Leon Thomas Reminds Fellow Songwriters to Never ‘Let Any of These Companies Put You in a Box’ While Accepting 2026 ASCAP Vanguard Award
Categoria: Musica
The Grammy-winning R&B powerhouse earned top honors at the 2026 ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Awards, which also honored Kendrick Lamar & SZA's "Luther." Get all the details.
Por Billboard | 26/06/2026
Nobody puts Leon Thomas on a leash! Related Leon Thomas Penned Hits For Ariana Grande and SZA — Now He’s R&B’s Hottest ‘Rock Star’ Why Did Everything Finally Seem to Click for R&B on a Mainstream Level in 2025? (Critic’s Take) Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show Exposed the Limitations of Subversive Messaging During the ‘Great American Game’ The Grammy-winning R&B sensation, who’s signed to Ty Dolla $ign and Shawn Barron’s Motown-housed EZMNY imprint, accepted the Vanguard Award at the 2026 ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Awards on Thursday (June 25), just a few days before he’ll grace the red carpet at the 2026 BET Awards on Sunday (June 28). Sporting a snazzy gray-green suit and black-out shades, Thomas humbly accepted the Vanguard Award as his songwriting peers looked on. Grammy and Oscar winner Paul Williams led the presentation, with some assistance from ASCAP executive vice president & head of creative membership Nicole George-Middleton. EZMNY co-founder Ty Dolla $ign closed out the presentation via a video message recorded from Paris Fashion Week. Previous ASCAP Vanguard Award recipients include Victoria Monét, Migos, Janelle Monáe, Beastie Boys and more. “Leon is a once-in-a-lifetime, generational talent who inspires everyone around him, including me,” said Ty Dolla $ign. “He’s proof that authenticity and real music will take you to the T-O-P… thank you for friendship and sharing your gift with the whole world.” After pausing to snap some pictures, Leon began: “At 16 years old, ASCAP was my choice [of PRO], and 16 years later, it’s been so many moments that I’m extremely grateful for… Along this journey, it’s been a lot of ups and downs. “As a songwriter and producer, there were times when you had to dim your light in order to get where you wanna go,” he continued. “What God put on my path was a journey of self-reflection and confidence. He also put [people] on my journey [who] would help me take my own music as an artist to the ‘T-O-P,’ as Ty Dolla $ign said.” With “Mutt,” a slow-burning smash that conquered both R&B and pop radio on its way to a No. 6 peak on the Billboard Hot 100 , Thomas cemented himself as the R&B’s brightest new superstar. From childhood Broadway stints to his beloved portrayal of Andre Harris on Victorious , an era-defining Nickelodeon sitcom for early Gen Zers, Thomas is an entertainment powerhouse over two decades in the making. After receiving mentorship from Babyface and producing select tracks on Ariana Grande’s Billboard 200 -topping 2013 debut album, Yours Truly , Thomas Pickle earned his first Grammy nomination in 2020 for his writing and production contributions to Rick Ross and Drake’s “Gold Roses.” Two years later, he climbed to No. 2 on the Hot 100 — his highest peak as a produc