Rihanna's 2019 Diamond Ball to Honor Activist Shaun King and Barbados Prime Minister

Rihanna
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Here's all the details on this year's honorees.

Rihanna's 5th Annual Diamond Ball will be honoring the prime minister of her native island of Barbados, Mia Mottley, as well as American activist Shaun King.

On Wednesday, the dual honor was announced regarding the songstress' yearly star-studded gathering benefiting The Clara Lionel Foundation in New York. The pair will receive the 2019 Diamond Ball Award. 

Besides the guests of honor, the evening will also include plenty of entertainment for attendees. It will be hosted by Seth Meyers and include performances by Pharrell Williams and DJ Khaled.

"I can't imagine a better night than this year's Clara Lionel Foundation event with Seth Meyers, Pharrell and DJ Khaled," Rihanna said in a new statement. "I am particularly honored to present Prime Minister Mottley and Shaun King with this year's Diamond Ball Awards for their groundbreaking work. We are so thankful to them for joining us and making the night better than ever."

Throughout Mottley's 25-year career, she has been a powerful advocate for education in Barbados, as well as championing causes which youth and women in the community.

King came to prominence for his writing and utilizing social media to shine a light on social justice causes. In 2018, he co-founded Real Justice PAC, an organization that works to elect prosecutors, as well as city and county officials who are in support of criminal justice reform. He also relaunched The North Star, a publication first established by Frederick Douglas and known for its influence in the anti-slavery movement.

Rihanna started the Diamond Ball in 2014 to help support her foundation, named after her grandparents, Clara and Lionel Braithwaite. Over the years, the non-profit has funded over 59 global projects and committed $13 million in grants. Last year alone, the ball raised almost $6 million for CLF's education and emergency response programs throughout the globe.

The 5th Annual Diamond Ball will be held on Sept. 12 in NYC.

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