Three-time Grammy winner Leon Thomas will receive the ASCAP Vanguard Award at an invitation-only event celebrating ASCAP’s top hip-hop, R&B and gospel songwriters on Thursday, June 25 in Los Angeles.
Thomas received the ASCAP R&B/hip-hop and rap song of the year award in 2024 for co-writing SZA’s smash “Snooze.” This year, he returns to accept the ASCAP Vanguard Award, presented to ASCAP members whose innovative work is helping shape the future of music. Previous recipients include Victoria Monét, Migos, Janelle Monáe and Beastie Boys.
“Leon Thomas is one of R&B’s most creative forces today and is reshaping its sound with his boundary-breaking artistry,” ASCAP EVP and head of creative membership Nicole George-Middleton said in a statement. “His passion, creativity and undeniable talent have established him as a defining voice of this generation. We are proud to honor him with this year’s ASCAP Vanguard Award.”
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Thomas began his career in Broadway’s The Lion King before venturing into television, where he rose to prominence on Nickelodeon’s Victorious. Following the show’s end in 2013, Thomas began writing and producing for major artists including Ariana Grande, Drake, Chris Brown and Kehlani. He won his first Grammy – best R&B song – in February 2024 for co-writing “Snooze.”
Thomas stepped into the spotlight later that year with his sophomore album Mutt. The album housed Thomas’s breakout hit “Mutt,” a classic, old-school R&B ballad which reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Thomas won two more Grammy Awards on Feb. 1 – best R&B album for Mutt and best traditional R&B performance for “Vibes Don’t Lie.” On March 26, he won an iHeartRadio Music Award for best new R&B artist. Thomas is set to tour with Bruno Mars in select markets on the superstar’s The Romantic Tour.
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