Once again its on! The 2016 EBONY Power 100 Gala has officially kicked off at Los Angeles’ iconic Beverly Hilton Hotel on Thursday night. It’s here where we get the chance to celebrate the achievements of trailblazers across the fields of business, medicine, sports, media, religion, the creative arts and more.

As expected, this year’s honorees and distinguished guests came to Los Angeles’ Beverly Hilton Hotel dressed to impress! The building was packed full of Black America’s best and brightest, all geared up and excited to partake in an evening full of music, food, libations and love.

Truly a beautiful start for this marquee event to help punctuate a year of #BlackExcellence. Be sure to check out the complete list of the EBONY Power 100 as well as exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and interviews here, and pick up the November/December issue of EBONY on newsstands now.

Images by EBONY photo editor Geoffrey Black.