While the live entertainment world is dealing with canceled tours, slow ticket sales, rising costs, and a lot of uncertainty, the Black Promoters Collective (BPC) is doing what few others can: growing.
BPC has landed at #10 on Billboard Boxscore Midyear 2026 “Top Promoters” chart — a historic first, as the company has never before cracked Billboard Boxscore’s coveted Top 10. The milestone places BPC among the most prominent names in live entertainment.
But it doesn’t stop there; their tour with Brandy and Monica scored three placements: #2 on the “Top Tours by Genre – R&B” chart, #22 on the “Top Ticket Sales” chart, and #23 on the “Top Tours” chart, while New Edition’s tour landed #3 on the “Top Tours by Genre – R&B” chart, #24 on the Top Tours chart, and #26 on the Top Ticket Sales chart.
The timing couldn’t be more fitting. Arriving during Black Music Month, the milestone carries added significance as a testament to what BPC, a Black-owned company, has built in a remarkably short time, rising from its first offering in 2022 to become one of the most influential and powerful forces in the live entertainment industry.
Founded by a coalition of some of the nation’s leading Black concert promoters, Gary Guidry, Shelby Joyner, Troy Brown, Sulaiman Mausi, Bill Ingram, Walt Reeder Jr., Shahida Mausi, Lionel Bea, and Janice Cotton, BPC was created with a mission to elevate Black music experiences, invest in Black audiences, and build large-scale touring platforms for artists whose impact has shaped generations of music and culture.
That vision is connecting with people.
With so many headlines in 2025 and 2026 about canceled tours, festival delays, and slow ticket sales, BPC has kept thriving — putting on successful national tours and events that stay true to its legacy, authenticity, and community.
Even more impressive: BPC hasn’t canceled a single major tour or event.
“This moment shows the power of Black music and the fans who keep supporting it,” states Gary Guidry, Black Promoters Collective CEO. “People come out for experiences that feel real, emotional, nostalgic, joyful, and rooted in culture. That’s always been our goal.”
“This is a defining moment for BPC and a testament to the incredible work of our entire team,” said Shelby Joyner, Black Promoters Collective President. “To be recognized among the best in the industry is something we don’t take lightly — and this is only the beginning.”
BPC’s ongoing success just underscores what the industry already knows: Black audiences are among the most loyal, influential, and engaged fans in live entertainment.
In recent years, BPC has helped power some of the biggest and most celebrated live events and legacy tours in the culture, while also showing what Black-owned entertainment companies can really do.
The company’s momentum has also been recognized across the industry. In addition to earning multiple appearances on Billboard’s Hip Hop And R&B Power Players and Billboard’s 2025 Touring Power Players list and global promoter rankings, Essence’s Power Players 2025, Pollstar’s 2026 Worldwide Promoters Grosses Chart, and recently received major Pollstar Award nominations for three of the year’s most celebrated tours: The Millennium Tour, Brandy & Monica’s The Boy is Mine Tour, and The Queens Tour — further solidifying the company’s reputation as one of the most impactful forces in live entertainment today.
BPC’s momentum continues to build with a powerhouse second half of 2026 lineup that reflects both the company’s commercial strength and deep cultural resonance.
Upcoming and current events include:
- The Queens Tour featuring Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle, and Stephanie Mills
- The continuation of BPC’s celebrated partnership with the historic Hampton Jazz & Music Festival and LL COOL J’s Rock the Bells Festival.
- Additional major tour and festival announcements expected later this year
Rising costs, changing habits, expensive tickets, and post-pandemic instability have made things tough for the industry. But while others have pulled back, BPC has kept expanding by focusing on what matters most: culture, connection, and community. Audiences trust the experience, the artists, and more and more, the BPC name itself.
With its first tour taking place in 2022, according to BPC, they are just getting started.
