ATLANTA — Pharrell Williams has been named the recipient of the 2025 André Leon Talley Lifetime Achievement Award by the Savannah College of Art and Design.
The award ceremony will take place on Oct. 14 at SCADshow in Atlanta, as part of the university’s celebrations for the exhibition “André Leon Talley: Style is Forever.”
SCAD president and founder Paula Wallace praised Williams, stating, “Pharrell personifies joy and genius. With this honor, SCAD recognizes a generational talent and emboldens SCAD Bees to design their worlds with the very same wondrous élan that distinguishes the lives of André and Pharrell, legends both.”
Williams expressed his gratitude for the award, stating, “It is a profound honor to receive the André Leon Talley Award. André showed us that creativity has no boundaries—it moves between art, fashion, and culture as a force that unites us.”
Williams is a visionary artist, producer, songwriter, philanthropist, fashion designer, and entrepreneur, known for his influence in music and fashion. He has won 13 Grammy Awards and has been nominated for the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and Emmys.
Williams is also the creative director of Louis Vuitton’s Menswear and the founder of Humanrace, a brand focused on well-being through skincare and apparel.
His philanthropic efforts include founding YELLOW, a nonprofit organization aimed at creating equal opportunities for youth through education, and Black Ambition, which empowers Black and Hispanic entrepreneurs through capital and mentorship.
He also recently was appointed as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Arts Education and Entrepreneurship,
The André Leon Talley Lifetime Achievement Award presentation will feature remarks by SCAD President Paula Wallace and fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg, followed by a conversation with Williams, Grammy Award-winning artist The-Dream, and moderated by Stephanie Sutton, director of Engagement & Communications at YELLOW.
The exhibition “André Leon Talley: Style Is Forever”, curated by SCAD FASH Creative Director Rafael Gomes, showcases Talley’s personal garments, accessories, photographs, and ephemera, illustrating his impact on global style and culture. It will be open to the public from Oct. 15 through March 1, 2026.
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