finalists Announced for the 2018 Millennial Awards
The Spears Group and GNO, Inc. have announced the finalists for the sixth annual Millennial Awards taking place on Friday, July 27 at the Ace Hotel. Conceived and produced by the Spears Group since 2013, the awards show is a one-of-a-kind event that honors New Orleans’ millennials who are making a difference in the community and excelling in their respective fields.
The awards ceremony will honor millennials in 18 diverse categories, including healthcare, engineering, journalism, film, innovation, and music. More than 200 nominations were submitted by the public and judged by a panel of local millennials, which included past winners, and distinguished members of the community.
Notable finalists this year include Chef Nina Compton of Compère Lapin; fiddler and singer Amanda Shaw; ACLU of Louisiana Executive Director Alanah Odoms Hebert; director of social media for FSC Interactive Whitney Mitchell; and WDSU anchor Christina Watkins, among others.
2018 Essence Fest Attracts over 500,000 Visitors to NOLA
The 2018 ESSENCE Festival attracted more than 510,0000 attendees to New Orleans this Fourth of July weekend, marking one of the largest gatherings in the event’s 24-year history. For the first time ever, all three nights of the ESSENCE Festival concert series at the Louisiana Superdome sold out. The extraordinary turnout underscores ESSENCE’s engagement of Black women around community, culture and content – which was brought to life in innovative ways at the annual celebration.
“This extraordinary gathering of nearly half a million attendees–on the eve of the ESSENCE Festival’s 25th anniversary–speaks to the unmatched convening power of our culture,” said Michelle Ebanks, president of Essence Communications. “As one of the country’s largest curated live experiences, the ESSENCE Festival engages Black women globally-through a truly unique celebration of culture, connection to community and access to content that inspires and empowers.”
The annual four-day festival, which took place July 5-8, features entertainment, empowerment, and cultural experiences during the day and a state-of-the-art concert series with the world’s best performers each night to comprise a one-of-a-kind curated content experience.
