The 2018 Best-of-the-Best list is out and 45 U.S. companies receive the coveted honor of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) diversity and inclusion award.

Not just any company can make it on the Best-of-the-Best list as reported in an NGLCC press release. The prestigious title is only given to American corporations that have shown continuous strives in all areas of inclusion and diversity.

The Best-of-the-Best designation honors corporations for their commitment to Americas diverse employees and business owners, which includes LGBT, people of color, women, and people with disabilities, said NGLCC Co-Founder and President Justin Nelson. This designation is highly competitive and is bestowed only to corporations that we see constantly striving to strengthen and celebrate diversity. These corporations being honored are true leaders in ongoing global commitments to create a better future for all diverse communities in business.

NGLCC has been honoring companies with the Best-of-the-Best title since the conception of its National Business Inclusion Consortium (NBIC) in 2011.

NGLCC formed the National Business Inclusion Consortium in 2011, and its members represent a total of over $9 trillion in annual economic strength along with significant contributions to the marketplace and workplace. Only companies achieving industry leading results across all diverse segments are eligible to receive the prestigious Best-of-the-Best designation from the NBIC, whose members include the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC); U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. (USBC); U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC); U.S. Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce (USPAAC); U.S. Business Leadership Network (USBLN); Womens Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC); and WEConnect International.

The 45 honorary companies were named at the third annual Best-of-the-Best Gala on April 18, 2018, with Bank of America as the presenting sponsor. Bank of America not only served as the presenting sponsors, the company also received their third designation of the respected Best-of-the-Best title.

Advocacy honorees at the Best-of-the-Best gala included Representative Joe Kennedy III; Mandy Harvey, an extraordinary vocalist and disability advocate; and Olympic figure skater and LGBT advocate Adam Rippon. Washington Post columnist & MSNBC contributor Jonathan Capehart served as Master of Ceremonies. Broadway and television star George Salazar sang the National Anthem.

Here is the complete list of the 45 Best-of-the-Best American Corporations:

Accenture
Aetna
Allstate Insurance Company
American Airlines
Apple
AT&T
Bank of America
Bayer
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Capital One
Chevron
Comcast | NBCUniversal
Corning Incorporated
Cummins Inc
CVS Health
DuPont
EY
First Data
Food Lion
General Motors
GlaxoSmithKline
Health Care Service Corporation
Hilton
IBM Corporation
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
KPMG LLP
Marriott International, Inc
Monsanto Company
Morgan Stanley
Nationwide Mutual
New York Life
Northrop Grumman
Pacific Gas and Electric
Pfizer Inc.
PNC Financial Services Group
Procter & Gamble
SunTrust Bank
T-Mobile
TD Bank
TIAA
Toyota North America
U.S. Bank
United Airlines
UPS
Wells Fargo

Demonstrating commitment to diversity is not only the right thing to do, its the smartest thing to do for businesses large and small, says NGLCC Co-Founder and CEO Chance Mitchell.The select group of Fortune 500 companies honored with a Best-of-the-Best designation are innovators and trailblazers for inclusion, and are constantly raising the bar forward for themselves, their peers, and their competitors. While we pause to honor some extraordinary leaders at the Best-of-the-Best gala, the great work of ensuring opportunity for all us is a year round commitment. We look forward to working with all of these great companies for decades to come in shaping a more inclusive economy for all.