16th ANNUAL
TRUMPET AWARDS

The best and brightest of Trumpet Awards Honorees received the 2008 esteemed Trumpet Award and joined the list of some of the most celebrated personalities in this nation and abroad in Atlanta recently.

The ceremony was held at the Atlanta Civic Center on January 13th. The Annual TRUMPET AWARDS honors African-American achievers in many varied fields of endeavor including law, business, medicine, politics, entertainment and public service.

This year’s event saw the return of the “Tower-of-Power” Awards presented to an amazing and dedicated group of elected officials and public servants.

The following is a complete list of the 2008 TRUMPET AWARDS Honorees:

Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Chris “Ludacris” Bridges;
Usher Raymond Altruism Award
Halle Berry; Entertainment & Pinnacle Award
Dr. T. B. Boyd III; Business
The Honorable Paul L. Brady; Legal
Danny Glover; Humanitarian
Sheila C. Johnson; Entrepreneur
Brian O. Jordan; Athlete/Developer
Dr. Vance and Dr. Vincent Moss; Medicine
Najee; Arts
Donald C. Thompson; Corporate Executive

Tower of Power Awardees:
The Honorable Thurbert Baker; Georgia Attorney General and President, National Association of Attorneys General
Congressman Sanford Bishop, Jr.; U.S. Congressman. Georgia 2nd District
The Honorable Paul Howard, Jr.; Fulton County District Attorney and Chairman, National Association of District Attorneys
The Honorable Hank Johnson; U.S. Congressman, Georgia 4th District
Khalil Johnson; Chief Operating Officer, Georgia World Congress Center Authority
The Honorable Thelma Wyatt Cummings Moore; Superior Court Judge
The Honorable David Scott; U.S. Congressman, Georgia 13th District
The Honorable Georganna Sinkfield; Georgia State Representative
The Honorable Calvin Smyre; Georgia State Representative and President, National Black Caucus of State Legislators
The Honorable Michael Thurmond; Commissioner, Georgia Department of Labor
The Honorable Al Williams; Georgia State Representative and Chairman, Georgia Legislative Black Caucus

One of the featured events of the 2008 Annual Trumpet Awards was the induction ceremony of the 2008 International Civil Rights Walk of Fame, held at Ebenezer Baptist Church. The unveiling of the footsteps took place at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site.

Xernona Clayton, the creative force behind the first TRUMPET AWARDS in 1993, is the founder, president and CEO of the Trumpet Awards Foundation, Inc. She serves as the executive producer for the annual event. The television broadcast of the Trumpet Awards is going into syndication this year; and the first airing, on broadcast, will be on March 3rd, followed by TV One and other broadcast outlets.  
Photos by Mark Oliphant