The 2025 National Action Network (NAN) Triumph Awards, held on October 6 in New York City, brought together clergy, community leaders, and changemakers for an evening of inspiration, empowerment, and celebration. Hosted under the visionary leadership of Reverend Al Sharpton, the event honored a distinguished lineup of honorees — including Babyface, Chesley Maddox-Dorsey, Chief Executive Officer of A Wonder Media Company (AWMC), singer Stephanie Mills, Attorney and Emmy-winning journalist Ari Melber, and Pastor Vincent Bohanan — each recognized for their contributions to music, media, business, and social justice.
Among the evening’s most stirring moments was a passionate address by Zohran Mamdani, Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani, delivered an impassioned speech celebrating honorees and calling for a renewed commitment to justice, equity, and excellence in leadership. Thanking Reverend Al Sharpton for his enduring activism and energy, Mamdani reflected on Sharpton’s influence as a symbol of New York’s resilience and drive. He challenged the audience to redefine “excellence” in politics—not through empty promises, but through creating a city that is affordable, safe, and inclusive.
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Citing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Mamdani emphasized that true progress requires both rights and access, lamenting the loss of over 200,000 Black New Yorkers in recent decades.
So, as we chart a path forward in this city and in this country, let us center it around the commitment to excellence that defines this city to its core. And my vision of that excellence is a city that is affordable, a city that is safe, and a city that lives up to the values of this very organization.
The evening reached an emotional high when 68-year-old music legend and honoree Stephanie Mills took the stage to accept her award. With heartfelt sincerity, she reflected on her decades-long career and her admiration for Reverend Sharpton’s advocacy for fairness in entertainment. Mills moved the audience as she declared her unwavering love for the Black community:
“I am truly honored and I’m thankful and I love us. I love my Black people and I fight for us. And I want the women — the Black women — to really know their worth. Know that they’re queens.”
Honoree Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds delivered a moving reflection recalling his childhood in Indianapolis and the impact of the civil rights movement on his life and career. “There were places I couldn’t go before I was five years old because I was Black,” he shared, noting how those historic struggles opened doors that allowed him to create freely and build a legendary career in music. Accepting his award with humility, Babyface expressed deep gratitude, saying,
“I’ve never gotten an award like this before, and I’m just so thankful. I thank my mom for giving me the sense to always be humble and to never think it’s all about me.”
The 2025 Triumph Awards not only celebrated achievement but also reaffirmed the mission at the heart of the National Action Network — to honor those who lead with purpose, to uplift communities through unity and activism, and to continue the pursuit of justice for all.
