Today, BET announced its new four-part, eight-hour documentary film series from Emmy Award-winning Executive Producer Stanley Nelson and Firelight Films. The groundbreaking BET original franchise, Black + Iconic celebrates Black cultural icons, pioneers, and activists and their impact, influence and legacies in fashion, music, film, and dance.
Directed by Lynne Robinson, this inaugural film has signed on Emmy, Tony, and Grammy Award-winning and Golden Globe-nominated actor, singer, director, producer and activist Billy Porter to narrate the groundbreaking doc. Black + Iconic examines the momentous achievements of Black people across various fields while celebrating the power of Black cultural innovators.
“We’re thrilled to be working with BET again after the success of our first project together, Through the Fire: The Legacy of Barack Obama,” said Stanley Nelson, co-founder of Firelight Films and Executive Producer of the Black + Iconic series. “I couldn’t think of a better home for this series celebrating Black icons via the numerous mediums through which Black creatives have made an indelible mark on the culture.”
“With this definitive and original documentary franchise, we look forward to giving some of the amazing Black icons who have shaped and continue to influence popular culture their well- deserved recognition,” said Connie Orlando, EVP, Specials, Music Programming, Music Strategy and News. “We are proud to partner with Firelight Films and Stanley Nelson again, a pillar in the creative and documentary communities, and Firelight Films on this groundbreaking series.
“We loved having Billy Porter perform at last year’s BET Awards, and we are honored to have one of the most recognizable entertainers, trailblazing forces, and a style icon in his own right, narrate Style Gods,” she added. “We hope Black + Iconic inspires our viewers while reinforcing how Black people are both the source and the driving force of what is cool and next in culture.”
Porter will serve as an executive producer for the upcoming documentary, and executive producers Connie Orlando and Jason Samuels developed Black + Iconic for BET, along with senior supervising producer Steven Ramey.
Black + Iconic: Style Gods premieres on Saturday, February 18 at 8 PM ET/PT on BET, BET Her, BET+, and VH1.