*(New York, New York) – This Pride Month (June), Native Son – the intergenerational movement dedicated to empowering and celebrating Black queer men – will commemorate a decade of transformative work, cultural impact, and community-building with the 2026 Native Son Awards: 10th Anniversary Celebration.
Founded in 2016 by acclaimed multimedia maverick and Native Son CEO and Founder Emil Wilbekin, the organization has evolved to become the defining platform and institution for amplifying Black queer voices, with the Native Son Awards serving as its signature annual fundraiser and marquee event. Bringing together a dynamic gathering of creatives, business leaders, activists, and changemakers, the gala will take place on Juneteenth (Friday, June 19, 2026) at the elegant waterfront venue Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers.
In honor of its milestone anniversary year, Native Son will also expand beyond the Awards for the first time for a Native Son weekend experience (June 19-21) to include the inaugural Native Son House as well as other curated programs.
Taking place on Juneteenth, the 2026 Native Son Awards carries an added layer of significance, aligning the celebration of Black queer achievement with a historic day commemorating liberation, resilience, and progress. Themed A Legacy of Pride, the evening will honor an illustrious group of leaders and innovators whose work continues to challenge convention and redefine culture across entertainment, music, storytelling, and other disciplines.
The 2026 honorees include:
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- Golden Globe, Emmy®, BAFTA, and NAACP Image Award-winning director and producer Anthony Hemingway (The Wire, The People v. O.J. Simpson, Power, Hulu’s All’s Fair and FX’s Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette, and CBS’s Boston Blue);
- GRAMMY® Award-winning singer-songwriter and creative force Durand Bernarr, who earlier this year earned his first Grammy win and continues to blaze a trail for Black queer artists through his genre-defying artistry;
- Emmy Award-winning actor Tramell Tillman, who made history as the first Black man to win Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his performance in Apple TV+’s Severance and will next appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
This year’s Native Son Awards will be produced by Emmy Award-winning writer, creator, filmmaker, and newly appointed Native Son Board member Lena Waithe.
As part of its expanded anniversary celebration, Native Son is presenting a multi-day experience (June 19–21) of curated programs and initiatives – marking a major new chapter for the organization. One of the major highlights of the weekend will be the introduction of Native Son House – a first-of-its-kind cultural convening designed to bring the spirit and mission of Native Son to life and to foster authentic connection and intergenerational dialogue. Inspired by the ballroom tradition of “Houses” and envisioned as both a literal and metaphorical home it has built over the last decade, Native Son House is conceived as a space for belonging, celebration, healing, and forward momentum.
To be held at the exclusive The Maison Project, the inaugural Native Son House will transform the chic, industrial Chelsea loft space into a vibrant, multi-floor destination featuring a diverse mix of curated conversations, live interviews, screenings, performances, wellness activations, workshops, marketplaces, and immersive experiences. The launch also denotes an expanded partnership between Native Son and longtime sponsor Gilead, reinforcing a shared commitment to investing in and creating lasting impact within Black queer communities.
At a time when Black queer men continue to face increasing marginalization through landmark policy rollbacks, misinformation, and ongoing attacks on visibility and equity, Native Son continues to create intentional spaces for advocacy, awareness, cultural engagement, and wellness through its year-round programming and initiatives. Within that work, the Native Son Awards remain a powerful and necessary affirmation of Black queer excellence – honoring the voices, stories, and achievements shaping culture and society today. By centering these leaders and creatives, Native Son reinforces the concepts of joy, celebration, and community as essential tools for resistance and collective empowerment.
“For ten years, Native Son has created space for Black queer men to be seen in the fullness of who we are – as leaders, creatives, visionaries, and changemakers,” said Emil Wilbekin. “At a time when our communities continue to face growing attacks on visibility, equity, and inclusion, this anniversary is not only a celebration of how far we’ve come, but a declaration that our stories, our voices, and our futures matter. What began as a bold idea has evolved into a powerful movement grounded in connection, advocacy, culture, and community. Expanding Native Son into a full weekend experience reflects both the continued growth of this organization and our ongoing commitment to creating spaces where Black queer people can gather, be affirmed, build community and thrive unapologetically.”
“Gilead Sciences is proud to support platforms like the Native Son Awards that celebrate leadership, elevate culture, and amplify trusted voices across Black communities,” said Rashad Burgess, Vice President, Corporate Responsibility, Gilead Sciences. “Our work at Gilead is grounded in the belief that scientific breakthroughs only matter if they reach the people, they are designed to serve. Through partnerships like this, we’re helping confront stigma, remove barriers to care, and advance healthier, more equitable futures.”
Over the past decade, Native Son has evolved into a powerful intergenerational movement spanning culture, business, media, advocacy, and community engagement. Through its annual awards, town halls, partnerships, and year-round initiatives, the organization has expanded opportunities, amplified the voices of Black queer men, and created spaces for connection, visibility, and support across industries and generations.
The 2026 Native Son Awards:10th Anniversary Celebration is expected to be one of the most influential and meaningful events of Pride Month – honoring the past while investing in the future.
The 2026 Native Son Gala Co-Chairs are: Lena Waithe, Darnell Moore and Yashua Simmons, George M. Johnson, Kyle Hagler, Obio Jones and Jermelle Simone, Andrew McCaskill and Marcus Johnson-McCaskill
Native Son’s Board of Directors includes: Ahmed Akkad, Susan Akkad, James Cole, Jr., Arnell Davis, George M. Johnson, Andrew “Drew” McCaskill, Darnell L. Moore, and Lena Waithe.
For additional information on Native Son and its Pride events and initiatives, please visit: www.Nativeson.us
The Native Son Awards will also be available to view on livestream via Native Son’s YouTube or Facebook platforms.
For exclusive photos, updates and more, follow us on social: @EmilWilbekin @NativeSonNow #NativeSon #NativeSonAwards
To cover the Awards in any capacity, members of the media interested in attending the 2026 Native Son Awards should contact Nina Flowers – [email protected]
ABOUT THE NATIVE SON AWARDS
The annual Native Son Awards celebrates Black queer men who are maverick and trailblazers and who have broken barriers -both professionally and personally. Native Son is committed to inspiring and empowering Black queer men with a mission to harness their collective power, ensuring that their voices, visibility and lived experiences are elevated. Past honorees include: Colman Domingo, Don Lemon, Billy Porter, Lee Daniels, Sean Bankhead, Darren Walker, Jonathan Capehart and Lil Nas X.
ABOUT NATIVE SON
Native Son is a movement that exemplifies the duality of being Black and gay in a society that often shuns and belittles their unique experiences. This movement aims to create a safe space where the Black queer community can fellowship, celebrate and empower each other, and – most importantly – see themselves. From the world-renowned to the up-and-coming, Native Son aims to connect and celebrate the members of this influential, yet long ignored community in the realms of arts, business, media, fashion, politics and healthcare.
ABOUT EMIL WILBEKIN
Emil Wilbekin is an Associate Professor of Journalism at the Fashion Institute of Technology. He is a multimedia maverick who contributes to The New York Times T Magazine, Vogue, The Cut, Architectural Digest, Time, Essence, Ebony, and Town & Country. He is the Co-Producer and Co-Writer on the documentary The Remix: Hip Hop X Fashion (Netflix).
He is also the Founder of Native Son, a platform created to inspire and empower Black queer men.
Wilbekin has served as Chief Content Officer at Afropunk, Editor-at-Large at Essence, Managing Editor of Essence.com, Editor-in-Chief of Giant and Giantmag.com, Style Guru at Complex Media, VP of Brand Development at Marc Eckō Enterprises, Editorial Director/Vice President of Vibe Ventures and Editor-in-Chief of Vibe Magazine. Under Wilbekin’s leadership, Vibe won the National Magazine Award for General Excellence in 2002.
He holds a B.S. in Mass Media Arts from Hampton University, and an M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University.
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