*Usher is helping create more pathways into the entertainment business through a new collaboration that connects aspiring professionals with executives and real-world production experience.
Usher’s New Look, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Detroit and BET Next Gen, BET’s leadership development initiative, announced a partnership aimed at preparing young adults for careers across media, music and entertainment through mentorship, hands-on training and professional development.
“Providing young professionals with access to programs like BET Next Gen is about creating opportunities that inspire them to see what’s possible,” Usher said, per the news release. “Through this collaboration, we’re giving the next generation the chance to learn from industry leaders while investing in the talent that will shape our industry.”
The initiative officially launched during the 2026 BET Awards, where four interns from Usher’s New Look’s Entertainment Industry Club: Live Touring Edition joined the BET Next Gen cohort. Two of those interns are currently working on The R&B Tour featuring Usher and Chris Brown.
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Throughout BET Awards Week, the participants rotated through departments including communications, public relations, marketing, social media, production, digital operations and brand creative. The experience gave them an inside look at how one of television’s largest live entertainment events comes together while allowing them to contribute alongside industry professionals.
BET President Louis Carr said the company’s investment extends beyond producing programming.
“At BET, our responsibility extends beyond telling stories. We have a responsibility to help develop the people who will tell the next generation of stories,” Carr said. “Our partnership with Usher’s New Look and Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Detroit reflects a shared commitment to expand access, cultivate leadership and build a more inclusive pipeline of future industry leaders.”
Following the pilot program’s success, the organizations plan to expand the initiative into a year-round workforce development program centered at Spark Lab Studios in Atlanta and Detroit. Participants will receive industry certifications, complete hands-on creative projects and work directly with entertainment professionals through ongoing mentorship.
The collaboration builds on the Entertainment Industry Club: Live Touring Edition, a workforce development program created by Usher’s New Look and Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Detroit that places participants in active production, wardrobe, multimedia and operations roles on a national concert tour.
“Creating a true entertainment industry talent pipeline takes intentionality and the right partners who believe in providing young professionals with the skills and access they need to be successful,” said Shawn H. Wilson, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Detroit and co-founder of Usher’s New Look. “We’re excited to partner with BET and continue knocking down barriers for the next generation.”
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