Today, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) announces that multi-platinum, Grammy-winning global icon USHER and multi-talented 2024 Best New Artist Grammy winner Victoria Monét will be honored at a VIP party in Los Angeles to celebrate ASCAP’s top music creators at the crossroads of music, art and culture. On Thursday, June 27, USHER will receive the distinguished ASCAP Voice of the Culture Award and Victoria Monét will accept the esteemed ASCAP Vanguard Award.
The ASCAP Voice of the Culture Award is presented to ASCAP members who have had a major influence on music and culture and this honor recognizes their success as creators and changemakers. Timbaland, Swizz Beatz and D-Nice were the latest artists to receive the award in 2021.
The ASCAP Vanguard Award is presented in recognition of ASCAP members whose innovative work is helping to shape the future of music. Migos, Janelle Monáe and Beastie Boys are past recipients of the award.
“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,” said ASCAP Chairman of the Board and President Paul Williams. “His charisma and performances are unmatched in the R&B world and his humanitarian impact is just as undeniable. It is an honor to present Usher with the ASCAP Voice of the Culture Award.”
“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,” continued Williams. “Her resilience, talent, and exemplary work ethic have helped her become a multi-award-winning singer and songwriter. She is well-deserving of the ASCAP Vanguard Award.”
USHER has changed music, culture and countless lives. The multiple Grammy Award-winning, diamond-selling, international icon, actor, dancer, entrepreneur and philanthropist continues to inspire change. Three decades into his record-breaking, culture-shifting career, the multifaceted superstar is still carving new pathways in music, fashion, philanthropy, entrepreneurship and live performance.
Beyond selling over 80 million records worldwide and collecting dozens of awards, USHER has simultaneously lit up the small screen on NBC’s The Voice and the big screen in blockbusters such as Hustlers. He has tirelessly distinguished himself as a devout humanitarian, raising tens of millions of dollars for various causes and uplifting youth via his New Look Foundation. Since 1999 USHER has provided opportunities for young people in underserved communities, enabling them to flourish and achieve seemingly impossible dreams. A long-time supporter and Global Citizen Ambassador, USHER has performed at events since 2015 raising awareness to defeat poverty, defend the planet and demand equity.
USHER is one of the best-selling artists in music history. Since his self-titled debut in 1994, when he was just 15, the artist has been widely considered a standard bearer of R&B. His second LP, My Way, established the star as a bonafide hitmaker. Certified seven-times platinum in the United States, the album earned the artist the first of nine career #1s on the Billboard Hot 100. With his third LP, 8701 USHER won his first Grammy. His fourth album, Confessions, broke a record for first-week sales and topped the Billboard 200. Certified diamond in 2008, the landmark album is to date the last LP by a Black solo artist to reach that distinction. It also kicked off a stunning run of four consecutive #1 albums. The eight-time Grammy winner has pioneered a musically nimble, shape-shifting approach to crafting songs, hopscotching between R&B and soul, dance, electronic, hip-hop and more, transcending genre and blending them all into a sound that is uniquely his own. As the headliner of Apple Music’s halftime show for the 2024 Super Bowl LVIII, USHER delivered a 13-minute-long, record-breaking ratings celebration of his effervescent and timeless sound. Celebrating 30 years as an entertainer, USHER recently released his ninth studio album, COMING HOME.
Multi-hyphenate superstar and three-time Grammy Award winner, including 2024 Best New Artist, Victoria Monét has been stealthily – and steadily – blazing her own gilded path in music for over a decade. Recently nominated for five BET Awards, Monét has been enjoying a hard-earned breakthrough year with her long-awaited album debut, JAGUAR II. She delivered a handful of singles from the album including “Smoke” ft. Grammy winner Lucky Daye, “Party Girls” ft. Buju Banton, and culture-defining hit single “On My Mama” – which now has over 123 million streams and over 1 billion streams worldwide for JAGUAR II, along with its iconic video garnering over 69 million views and viral content topping 804 million views. “On My Mama” earned three #1 spots at R&B / hip-hop radio and is currently in the top 40. She has publicly received praise from music industry titans like Janet Jackson, Cardi B, Bruno Mars, SZA, Adele, Kelly Rowland, Camila Cabello, Ariana Grande, Ciara, Zendaya, Gabrielle Union, Dua Lipa, Jimmy Jam, Anita Baker and more. Rolling Stone dubbed JAGUAR II “the crown jewel of this summer’s R&B resurgence” and one of the top 10 albums of 2023, with “On My Mama” as one of the top 10 songs of the year. In addition to the music’s critical success, Monét sold out her debut international solo tour in minutes and was awarded the Triple Threat Award by Variety at their annual Hitmakers event in celebration of the issue.
A critical darling, Victoria’s album was named the #1 Best of 2023 by The Hollywood Reporter and was included on Best of 2023 lists by Barack Obama, Jay-Z, NPR, TIME, Rolling Stone, CLASH, VOGUE, ELLE, Harper’s BAZAAR, The Guardian, Billboard, Business Insider, AP, Essence, FADER, VIBE and many more. Victoria was recently dubbed the 2024 cover star of Variety’s Grammy Issue, received the Billboard Women in Music “Rising Star” Award and was named one of Cosmopolitan’s three cover stars for the “Sound of Now” issue alongside Kali Uchis and Kim Petras. She also graced the cover of Dazed magazine’s March issue at the top of 2024. Her resounding breakthrough success culminated in two NAACP Image Awards, for Outstanding Album and Outstanding New Artist, and seven Grammy nominations including Best New Artist, Best R&B Album and Record of the Year – making her the second-most-nominated artist at the 2024 Grammys and solidifying her as a rising star to watch.
