Tony Betton Jr, Honored with Awards
21Alive’s “Insight” Host and Producer & Gray Television Ambassador, Tony Betton Jr, To Be Honored With The Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award & Volunteer Service Award Medal
Fort Wayne, Indiana - Fort Wayne’s Premier Lifestyle Talk Show Host, Tony Betton Jr. will be honored at the Premiere Coalition Partner's Association's 2nd Annual Joseph R. Biden Lifetime Achievement Award & Presidential Volunteer Service Award. This year’s ceremony will take place at the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church (Horizon Sanctuary) located at 101 Jackson Street, NE, Atlanta, Georgia, 30312 on Saturday, October 21, 2023.
Tony joined 21Alive, formally ABC21/Fort Wayne’s NBC, in 2020 as the weekend morning anchor, reporter and producer. Just two years later, he was promoted to weekday morning anchor and special projects reporter. Also, while with Gray TV, Tony has reported/produced several series at his station from “Young Entrepreneur of the Month '' with Junior Achievement to “Women of 21 Country” for Women’s History Month. He also traveled to Loyola University in NOLA for Gray’s J-Lab to work with students on producing, on-air presence, and news writing as a Gray TV ambassador. He also hosts many community events in Fort Wayne from working with Easterseals Arc of Northeast Indiana, Junior Achievement of Nothern Indiana, American Cancer Society, Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Usher's New Look, Fort Wayne UNITED, Fort Wayne Mad Ants, Friday Tie-Day, Fort Wayne Community Schools, to name a few. Currently, Tony hosts and executive producer 21Alive's INsight on ABC & NBC, weekdays at 3pm.
Tony started his journey at the age of 9 as a recording artist, going by the name T-Rep the Young Prayzr. Over the next few years, he would become a worldwide magazine columnist, host of multiple radio/talk shows, a professional event DJ (DJ T-Rep), Stellar Award nominee for Youth/Hip-Hop, national youth speaker, featured on President Barack Obama's documentary soundtrack, multi-year 4Hosea Feeds volunteer/host, media company founder (The REP Zone), board member, multi-organizations leader, 8x college intern and winner of multiple awards in music and acting. Tony clocked thousands of hours of volunteer work since 2004 nationwide.
“Since I was 9 years old, I knew I wanted to be active. From rapping, acting, and hosting to volunteering, speaking, and helping others, I knew I wanted to make a change in the world. As long as I can remember, there has been someone to pour into me and as long as I can, I want to be able to pour into others.” Betton, Jr. says.
The U.S. President’s Call to Service Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest level of the President’s Volunteer Service Award, which is bestowed by the President of the United States to honor individuals, families, and organizations throughout the United States that give more than 4,000 hours helping others through the President’s Council on Service and Civic Presentation. Dr. Beverly Kee, of Premiere Coalition Partners Association, will present the awards on behalf of the Points of Light, AmeriCorps, Joseph R. Biden Jr., the 46th President of the United States, and Vice President Kamala Harris to those who made community service their mantra.