Glory Awards 2024: Celebration for a Supportive Community.

 

By Iryna Chuhai

On Sunday, 29th of September, WePlay Studios Arena welcomed all the guests and honorees of the PACE Glory Awards 2024. It was a true celebration of the community and for the community.

Gloria Zuurveen, Founder and CEO of PACE NEWS, INC., Parent Action Coalition for Education (PACE),  a 501(c) 3 tax-exempt nonprofit organization and Publisher of PACE NEWS, a city and county of Los Angeles legally adjudicated newspaper of general circulation since 1995, did a fantastic job gathering all the people of art, culture, business, and politics together to celebrate the unity a black community might be. However, it was not only about the recognition of Inglewood people. Many guests attended the event to support Gloria and what she is doing in particular. Friends from school, local entrepreneurs, artists, and singers… If there were a single word characterizing the event’s overall atmosphere, this word would be “support”.

Here at WePlay Studios, we understand how important it is for the new voices to be heard. When we started working with Larrance Dopson from  1500 or Nothin’, we focused on supporting new voices in the black community to give them a chance to be seen, to own the content they produce, and to help them be noticed. Being from Ukraine ourselves, we saw the common trait of character between our team and the people of Inglewood – resilience.

Glory Awards is not a typical award ceremony full of known celebrities. It is an event where your neighbor who is also running a small business in your area or the girl telling the history of her family struggles and winnings would be recognized and appreciated. It is a chance for people like us to get their opportunity for a spotlight and to see that their work is valued.

“The PACE Glory Awards 2024 was an extraordinary and unforgettable experience. Watching the honorees receive their awards was very touching, with every individual recounting their unique journey and the decisive moments that shaped them. This event was a beautiful testament to the strength of commitment and the lasting impact of community dedication.

I was proud to be a part of PACE Glory Awards 2024 as organizing and bringing this event to life was a fun though glorious journey. I was touched by how mindful the community is and how some members practiced Ukrainian phrases by greeting members of the production team with classic Ukrainian “Vitayu,” which means “Hello/Greetings.” – says Mykola Fert, broadcast producer at WePlay Studios.

Despite the local focus, Glory Awards honored some truly remarkable community members like Mohammed Mubarak, who portrayed former US president Barack Obama and now at the awards ceremony presented his new painting of Vice President Kamala Harris; Mayor James T. Butts, whose impact on the development of Inglewood and overall well-being of its residents is incredible; and Congresswoman Maxine Waters, who is doing her best to serve the communities she’s representing. Seeing how united the community is and how they trust each other and believe in each other is probably why the event was an absolute blast this year.

“I was impressed by how lowkey and approachable all the political guests were. They are the same people as all other community representatives; they also try to change the lives of everyone around them for the better.” – says Max Bilonogov, Chief Visionary Officer and General Producer of WePlay Studios. “The atmosphere of the event is different from any award show. This event was about hope, support, trust, and a bright future. Gloria masterfully brought together a remarkable group of honorees, each sharing their compelling stories, sparking motivation for others to chase their dreams and rise as future Light Leaders.”

Looking back at the event, the WePlay Studios team is grateful for an opportunity to be a part of this community and to create something meaningful and valuable for them. During the rehearsals and performances, we had a chance to talk to every honoree and many guests. Their life stories, resilience, and spirit have no comparison and deserve admiration.

“Exciting and informative guests, a pleasant community, both at work and in personal communication. It is interesting to work with honored figures and masters of different industries. I want to make an effort and make next year an even brighter and larger-scale event from this ceremony. I am sure that We can all do this at the highest level!” – says Ihor Chupryna, stage designer and manager at WePlay Studios.

The larger scale is more than possible for all the future events in Inglewood.” – adds Yuri Lazebnikov, CEO of WePlay Studios. “WePlay Studios is opening a new state-of-the-art facility dedicated to concerts, filming, virtual production, podcasts, boxing nights, and entertaining shows with 1000 capacity in the city of champions! Our company is all about being there for the people and creating the future of entertainment together with them. See you in 2025 for the next Glory Awards hosted in WePlay Studios Inglewood.”