Preacher Lawson was born in Portland, OR, but spent most of his adolescence in Memphis, TN. He moved 20 times before the age of 10, but if you asked him what city he's from he'd say Orlando, FL, because that's where he grew as a comedian. Lawson is best known for his appearance on season 12 of NBC’s hit series, AMERICA’S GOT TALENT (2017) where he made it to the final round. Based off his stellar performance in season 12, Lawson was invited to compete on AMERICA'S GOT TALENT: THE CHAMPIONS (2019) and BRITAIN’S GOT TALENT: THE CHAMPIONS (2019) where he advanced to the finale after receiving the most fan votes. Lawson shot his first stand-up special, GET TO KNOW ME, which premiered on BET+ in 2019.

In Television, Lawson can be seen on HBO’s A BLACK LADY SKETCH SHOW as well as NBC’s CONNECTING as a series regular. He also hosted the Facebook Watch series WORLD’S MOST AMAZING DOGS (2019) with George Lopez and Lisa Vanderpump. Most recently, he can be seen on THE TONIGHT SHOW talking about his fame recognition and MMA fight.

Lawson has built a massive following on TikTok of 3.2 Million followers. His YouTube channel has amassed over 600,000 subscribers and features clips of stand-up, MMA training, and even Vegan cooking tips! He recently completed his residency hosting AGT Live in Las Vegas and continues to perform at sold-out venues around the country.

This event is brought to you by BCA, the College of Fine Arts and Communication, and the Illinois Arts Council.