Los Angeles, CA – August 29, 2025 – The Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles was the vibrant epicenter of R&B and hip-hop excellence on August 28, 2025, as the 2025 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards paid tribute to the artists, songwriters, and producers who are shaping the sound of contemporary music. This year’s ceremony spotlighted two titans of the genre: T-Pain, who received the prestigious BMI President’s Award, and GloRilla, honored with the BMI Impact Award and crowned BMI’s R&B/Hip-Hop Songwriter of the Year. The night also celebrated Kendrick Lamar’s monumental hit “Not Like Us” as Song of the Year, underscoring a powerful evening dedicated to the creators behind the industry’s most compelling stories.
T-Pain: A Presidential Acclaim for a Genre-Defining Innovator
T-Pain, a Grammy Award-winning artist, producer, and songwriter, was presented with the BMI President’s Award, the evening’s highest honor. This award recognizes artists whose creative vision and global impact have significantly shifted the sound of music across generations. T-Pain, whose real name is Faheem Rashad Najm, has left an indelible mark on R&B and hip-hop since emerging in the mid-2000s. He is widely credited with popularizing the innovative use of Auto-Tune, transforming it from a corrective tool into a distinctive vocal instrument that influenced a vast number of artists. His career boasts over 50 million singles sold and numerous Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers, solidifying his status as a hitmaking machine.
With a discography filled with chart-toppers and club anthems like “Buy U a Drank,” “I’m Sprung,” and “I’m N Luv (Wit a Stripper),” T-Pain has consistently pushed creative boundaries. He has accumulated an impressive 28 BMI Awards throughout his career, including three BMI Songwriter of the Year titles and a BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Producer of the Year award. Accepting the President’s Award, T-Pain shared a poignant message, emphasizing self-determination: “Every journey has a beginning, a middle and an end…. Don’t let anyone dictate your time or how fast you get to the finish line. Let yourself be your own time measurement.”. His extensive catalog continues to resonate, demonstrating a legacy that transcends fleeting trends and speaks to the enduring power of musical innovation.
GloRilla: Impact, Authenticity, and Songwriting Dominance
GloRilla, a force in contemporary hip-hop, was celebrated with two significant accolades: the BMI Impact Award and the title of BMI’s R&B/Hip-Hop Songwriter of the Year. The BMI Impact Award honors artists for their groundbreaking artistry, creative vision, and influence on the future of music. GloRilla, born Gloria Woods, has rapidly ascended since her breakout hit “FNF (Let’s Go)” in 2022, quickly establishing herself as a bold and authentic voice in the genre.
Her “bold voice and fearless creativity is currently shaping and inspiring the future of Hip Hop,” noted Catherine Brewton, BMI’s Vice President, Creative, Atlanta, highlighting her role in empowering other female hip-hop artists. GloRilla’s distinctive Memphis sound, raw lyrical content, and charismatic delivery have captivated audiences and garnered widespread acclaim. Her debut album, “Glorious,” released in October 2024, achieved significant commercial success, landing at number five on the Billboard 200 and marking one of the highest opening weeks for a female rapper that year.
Adding to her remarkable night, GloRilla shared the BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Songwriter of the Year award in a three-way tie with Tay Keith and Mike Dean, with each contributing three of BMI’s 35 Most-Performed Songs of the year. Her acceptance speech resonated with aspiring artists, encouraging them to persevere: “Keep y’all’s foot on the gas. Don’t let nobody tell y’all what y’all can’t do. Because it’s a lot of people that told me what I can’t do.”. Her win underscores her multifaceted talent as both a captivating performer and a skilled songwriter driving the evolution of hip-hop music.
“Not Like Us” Named Song of the Year, BMI Celebrates Industry’s Architects
Highlighting the year’s most impactful musical contributions, Kendrick Lamar’s chart-shattering anthem “Not Like Us” was crowned BMI’s R&B/Hip-Hop Song of the Year. The track, co-written by Lamar, the late Ray Charles, Sean Momberger, and Sounwave, became a cultural phenomenon, debuting at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming the longest-charting rap song in the chart’s history, spending 53 consecutive weeks on the list.
The ceremony also recognized Sounwave as BMI’s R&B/Hip-Hop Producer of the Year for his extensive work, including collaborations with Lamar and artists like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift. Sony Music Publishing secured Publisher of the Year, representing 23 of the year’s most-performed songs. The BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards serve as a crucial platform, celebrating the diverse talent and collective artistry that fuels the global music industry. The event honored 71 first-time BMI R&B/Hip-Hop award winners this year, showcasing the vibrant and ever-evolving landscape of R&B and hip-hop stories.
The 2025 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards reaffirmed the profound influence of both established legends and rising stars, showcasing the dynamism and enduring appeal of R&B and hip-hop music. T-Pain’s recognition solidifies his place as a foundational innovator, while GloRilla’s honors mark her as a contemporary force shaping the genre’s future. Together, their achievements at this esteemed event paint a vivid picture of the music industry’s continuous innovation and its power to connect generations through compelling top stories.
