10 Black Women Who Shut It Down As Award Show Hosts

Black women always bring charisma, grace and commanding presence to the stages of an award show.

Whether hosting solo or sharing the spotlight, some Black women have even made history and sparked viral moments on stage. Most importantly, they bring the culture with them every time. Here are 10 Black women who have rocked the stage as the host of award shows. 

1. Diana Ross, 81 – Oscars in 1974

Diana Ross made history in 1974 by becoming the first Black woman to ever co-host the Oscars. She did so alongside the late actors David Niven and Burt Reynolds, and the late filmmaker, John Huston. Ross, who was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar in 1973 for her portrayal of Billie Holiday in Lady Sings The Blues, also introduced Alfred Hitchcock to present the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.

2. Whoopi Goldberg, 69 – Oscars in 1994, 1996, 1999 and 2002

Whoopi Goldberg was the first Black woman to host the Oscars solo and was also a recurring host. Hosting for a total of four times, Goldberg left the event with some memorable moments. Specifically in 1999, she wore a Queen Elizabeth costume to pay homage to two of the films nominated. These were Shakespeare in Love and Elizabeth. In 2002, she descended from the ceiling wearing showgirl attire.

3. Mo’Nique – BET Awards in 2004

3. Mo’Nique, 57 – BET Awards in 2004

Mo’Nique showed up and showed out during her hosting gig for the BET Awards in 2004. It was during this event that Mo’Nique said the infamous quote, “Beyoncé…ok girl,” after doing a tribute to the then 22-year-old. To pay homage, Mo’Nique hit the stage and danced full out with several plus-sized performers. They had the crowd, and Beyoncé, up on their feet cheering as they danced to the singer’s hit song, “Crazy In Love.” By the end of their performance, Mo’Nique was so tired that she said that now viral phrase. 

4. Queen Latifah, 55 – Grammys in 2005

Queen Latifah hosted the 47th annual Grammy Awards in 2005. She also performed a medley of “Lush Life” and “Baby Get Lost.” Latifah reflected on a moment from the Grammys with Ellen DeGeneres on her eponymous talk show. 

She told the Finding Nemo star, “It was so cool seeing you. When I’m doing something like that, sometimes I just need that one face in the crowd that has a smile on it to get me going and that was you.” DeGeneres followed up by asking Latifah if she was nervous. 

The Grammy award-winning actress said, “You know it’ll make you a little bit nervous. But, you know, not too bad.”

5. Tracee Ellis Ross, 52 – AMAs in 2017 and 2018

In November of 2017, Tracee Ellis Ross and her mom, Diana Ross, made history. The Girlfriends star hosted the American Music Awards that year, making it the first time a mom and daughter had ever hosted the same award show. She also followed in her mother’s footsteps by hosting the event twice back to back, which Diana did in 1986 and 1987. 

Tracee shared the advice her mom gave her before she hit the stage for a second time. She told People, “My mom hosted the AMAs twice herself, so she always says to have fun, be yourself, be in the moment and enjoy that special thing that doesn’t happen anywhere else when you’re on stage and interacting with an audience—because there’s nothing like it.”

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6. Alicia Keys, 44 – Grammys in 2019

Alicia Keys hosted the Grammys in 2019 and had more talk about her performance than her emcee duties. The singer wowed the world by playing two grand pianos at the same time, as a tribute to pianist Hazel Scott. She sang a range of songs, including Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly” and Nat King Cole’s “Unforgettable.” Among other songs, she performed her own hit song with Jay-Z, “Empire State of Mind.” 

8. Keke Palmer, 31 – VMAs in 2020

At this point, it’s no secret that Keke Palmer has no problem keeping a crowd entertained, so it’s not a surprise that the VMAs asked her to host its 2020 award show. This year, there was only a digitally generated audience since there were still quarantine requirements due to COVID. But Palmer worked around it like a pro. The One of Them Days star made a moving speech about the Black Lives Matter movement. She also paid homage to Chadwick Boseman, who died that same year of colon cancer. Additionally, Palmer performed her new single, “Snack.”

9. Mickey Guyton, 41 – ACM Awards in 2021

Country music artist Mickey Guyton became the first black woman to host the Academy of Country Music Awards in 2021. She co-hosted the show with Australian-American country singer Keith Urban. Dressed in a blue gown, one of the highlights of the night was Guyton’s powerful performance of her song, “Hold On.” Urban also joined her on stage to play the piano as Guyton sang, “What Are You Gonna Tell Her?”

10. Cynthia Erivo, 38 – Tonys in 2025

Cynthia Erivo hosted the Tonys for the first time on June 8. She opened the show with a captivating performance of “Sometimes All You Need Is a Song.” Singing more songs throughout the night, another memorable performance was with Sara Bareilles. The two sang “Tomorrow” from Annie. Another fun moment for Erivo was when she pulled an Oprah Winfrey on the former talk show host. Joining her in the audience, Erivo told Winfrey to look under her seat, where there was a gift bag. Winfrey pulled out candy and snacks until Erivo told her to look further. She pulled out a toy red car before Erivo repeated the words from Winfrey’s infamous meme. “You get a car!,” she said as the audience laughed. “I’ve been waiting all night to do that,” she said.

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