Byron Allen's 'theGrio Awards' on CBS Draws Major Sponsors

(Image credit: Allen Media Group)

Major advertisers have signed up as sponsors of Byron Allen Presents theGrio Awards, which will be broadcast on CBS on November 26.

Sponsors include Procter & Gamble and its My Black Is Beautiful products, AT&T, JP Morgan Chase, PepsiCo, Amazon and Ford Motor Co.

Also advertising during the special are Abbvie, America’s Best, Campbell’s, Capital One, Chick-fil-A, Diageo, Domino's, Genentech, GSK, Hyundai, Johnson & Johnson, Kellogg’s, Kraft, Lexus, Lowe’s, Macy’s, Meta, Novartis, Olive Garden, Pizza Hut, SC Johnson, Stellantis, Toyota, Uber, Unilever and Wendy’s.

Allen has been active in trying to convince marketers to spend their ad dollars with Black owned media. He sued McDonald’s for $10 billion, charging the burger chain with discrimination.

TheGrio Awards are hosted by Sheryl Underwood and Taye Diggs.

Honorees include Dave Chappelle, Ben Crump, Allyson Felix, Jennifer Hudson, Patti LaBelle, Queen Latifah, Norman Lear, Alena Analeigh McQuarter, Don Peebles, Tyler Perry, Robert F. Smith and Kenan Thompson.

TheGrio Awards is co-produced by Allen Media Group and Backhand Productions. Byron Allen, Carolyn Folks, Jennifer Lucas, Jeff Atlas and Michelle Willrich are executive producers. ■

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.