Los Angeles, CA – August 29, 2025 – The Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles was abuzz with music industry luminaries as BMI hosted its 2025 R&B/Hip-Hop Awards, bestowing its highest honor, the BMI President’s Award, upon the innovative and influential artist T-Pain. The prestigious ceremony also celebrated GloRilla with the BMI Impact Award, recognizing her significant contributions and burgeoning influence on the hip-hop landscape.
T-Pain, a multi-GRAMMY winning artist, producer, and songwriter, was honored for his “tremendous career” and a “formidable catalog of hit songs that have resonated across generations and connected with audiences around the world.” Catherine Brewton, BMI’s Vice President of Creative, Atlanta, lauded T-Pain’s “creative vision and unwavering commitment to pushing musical boundaries.” Her statement highlighted his remarkable success, including ten Billboard Hot 100 number-one hits, over 50 million singles sold, and a career that has earned him 28 BMI Awards and three BMI Songwriter of the Year titles.
His career trajectory, which began in 2004, has been marked by a pioneering use of Auto-Tune, transforming its application into a signature vocal style that has influenced countless artists across pop, hip-hop, and R&B. T-Pain’s impact is evident in his genre-bending sound, which has been credited with reshaping the music industry and influencing artists from Kanye West to Future.
Joining T-Pain in the spotlight was GloRilla, the recipient of the BMI Impact Award. This honor celebrates her “groundbreaking artistry, creative vision, and influence on the future of music.” Brewton described GloRilla as a “bold voice and fearless creativity currently shaping and inspiring the future of hip-hop.” The Memphis-native achieved widespread fame with her 2022 breakout hit “FNF (Let’s Go)” and has since released successful projects, including her debut album Glorious, which achieved the highest opening-week sales for a female rapper in 2024. GloRilla also shared the title of BMI’s R&B/Hip-Hop Songwriter of the Year, tying with Tay Keith and Mike Dean, having each co-written three of the year’s most-performed songs.
The night also recognized other significant achievements within the R&B and hip-hop genres. Kendrick Lamar’s viral sensation “Not Like Us” was named BMI’s R&B/Hip-Hop Song of the Year. Sounwave was honored as BMI’s R&B/Hip-Hop Producer of the Year, acknowledging his extensive work, including production credits on key tracks by Kendrick Lamar. Sony Music Publishing received the Publisher of the Year award, reflecting its significant contribution to the year’s top-performing music.
The ceremony, hosted by BMI President & CEO Mike O’Neill, Executive Vice President and Chief Creative & Revenue Officer Mike Steinberg, and Vice President, Creative, Atlanta, Catherine Brewton, also featured energetic performances. BigXthaPlug kicked off the evening with “The Largest” and his BMI Award-winning song “Mmhmm,” followed by BossMan Dlow performing “Mr Pot Scraper” and his award-winning “Get In With Me.” The event also included a “Know Them Now” segment highlighting emerging R&B/Hip-Hop artists, with performances from Eli Derby, TA Thomas, and Lekan.
In his acceptance speech, T-Pain reflected on his journey, offering words of encouragement: “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.” He extended his gratitude to his team and family for their support over the past two decades.
GloRilla, in her acceptance, urged aspiring artists to persevere: “Keep y’all’s foot on the gas. Don’t let nobody tell y’all what y’all can’t do.”
The BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards annually celebrate the artists, songwriters, producers, and publishers who have shaped and defined the genre, highlighting the most-performed songs from BMI’s vast repertoire of over 22.4 million musical works. This year’s event underscored the immense talent and enduring influence within the hip-hop and R&B communities, with T-Pain and GloRilla standing out as beacons of innovation and success. The recognition by BMI serves as a testament to their significant impact on contemporary music and their roles in influencing the next generation of artists.
