Today we’ve dropped our list of visionary trailblazers and boundary breakers. Since its inception, our annual curation has highlighted figures who have had a tremendous impact. For more than 80 years, EBONY has chronicled, celebrated, and elevated the people, stories and ideas that define Black life across generations. “EBONY Power 100 has always been more than a list; it is a cultural record of the people moving us forward,” said Eden Bridgeman, EBONY Media’s CEO. “As EBONY continues to evolve, this franchise remains one of our most powerful platforms for recognizing the brilliance, leadership and creativity shaping our community and the world.”
The theme for this year’s list is “The Stories We Shape,” which centers narrative ownership and honors leaders shaping culture, driving economic impact, and expanding representation in real time. Notable names include Jay-Z, Megan Thee Stallion, Keke Palmer, Gina Prince-Bythewood, and the New York Knicks champs Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, and Mikal Bridges. The north star for this list is to highlight those with a before-and-after effect for years to come. Being a leader doesn’t always mean glamour; effective leadership understands the dedication, blood, sweat, and tears often required when you’re striving to nurture change.
As EBONY marks more than 80 years as the definitive voice of the Black American experience, the iconic media company today unveiled its 2026 Power 100 list, recognizing the leaders, visionaries, and changemakers shaping culture across business, entertainment, sports, media, music, STEM and community leadership. This year’s list underscores EBONY’s continued commitment: honoring Black excellence not as legacy alone, but as present-day leadership with measurable influence.
This year’s honorees will be celebrated at the 2026 EBONY Power 100 Gala on Monday, Nov. 9, at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, produced in partnership with Emmy-winning Jesse Collins Entertainment (JCE), the production company behind the BET Awards, the Emmy Awards, and the Super Bowl Halftime Show. The private invitation-only ceremony begins with a 5 p.m. red carpet and cocktail hour, followed by the 7:30 p.m. awards ceremony, and a 10:30 p.m. post-reception.
“The Power 100 has always documented the people moving our culture forward, and this year’s class demonstrates the extraordinary breadth of that influence. ‘The Stories We Shape’ is about ensuring Black people remain at the center of telling our stories and defining our collective future,” said Eden Bridgeman, CEO of EBONY. The 2026 theme, “The Stories We Shape,” centers narrative ownership, honoring the people shaping culture, driving economic impact, and expanding representation in real time. Among this year’s categories is the Junior Bridgeman Business Vanguard, named in honor of the late Ulysses “Junior” Bridgeman, founder of EBONY’s parent company and father of EBONY CEO Eden Bridgeman.
The complete list of 2026 EBONY Power 100 honorees is available at EBONY.com.