VANGUARD AWARD FOR FASHION
A$AP Rocky is an artist, entrepreneur, actor and style icon. From defining signature streetwear to reimagining the boundaries of high fashion, he has consistently challenged convention and demonstrated that fashion is a powerful form of storytelling. His vision has left an undeniable mark on fashion and culture, inspiring artists, fans and audiences alike to take risks, embrace individuality and express themselves with confidence.
A$AP Rocky co-chaired the 2025 Met Gala with the theme of "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style," showing off a full wardrobe of his own passion project and brand AWGE. Later that same year, he received the 2025 CFDA Fashion Icon Award.
As of 2026, he serves as the Creative Director of both Ray-Ban and PUMA. He has been part of many high-profile commercial campaigns, including Bottega Veneta, Calvin Klein, CHANEL, GUCCI, Courvoisier, Mercedes-Benz, GUESS, Fenty Skin and more. He was also the first Black male face of Dior Homme. A$AP Rocky's creative agency, AWGE, has launched partnerships with Marine Serre, Amina Muaddi, Selfridges, JW Anderson, MTV and more.
SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPACT AWARD
Rev. Dr. Jamal-Harrison Bryant is a nationally recognized faith leader, civil rights strategist, public theologian and community architect whose work stands at the intersection of scholarship, spirituality, social justice, economic accountability and public policy. Dr. Bryant's leadership of the 2025 TargetFast, in which consumers boycotted the store in response to its anti-DEI policies, represents one of the most significant, Black-led consumer accountability movements of the last 50 years.
A graduate of Morehouse College and a third-generation minister, Dr. Bryant founded Empowerment Temple African Methodist Episcopal Church in Baltimore, which became the fastest-growing congregation in the 200-year history of the AME Church. Since 2018, he has served as senior pastor at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, GA. Before entering the pastorate, Dr. Bryant served for six years as national youth and college director of the NAACP, where he mobilized more than 70,000 young people worldwide in coordinated nonviolent civic, political and social justice campaigns, establishing his national reputation as a skilled organizer and strategist.
CHAIRMAN'S AWARD
Viola Davis is a critically revered artist, activist, producer, philanthropist and New York Times best-selling author. Davis has earned EGOT status with her Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, and multiple Tony Award wins, putting her in a small group of artists who have earned that distinction. She was honored in 2017 by TIME 100 as one of the world's most influential people. In 2022, she was honored with the Public Counsel's William O. Douglas Award for her commitment to social justice causes. Davis has partnered with multiple programs to eradicate childhood hunger in the United States and, alongside husband Julius Tennon, recently launched the Davis-Tennon Foundation, which provides resources for underserved Rhode Island residents, including domestic violence awareness and education opportunities.
A graduate of The Juilliard School, Davis received an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree during the school's 109th Commencement Ceremony. She also holds an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from her alma mater, Rhode Island College, and an Honorary Doctorate from the American Film Institute. Davis received the Cecil B. DeMille award at the 2025 Golden Globes, and she was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in the summer of 2025.