Thursday August 25-Saturday August 27

DETROIT – August 16, 2022 – Multi-platinum artist, philanthropist and entrepreneur Big Sean is excited to return to Detroit for the 4th Annual Detroit’s On Now (DON) Weekend presented by the Sean Anderson Foundation (SAF) in partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan and President Mary Sheffield’s, Detroit City Councilperson for District 5, Occupy The Corner Initiative. DON Weekend is presented by The Detroit Pistons, The Mullick Foundation, MGM Grand and DUO Restaurant & Lounge.

The weekend will run from Thursday August 25 – Saturday August 27 and include a special announcement surrounding the 3rd Sean Anderson Foundation Content & Production Music Studio – slated to be built in the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan: Highland Park Campus. Sean previously opened recording studios for Detroit’s youth at Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan: Dick & Sandy Dauch Campus, as well as the Lloyd H. Diehl Campus. Sean also unveiled a recording studio at his alma mater, Cass Technical High School.

“After playing one of my all-time favorite shows at Detroit’s Mo Pop Festival a couple weeks ago, I can’t wait to return to the city and feel its incredible energy,” says Big Sean. “I’m constantly inspired by Detroit and the city’s beautiful people. It’s a blessing to be able to give back to the city that made me.” 

Kicking off with a VIP movie premiere of God Said Give ’Em Drum Machines on Thursday and the intimate DON Awards Ceremony on Friday, DON Weekend will also include Saturday’s annual Block Party featuring the celebrity kickball tournament, carnival games, community services, live performances and more.

This year, attendees will also be able to participate in DON Talks. These panel conversations will include: Black Men in Fashion, The Healing Discussion, Creative Fund Talk & Workshop and Helping Children Find their Passion and Achieve their Goals. DON Talks and the Block Party require registration via Eventbrite HERE. 

Big Sean and SAF started DON Weekend in 2018 as a celebration of Detroit families, entrepreneurs and long-standing institutions, who are the backbone of the city. Through neighborhood activations, entrepreneurial accelerators and fun engaging events, DON Weekend highlights what makes Detroit and its people the greatest in the world while empowering residents to achieve economic mobility.

DON Weekend 2022 Schedule
Thursday FREEP FILM FESTIVAL Movie Premiere: Thursday, August 25, 2022, 7-9:30pm  (Limited ticketing HERE), 6:30pm Red Carpet at Michigan Science Center, “God Said Give ’Em Drum Machines” (2022) starring Juan Atkins, Blake Baxter, Santonio Echols, Eddie Fowlkes, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson. The story behind one of Detroit’s great contributions to world culture: Techno, the electronic-music phenomenon created by Black artists in the 1980s that transformed dance music internationally and blossomed into the multibillion-dollar industry of EDM today. Directed by Kristian R. Hill and Produced by Jennifer Washington.

VIP Reception: Friday, August 26, 2022, 6-9pm (Invite Only)
6:00pm
Industry Club and Pony ride activation in VIP Reception Area
Basketball Court activation for BGCSM Youth & Families

7:30pm
DON Awards Presentation Begins

1. The “Moves” Award – Detroit-based Brand of the Year
2. The “Friday Night Cypher” Award Winners
3. The “DON LIFE” Award – Nonprofit of the Year
4. The “One (Wo)Man Can Change the World” Award – Rising Star of the Year (Youth)
5. The “Marvin & Chardonnay” Award – Restaurant of the Year
6. The “Baddest” Award – Detroit Youth Athlete of the year

Block Party: Saturday, August 27, 2022, 9am-6pm
Diehl Club
DON Talks 9:00am-2:30pm
(All DON Talks are held inside the club and each one requires its own registration via Eventbrite)

Block Party 12:00pm-6:00pm
(Block Party is outside and requires registration via Eventbrite)

About Big Sean
Big Sean consistently asserts himself as an elite rapper and a vital voice for the culture, at large, since he emerged in 2011, with his debut album Finally Famous on Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music / Def Jam imprint. The album spun off consecutive top-charted pop/R&B/rap crossover smashes with “My Last” featuring Chris Brown (platinum), “Marvin & Chardonnay” featuring Kanye West and Roscoe Dash (platinum), and “Dance (A$$)” featuring Nicki Minaj (4x-platinum). Sean was a major collaborator on Kanye’s groundbreaking Cruel Summer album in 2012, and shared multi-platinum success with Kanye on the Grammy®-nominated “Mercy” (also featuring Pusha T and 2 Chainz), and “Clique” (with Jay-Z). Sean’s Hall Of Fame album followed in 2013, including “Guap” (platinum) and “Beware” featuring Lil Wayne and Jhené Aiko (2x-platinum). Dark Sky Paradise (2015) was Sean’s first platinum and first album to debut #1 on Soundscan. It reigned on the charts with the #1 “IDFWU” featuring E-40 (6x-platinum), “Blessings” featuring Drake and Kanye West (3x-platinum), and “One Man Can Change the World” featuring Kanye West and John Legend (platinum). I Decided. (released Feb 2017, platinum) debuted at #1 on the momentum of the two pre-order instant grat tracks that turned into smash singles, “Bounce Back” (5x-platinum with over 300 million streams globally), and “Moves” (2x-platinum). In 2020, he logged his third consecutive #1 debut on the Billboard Top 200 and fifth straight #1 entry on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart with the critically acclaimedDetroit 2.  

Beyond selling out worldwide tours, the Detroit native was recently appointed Creative Director of Innovation for the Detroit Pistons. Sean has also made a successful foray into film/TV – starring in the animated film Dog Gone Trouble, which hit #1 on Netflix, as well as appearing in Lena Waithe’s comedy series Twenties on BET. Attracting an audience of nearly 50 million across channels, Sean leverages his platform to give back. He runs his own 501(c)3 non-profit organization, the Sean Anderson Foundation, which assists in the education, health, safety and well-being of school aged youth in underserved communities across the country.