*The annual Merge Awards returned to Los Angeles at The Beverly Wilshire Hotel on November 5, where some of Hollywood’s biggest movers and shakers were honored.
Among the list of honorees of the evening included PJ Morton, Charles D. King and Stacey Walker King, Israel Houghton, Romeo Miller, and Adam Blackstone, James Dubose, Moran Debaun, Suzanne de Passe, Angelica Nwandu, and Tony Brown.
With an already star-studded list of honorees, the event was also attended by celebrities including Essence Atkins, Golden Brooks, Joyful Drake, Michael Ealy, and MC Lyte who hosted the event.
Morton, who received the Artist of the Year honor, said he couldn’t believe they wanted to celebrate his contributions to the film industry.
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“My true reaction was like for real? Me?” Morton said. “But then I just embraced it you know, that’s kind of what I’ve been doing, be like water, just going with the flow. I’m grateful if somebody believes that, that is what I’ve been, I’m happy to support that.”
Houghton was also surprised by his honor, going as far as initially declining it.
“My initial reaction was no thank you,” Houghton said. “I feel like I’m pretty good at giving honor, I’m not great at receiving it. So it’s always been uncomfortable for me.”
However, his wife Adrienne Houghton was the one who pushed for him to attend the ceremony and accept the award.
“My wife was like, “No you definitely gotta go,” Houghton said. “I am here because Adrienne said, “You gotta go.” But honestly, I love the team here and I love Holly. A lot of these people are my family and friends so I’m very happy to be here.”
For more interviews from the awards including the founder of The Merge Summit and The Merge Awards, Dr. Holly Carter, check out our coverage via the clip below.
See the full list of 2022 Honorees below:
Legacy Lifetime Achievement Award
Suzanne de Passe
Artist of The Year Award
PJ Morton
Trailblazer Award
Charles D. King & Stacey Walker King
Faith Music Award
Israel Houghton
The Merger Award
Romeo Miller
Musical Director of the Year Award
Adam Blackstone
R.O.S.E. Award
James DuBose
Digital Tech Award
Morgan DeBaun
Disrupter Award
Angelica Nwandu & Stephanie Ike
