The Diaspora African Forum (DAF) will present its prestigious Bridge Builders Award to iconic Stevie Wonder
at a welcome dinner slated for Monday, 13th May, 2024.
The Bridge Builders Award is an honorary award that recognizes key personalities and individuals who have
contributed one way or another in bridging the gap between Africa and the African Diaspora.
Stevie Wonder, an American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer, was born Stevland Hardaway
Judkins on May 13, 1950. He had been blind since birth, and at the age of 11, he signed a record deal with
Motown’s Tamla label, assuming the moniker “Little Stevie Wonder.” In 1963, his song “Fingertips” shot to the
top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making him the youngest solo artist to ever reach that position. The 1970s saw
the height of Wonder’s critical acclaim thanks to albums like “Music of My Mind,” “Talking Book,” and “Songs
in the Key to Life.” He is the only artist to do it with three successive album releases after these pieces won the
Grammy Award for Album of the Year1. He is influential in several genres, including pop, R&B, His usage of
synthesizers and influences from jazz, soul, gospel, funk, and soul helped to redefine modern R&B in the 1970s.
One of the most inventive musicians of the late 20th century is still Stevie Wonder.
H.E Dr. Erieka Bennett is proud to honor this music icon with the DAF prestigious Bridge Builders Award for being
an inspiration of possibilities for African Diasporas and the world.