Usher and Victoria Monet to Receive Honors at 2024 ASCAP Rhythm And Soul Event

ASCAP will honor Usher and Victoria Monét at a celebration in Los Angeles on Thursday, June 27, recognizing their top rhythm and soul music songwriters and publishers. Usher will receive the ASCAP Voice of the Culture Award, while Monét will be presented with the ASCAP Vanguard Award.

(Getty Images.)

The Voice of the Culture Award is given to ASCAP members who have significantly impacted music and culture. This prestigious honor celebrates their achievements as both creators and influencers. In 2021, the award was proudly presented to Timbaland, Swizz Beatz, and D-Nice, recognizing their outstanding contributions to the industry.

The Vanguard Award honors ASCAP members whose groundbreaking work is shaping the future of music. Past recipients of this prestigious award include Migos, Janelle Monáe, and the Beastie Boys.

(Cassidy Sparrow, Getty Images.)

“Usher has owned the R&B crown for decades, captivating listeners with his incomparable vocal chops and songs that span the R&B and pop genres,” Paul Williams, ASCAP chairman of the board and president, said in a statement. “His charisma and performances are unmatched in the R&B world and his humanitarian impact is just as undeniable.”

“Victoria Monét has proven herself not only as an illuminating songwriter, but also as a flourishing artist and ASCAP member who continues to break barriers,” Williams added. “Her resilience, talent, and exemplary work ethic have helped her become a multi-award-winning singer and songwriter."

Usher, who's also celebrating 30 years as a dedicated entertainer, is an eight-time Grammy winner, including two wins for best contemporary R&B album. He has racked nine No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and four No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200. He headlined the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show, which became the most-watched in history. Two days before that high-profile gig, Usher released his ninth studio album, Coming Home, which entered the Billboard 200 at No. 2. “Good Good,” his hit collab with Summer Walker and 21 Savage, made the top 25 on the Hot 100 and was a fixture on the chart for more than six months. #watchthis

Monét received seven 2024 Grammy nominations, a total topped only by SZA, with nine. She won three Grammys on Feb. 4 – best new artist, best R&B album for Jaguar II and best engineered album, non-classical, for that same album. “On My Mama,” a Grammy nominee for record of the year, made the top 40 on the Hot 100. On March 6, Monét received the Rising Star Award at the Billboard Women in Music Awards. #onmymama

Both artists secure signficant titles at the NAACP Image Awards on March 16. Monét won outstanding album and new artist, while Usher took outstanding male artist. Both are also top nominees at the upcoming BET Awards, which airs live from Los Angeles on June 30. Monét has five nods; Usher has four. In addition, Usher will receive a lifetime achievement award on the BET Awards, it was announced on Thursday (May 30).

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