Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
The Wallis Delivers: A Spring Gala Celebration
On Thursday, May 21, 2026 at The Wallis
JEANIE BUSS honored with 2026 Wallis Icon Award
EAST WEST BANK PLAZA Inaugurated
JEAN DAVIDSON, Incoming Executive Director and CEO of The Wallis, welcomed
Event Co-Chairs CARLO BRANDON-GORDON | CINNY KENNARD | SUSAN STRAUSS
BEVERLY HILLS, CA, May 22, 2026 — The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (The Wallis) held The Wallis Delivers: A Spring Gala Celebration on Thursday, May 21, 2026 at The Wallis.
Jeanie Buss, Governor of the Los Angeles Lakers, was honored as the 2026 Wallis Icon Award recipient. The award was presented to her by Earvin “Magic” Johnson, who was introduced by her husband, actor and comedian Jay Mohr. In her remarks, Buss said, “Wallis Annenberg taught me what leadership really means: stepping in and stepping up. I know I could never fully live up to her example, which makes this honor especially humbling. I’m incredibly grateful to accept an award that carries her name, and even more grateful that I had the chance to know her, learn from her, and call her my friend.”
The event welcomed Jean Davidson, incoming Executive Director and CEO of The Wallis and also commemorated the inauguration of East West Bank Plaza, the newly named Promenade Terrace honoring the partnership and philanthropic vision of Dominic Ng, Chairman and CEO of East West Bank.
Davidson said. “I don’t believe I’ve had a more exciting first few weeks on the job. This is due, in no small part, to an extraordinary leadership gift from East West Bank. Their visionary support of GRoW @ The Wallis, our campus wing dedicated entirely to Arts Education, is invaluable – for the thousands of Pre-K – 12 students served by the Wallis School Partners Program, and for arts learners of all ages and abilities who come to The Wallis from throughout Greater Los Angeles to attend Creative Aging Programs, free events, workshops, masterclasses, and more.”
Speaking about the naming of East West Bank Plaza, Ng said, “Tonight is about much more than the naming of a plaza. It is about what great cultural institutions can do for a city and for the people who call it home. The Wallis has become one of Los Angeles’ great gathering places, where creativity, storytelling and community come together. At East West Bank, we have always believed in building bridges between cultures and communities, and the arts do the same thing. Together, East West Bank and The Wallis share a commitment to helping communities reach further by creating opportunities that inspire connection and creativity for generations.”
The Gala Event Co-Chairs are Carlo Brandon-Gordon, Cinny Kennard and Susan Strauss. Co-Chair Brandon-Gordon said, “The Wallis Icon Award honors the extraordinary generosity of the late Wallis Annenberg. Just one year ago, we celebrated her on this very stage. Though Wallis passed away in July, her legacy endures in the communities she strengthened and the people she brought together.”
Adam Levin and James Valentine of Maroon 5 entertained singing “Sunday Morning,” “This Love,” “She Will be Loved,” and “Sugar.” The evening was concluded with a performance by the Laker Girls, from the Los Angeles Lakers.
All proceeds benefit The Wallis’ mission to bring outstanding performing arts to the community, with a special emphasis on our “GRoW @ The Wallis” education programs for children and families. For more information, please visit thewallis.org/thewallisdelivers.
Daphna Nazarian, chair of The Wallis Board of Directors, said, “The arts have the power to connect communities, reflect who we are and shape the cultural life of Los Angeles. This gala embodies the intersection of creativity, leadership and shared purpose that defines our city, bringing us together at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts to celebrate excellence across our cultural landscape.”
She continued, “In a year marked by challenge and recovery, we are proud to be breaking down barriers across disciplines and communities, united by resilience and inspired by the power of arts organizations to lead, elevate and bring us together. Together, what we create is far greater than what any of us could achieve alone.”
The Honorary Committee are Shelli & Irving Azoff; Pamela & Dennis Beck; David C. Bohnett; Natalia Bryant; Dan Clivner; Kris Jenner & Corey Gamble; Andi & Jim Gordon; Tom & Holly Gores; Halle & Oliver Hammond; Willow Bay & Robert A. Iger KBE; Michael & Yvette Jordan; Sherry Lansing; Cathy & Mark Louchheim; Sandra Barros Lowy & Peter Lowy; Jay Mohr; Daphna Nazarian; The Honorable Dr. Sharona Nazarian; Meeghan & Michael Nemeroff; Dominic Ng; Debbie Allen & Norm Nixon; Linda & Kurt Rambis; Eleanor & Jim Randall; Laurie & Lon Rosen; Anita & Arnold Rosenstein; Laura & Jeff Shell; Adam Silver, NBA Commissioner; Susan & Dean Spanos; Eva & Marc Stern; and Jonathan Victor.
Host Committee are John Bendheim; Heidi Chamberlain; Susanna Courier; Laura Gordon; Kris Levine; Agnes Lew; Linda May; Bijan Nahai; Diana Ovsepian, Gretchen Pace; Arline Pepp, Lisa Cowell Shams; and Stephanie Vahn.
Sponsors: Tom Gores Family Foundation is our Presenting Sponsor. Nerano and the Los Angeles Lakers are the All- Star Sponsors. Platinum Sponsors are the Wallis Annenberg Legacy Foundation; East West Bank; Tony Ressler and Jamie Gertz. Gold Sponsors are the 1011 Foundation; Los Angeles Dodgers; Patrick Dumont; Fanatics Foundation; Andi and Jim Gordon; Willow Bay and Robert A. Iger KBE; and Dan Clivner/Sidley.
For more information about the 2026 Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Gala, please visit thewallis.org/thewallisdelivers.
About Jeanie Buss
As Governor, Jeanie Buss oversees all aspects of the Los Angeles Lakers organization. In 2020, Buss became the first female Governor to lead an organization to an NBA Championship, when the Lakers won their 17th title.
Having represented the team on the NBA’s Board of Governors for three decades, Buss is currently a member of the NBA Advisory and Finance Committee and the NBA Labor Committee. She serves as an Honorary Trustee of the University of Southern California, her alma mater, and is on the Board of LA2028, the group overseeing the return of the Olympics to Los Angeles.
She is a co-host of Lakers All-Access, a yearly event presented by the LA Sports and Entertainment Commission (LASEC), a nonprofit organization of which she sits on the board, and is a founding member of the Core Leadership Group of ChampionLA, an initiative led by LASEC to fulfill the financial obligations of hosting major sporting events that deliver significant economic and community impact for Los Angeles. Buss was inducted into the CIF LA City Section Hall of Fame in April 2025.
In 2023, she won an Emmy Award for executive producing Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers, a 10-part docuseries which aired on Hulu and Disney+. She is also the executive producer of acclaimed Netflix comedy Running Point, starring Kate Hudson, which satirizes the life of a woman running a Los Angeles-based professional basketball team. The show’s second season was released in April 2026 – and has garnered positive reviews and strong ratings worldwide.
Buss spearheaded the revival of WOW – Women of Wrestling, which returned to television screens in 2022. Her award-winning tequila company Cincoro – launched in collaboration with Michael Jordan, Wes Edens, Emilia Fazzalari and Wyc Grousbeck – celebrated its sixth anniversary last fall.
Buss is on the board of the Shaquille O’Neal Foundation and supports Baby2Baby, Canine Companions for Independence and Wags and Walks, among many other charitable endeavors, while also working internally with the Lakers Youth Foundation to raise money for Southern California Youth charities.
Jeanie is married to actor and comedian Jay Mohr and is stepmother to his 15-year-old son Mackie.
About the East West Bank Plaza at The Wallis
The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts is a Beverly Hills landmark located in the heart of the city’s Golden Triangle. Along South Santa Monica Boulevard, the newly named East West Bank Plaza at The Wallis sits on one of Los Angeles’ most iconic thoroughfares. The plaza connects the historic 1933 Beverly Hills Post Office with the contemporary outdoor terrace that unifies The Wallis’ 70,000 square foot campus. More than 11 million cars pass the East West Bank Plaza each year.
East West Bank’s naming gift provides vital support for The Wallis’ mainstage programming and GRoW @ The Wallis, the organization’s education and outreach initiative dedicated to fostering education, participation and inclusion. GRoW includes two major programs: The Wallis School Partners Program, which prioritizes Title 1 schools, and the Creative Aging Program.
Last April, Dominic Ng, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of East West Bank, was named the inaugural recipient of The Wallis Icon Award at the annual Wallis gala. Speaking about the naming of East West Bank Plaza, Ng said, “East West Bank has focused on areas where we can make the greatest impact, including small business growth, financial literacy and empowering underserved communities. We have also long supported the arts because they inspire creativity and improve quality of life. The Wallis has become a cultural landmark in Los Angeles; we are honored to be part of a vibrant public gathering space that brings people together and strengthens community connection.”
East West Bank has been named by Bank Director as America’s No. 1 best-performing large bank for three consecutive years. The Bank provides financial services that help customers reach further and connect to new opportunities. East West Bancorp, Inc. is a public company (Nasdaq: “EWBC”) with total assets of $83 billion. Its wholly owned subsidiary, East West Bank, is the largest independent bank headquartered in Southern California and operates more than 110 locations in the United States and Asia. For more information on East West, visit www.eastwestbank.com.
About Jean Davidson – Jean Davidson is widely known in the Los Angeles performing arts community, having served as President and CEO of the Los Angeles Master Chorale at The Music Center from 2015 to 2023, where she introduced an international touring model, produced major recordings and guided the Chorale through the pandemic, securing over $2 million in federal and local support. Just prior to joining The Wallis, Davidson was Executive Director of the National Symphony Orchestra at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. from 2023 until her Wallis appointment. Under her leadership, the NSO returned to international touring, released several acclaimed recordings and expanded innovative community and educational initiatives.
More About The Wallis — Since its doors opened in 2013, The Wallis, located in the heart of Beverly Hills, is a dynamic cultural hub and community resource where local, national and international performers share their artistry with ever-expanding audiences. Distinguished by eclectic programming that mirrors the diverse landscape of Los Angeles and its location in the entertainment capital of the world, The Wallis has produced and presented nearly 500 theater, dance, music, film, cabaret, comedy, performance arts and family entertainment programs, boasting nominations for 79 Ovation Awards and nine L.A. Drama Critics Circle Awards, as well as six architectural awards. The breathtaking 70,000-square-foot facility, celebrating the classic and the modern, was named after philanthropist Wallis Annenberg, whose original $25 million donation was instrumental in transforming the beloved former 1934 Beverly Hills Post Office (on the National Register of Historic Places) into an arts complex. Designed by acclaimed architect Zoltan E. Pali (SPF: architects), the restored building features one of two sets of eight towering original WPA frescos – by Charles Kassler – remaining in the entire California Federal Building system. The Wallis’
lobby, now known as the Jim and Eleanor Randall Grand Hall, serves as the theater’s dramatic yet welcoming entryway to the contemporary 500-seat, state-of-the-art Bram Goldsmith Theater; the 150-seat Lovelace Studio Theater; the inviting open-air East West Bank Plaza for family, community and other performances; and GRoW @ The Wallis: A Space for Arts Education, where learning opportunities for all ages and backgrounds abound. Together, these elements embrace both the region’s history and its future, creating a performing arts destination for Los Angeles area visitors and residents alike.
Daphna Nazarian is Chair of The Wallis’ Board of Directors and Jean Davidson is its Executive Director and CEO.
