About Bison Honors

Annual Awards Dinner & Royal Blue Gala

Date & Time

Date & Time:
Saturday
October 21, 2023
7PM – 2AM

Place

Hyatt Regency Hotel
400 New Jersey Ave
NW Washington, DC

Howard University, the undisputed “Mecca of Black Intelligentsia” was long overdue for an annual alumni celebration dedicated to honoring its distinguished pioneers, leaders, and legends whose influence and contributions span across every industry category. From politics to entertainment, to medicine, media, and business; like cream Howard University graduates and alumni always manage to rise to the top. In 2022, the inaugural Bison Honors Awards Dinner & Royal Blue Gala was honored to fill that void. This year, we’re back for 2023 for what is sure to become a homecoming staple and time-honored Howard University tradition.

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MEET THE 2023 HONOREES

BISON OF THE YEAR 2023 NOMINEES

Bisa Butler is an American fiber artist who has created a new genre of quilting that has transformed the medium, crafting quilts that can only classified as world class fine art. A phenom in her own right, Butler’s work has captivated the artworld and catapulted her career. Recent accolades include the Gordon Parks Foundation Fellowship, Honorary Doctor of Letters from Bloomfield College, and solo exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago. Institutions acquiring Butler’s quilts include The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, The Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art, The Perez Museum of Miami, The Art Institute of Chicago, The Museum of Fine Arts Boston, The Orlando Museum of Art, The Newark Museum, The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and many more.

In 2013 Jae Murphy started posted with the hashtag #HowardToHollywood and has since made that dream come true. In addition to being a producer, song writer and actor; Jae Murphy is most widely known for blazing a trail in the DJ world. In 2023 Jay Murphy, had a breakout year as a international DJ and realized his dream playing multiple high profile gigs including BET Awards Red Carpet show, Sean “Diddy” Combes birthday party, Rocafella Records Ty Ty’s 50th Birthday Party, Broccoli City Music Festival, AfroNation, Uninterrupted Film Festival, Spiderman Across The Spiderverse Premier Party, Black Panther Premier Party, Hunk For Jesus premier, Kentucky Derby, Chis Brown’s Under The Influence Tour, and more.

Deborah Ayorinde has had a breakout year as the star of Amazon Prime's international hit series Riches. Ayorinde plays Nina Richards, the ambitious and intelligent estranged daughter of Stephen Richards from his first marriage. She can also be seen starring the Hulu's, American horror anthology series Them, and you may have also caught her in, Netflix's Luck Cage, as Simone (the other woman) in Girls Trip, or opposite Cynthia Erivo and Janelle Monae in Harriet.

Troy Thompson is the Founder of G.A.P.P Sports Group and Father/Agent to NBA Players Amen and Ausar Thompson, who were drafted #4 and #5 in the 2023 NBA Draft. Thompson had worked tirelessly to strategically craft and steer the careers of his sons Amen and Ausar who now play for the Houston Rockets and the Detroit Pistons, respectively. They became the first brothers to be drafted in the top 5 of the same draft since the 1976 ABA-NBA merger.

Nominees for The Bison of The Year Award are chosen by the Bison Honors Organizing Committee and Advisory Board. The winner is determined by a majority vote of participating Howard University alumni. The headline-making nominees for this award have all had a breakout year in their respective careers and exemplify Bison Excellence and HBCU Pride. After votes were cast and counted, New York Attorney General Letitia James was the clear favorite for 2022 Bison Of The Year. Please be sure to vote for your favorite 2023 nominee.

CAST YOUR VOTE NOW!

A WORD FROM THE 2022 ALUMNI CHOICE BISON OF THE YEAR WINNER

Live Bison of The Year Alumni Choice Award

Bisa Butler
Jae Murphy
Deborah Ayorinde
Troy Thompson

Choose Your Country

Country Name

Afghanistan (+93)
Aland Islands (+358)
Albania (+355)
Algeria (+213)
American Samoa (+1684)
Andorra (+376)
Angola (+244)
Anguilla (+1264)
Antarctica (+672)
Antigua and Barbuda (+1268)
Argentina (+54)
Armenia (+374)
Aruba (+297)
Australia (+61)
Austria (+43)
Azerbaijan (+994)
Bahamas (+1242)
Bahrain (+973)
Bangladesh (+880)
Barbados (+1246)
Belarus (+375)
Belgium (+32)
Belize (+501)
Benin (+229)
Bermuda (+1441)
Bhutan (+975)
Bolivia (+591)
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (+599)
Bosnia and Herzegovina (+387)
Botswana (+267)
Bouvet Island (+55)
Brazil (+55)
British Indian Ocean Territory (+246)
Brunei Darussalam (+673)
Bulgaria (+359)
Burkina Faso (+226)
Burundi (+257)
Cambodia (+855)
Cameroon (+237)
Canada (+1)
Cape Verde (+238)
Cayman Islands (+1345)
Central African Republic (+236)
Chad (+235)
Chile (+56)
China (+86)
Christmas Island (+61)
Cocos (Keeling) Islands (+672)
Colombia (+57)
Comoros (+269)
Congo (+242)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo (+242)
Cook Islands (+682)
Costa Rica (+506)
Cote D'Ivoire (+225)
Croatia (+385)
Cuba (+53)
Curacao (+599)
Cyprus (+357)
Czech Republic (+420)
Denmark (+45)
Djibouti (+253)
Dominica (+1767)
Dominican Republic (+1809)
Ecuador (+593)
Egypt (+20)
El Salvador (+503)
Equatorial Guinea (+240)
Eritrea (+291)
Estonia (+372)
Ethiopia (+251)
Falkland Islands (Malvinas) (+500)
Faroe Islands (+298)
Fiji (+679)
Finland (+358)
France (+33)
French Guiana (+594)
French Polynesia (+689)
French Southern Territories (+262)
Gabon (+241)
Gambia (+220)
Georgia (+995)
Germany (+49)
Ghana (+233)
Gibraltar (+350)
Greece (+30)
Greenland (+299)
Grenada (+1473)
Guadeloupe (+590)
Guam (+1671)
Guatemala (+502)
Guernsey (+44)
Guinea (+224)
Guinea-Bissau (+245)
Guyana (+592)
Haiti (+509)
Heard Island and Mcdonald Islands (+0)
Holy See (Vatican City State) (+39)
Honduras (+504)
Hong Kong (+852)
Hungary (+36)
Iceland (+354)
India (+91)
Indonesia (+62)
Iran, Islamic Republic of (+98)
Iraq (+964)
Ireland (+353)
Isle of Man (+44)
Israel (+972)
Italy (+39)
Jamaica (+1876)
Japan (+81)
Jersey (+44)
Jordan (+962)
Kazakhstan (+7)
Kenya (+254)
Kiribati (+686)
Korea, Democratic People's Republic of (+850)
Korea, Republic of (+82)
Kosovo (+381)
Kuwait (+965)
Kyrgyzstan (+996)
Lao People's Democratic Republic (+856)
Latvia (+371)
Lebanon (+961)
Lesotho (+266)
Liberia (+231)
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (+218)
Liechtenstein (+423)
Lithuania (+370)
Luxembourg (+352)
Macao (+853)
Macedonia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of (+389)
Madagascar (+261)
Malawi (+265)
Malaysia (+60)
Maldives (+960)
Mali (+223)
Malta (+356)
Marshall Islands (+692)
Martinique (+596)
Mauritania (+222)
Mauritius (+230)
Mayotte (+262)
Mexico (+52)
Micronesia, Federated States of (+691)
Moldova, Republic of (+373)
Monaco (+377)
Mongolia (+976)
Montenegro (+382)
Montserrat (+1664)
Morocco (+212)
Mozambique (+258)
Myanmar (+95)
Namibia (+264)
Nauru (+674)
Nepal (+977)
Netherlands (+31)
Netherlands Antilles (+599)
New Caledonia (+687)
New Zealand (+64)
Nicaragua (+505)
Niger (+227)
Nigeria (+234)
Niue (+683)
Norfolk Island (+672)
Northern Mariana Islands (+1670)
Norway (+47)
Oman (+968)
Pakistan (+92)
Palau (+680)
Palestinian Territory, Occupied (+970)
Panama (+507)
Papua New Guinea (+675)
Paraguay (+595)
Peru (+51)
Philippines (+63)
Pitcairn (+64)
Poland (+48)
Portugal (+351)
Puerto Rico (+1787)
Qatar (+974)
Reunion (+262)
Romania (+40)
Russian Federation (+70)
Rwanda (+250)
Saint Barthelemy (+590)
Saint Helena (+290)
Saint Kitts and Nevis (+1869)
Saint Lucia (+1758)
Saint Martin (+590)
Saint Pierre and Miquelon (+508)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (+1784)
Samoa (+684)
San Marino (+378)
Sao Tome and Principe (+239)
Saudi Arabia (+966)
Senegal (+221)
Serbia (+381)
Serbia and Montenegro (+381)
Seychelles (+248)
Sierra Leone (+232)
Singapore (+65)
Sint Maarten (+1)
Slovakia (+421)
Slovenia (+386)
Solomon Islands (+677)
Somalia (+252)
South Africa (+27)
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (+500)
South Sudan (+211)
Spain (+34)
Sri Lanka (+94)
Sudan (+249)
Suriname (+597)
Svalbard and Jan Mayen (+47)
Swaziland (+268)
Sweden (+46)
Switzerland (+41)
Syrian Arab Republic (+963)
Taiwan, Province of China (+886)
Tajikistan (+992)
Tanzania, United Republic of (+255)
Thailand (+66)
Timor-Leste (+670)
Togo (+228)
Tokelau (+690)
Tonga (+676)
Trinidad and Tobago (+1868)
Tunisia (+216)
Turkey (+90)
Turkmenistan (+7370)
Turks and Caicos Islands (+1649)
Tuvalu (+688)
Uganda (+256)
Ukraine (+380)
United Arab Emirates (+971)
United Kingdom (+44)
United States (+1)
United States Minor Outlying Islands (+1)
Uruguay (+598)
Uzbekistan (+998)
Vanuatu (+678)
Venezuela (+58)
Viet Nam (+84)
Virgin Islands, British (+1284)
Virgin Islands, U.s. (+1340)
Wallis and Futuna (+681)
Western Sahara (+212)
Yemen (+967)
Zambia (+260)
Zimbabwe (+263)

2023 BISON RECOGNITION

NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN

Bison Honors would like to invite the Howard University Alumni Community to nominate worthy candidates across various disciplines. The winner in each category will be selected by a vote of the Bison Honors Board and committee members.