Staff Report

The Greater Sacramento Urban Music Awards (GSUMA) are set to make history next week, debuting on Wednesday, September 17 at the prestigious Sofia Theater, located at 2700 Capitol Ave in Midtown Sacramento. This landmark event will be a celebration of the vibrant and dynamic local music scene, recognizing and honoring Sacramento’s rich legacy of urban music creators — past, present, and future. The show starts at 6 p.m. 

Hosted and sponsored by the California Black Chamber of Commerce Foundation, 97.5 FM KDEE, and The Sacramento OBSERVER, the GSUMAs aim to spotlight the talented musicians, producers, vocalists, songwriters, and other artists whose artistry fuels the cultural heartbeat of the region.

The vision for GSUMA comes from Jay King, a nationally and internationally recognized recording artist and creative force behind the group Club Nouveau. With decades of success as a performer, producer, songwriter, record label executive, and artist manager, King believes Sacramento’s fertile creative ground deserves to be celebrated — and that recognition starts at home.

“We have a wealth of talent in Sacramento that rivals any major market. The Greater Sacramento Urban Music Awards is our way of making sure that our voices, our songs, and our stories are acknowledged and celebrated, right here where they were born,” King said.

The star-studded evening will feature appearances by local favorites such as Club Nouveau, Shawn Raiford, Big Mike Hart, Joe Leavy, Jessica Jolia, Elle Nikole, Lucky Witherspoon, and many more — all nominated across categories ranging from Best New Artist to Single of the Year.

In addition to the competitive awards, GSUMA will present Lifetime Achievement Awards to celebrated icons including Con Funk Shun, Karyn White, Collage, Lenny Williams, Roger Smith, Dawn Silva, and Bob Jones.

A powerful tribute will honor legendary Sacramento musicians whose work and influence have often been overlooked due to geography, but whose impact on music is undeniable. This year’s honorees include Derek “DOA” Allen, Jimi Morris, Doug Lovelace, Pat Green, Flip Kirby, Michael Brookins, and O’dell Ross.

For more information or for tickets visit https://events.sacobserver.com/e/greater-sacramento-urban-music-awards