On show at Grammy Museum LA Live in Los Angeles: Spotlight: aja monet +

aja monet is a Surrealist Blues Poet in the business of goosebumps and heart-gut-telling truths. She follows in the long legacy and tradition of poets organizing in social movements for change. Her collaborative spirit has seen her shape and shift culture alongside internationally renowned artists, scholars, activists, and organizers.

Her acclaimed collections, my mother was a freedom fighter (2017) and florida water (2025), were both nominated for NAACP Image Awards for Poetry. Her debut poetry album, when the poems do what they do, earned a Grammy nomination for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album in 2024. As a poet and bandleader, aja has performed on stages around the world, including Carnegie Hall, the Guggenheim, Newport Jazz Festival, Montréal Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, and London’s Barbican Centre.

Her honors include the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Award for Poetry (2019), the Nelson Mandela Changemaker Award (2024), the Harry Belafonte Voices for Social Justice Award (2024), the EBONY 100 Artist in Residence Award, and the Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Vanguard Award (2025). She also serves as the Artistic Creative Director of V-Day, the global movement to end violence against women and girls, and created VOICES (2022), an audio play amplifying the stories of Black women across the African continent and diaspora.

In May 2026, aja released her second studio album, the color of rain, on drink sum wtr to critical acclaim.

Please note the following important details for this event:

Member Check - In: 6:30pm

Nonmember Check - In / Doors: 7:00pm

Show Time: 7:30pm