SZA inducted into New Jersey Hall of Fame at ceremony
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SZA has officially been inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame, with the ceremony hosted by actor Danny DeVito at the Dream Live Performing Arts Center. The recognition adds a significant state honour to her career, while her light-hearted remark about meeting DeVito contrasted with a speech emphasising her deep connection to New Jersey.
The seven-time Grammy winner was born in St Louis but raised in Maplewood, where she worked jobs including at a pizza parlour and shoe shop and developed a strong sense of community. She said the honour was among her greatest achievements and pledged to carry New Jersey’s communal spirit into charitable work, while also highlighting fellow Maplewood alumna Lauryn Hill, who has not yet been inducted.
- SZA joins the New Jersey Hall of Fame.
- Danny DeVito hosted the induction ceremony.
- She credited New Jersey’s community with shaping her.
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SZA is an American musician who has won seven Grammy Awards and achieved major international commercial success. Though born in Missouri, she grew up in Maplewood, New Jersey, where she worked in local businesses including pizza restaurants and shoe shops.
The New Jersey Hall of Fame honours individuals with significant achievements and connections to the state. It is considered an important recognition that acknowledges the state's cultural and professional contributions.
SZA's induction recognises both her accomplished music career and her formative years in New Jersey. The honour is particularly significant as it acknowledges how artists and individuals who grew up in the state have gone on to achieve widespread recognition.
Full account
The artist was formally recognised by the New Jersey Hall of Fame on Thursday evening, with the distinction being conferred by Danny DeVito, himself an earlier honouree from 2010. The ceremony took place at the Dream Live Performing Arts Centre located within the American Dream complex in East Rutherford. Following the event, the musician's social media message struck a lighthearted tone, prioritising her personal encounter with DeVito over the institutional honour itself.
Born in St. Louis but brought up in Maplewood's suburban communities, the artist reflected on her formative years during her acceptance remarks, speaking to values of community and interpersonal connection instilled by her upbringing. She recalled early employment experiences in local establishments, including a pizza restaurant and footwear retail shop, and described how these modest working experiences and her close-knit neighbourhood had shaped her worldview. Her formal remarks were earnest and reflective, emphasising the significance of the recognition as one of the foremost professional achievements in her career.
The artist has established herself as one of the commercially prominent figures of her generation. Her 2017 debut album achieved significant chart success and platinum certification, whilst her subsequent 2022 project debuted at the summit of the Billboard charts and sustained that position across multiple non-consecutive weeks, further strengthened by an expanded edition released in 2024. She has received seven Grammy awards and recent honours from songwriting institutions, alongside two platinum-level certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America, with her cumulative streaming figures exceeding 70 billion plays across platforms.
The New Jersey Hall of Fame includes numerous celebrated figures from music, film, and literature, amongst them Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen, and Frank Sinatra. The artist used her platform to acknowledge a peer from her own educational institution, Lauryn Hill, whose contributions to music remain unrecognised by the organisation thus far. She also challenged public perception of the state itself, arguing that New Jersey merits greater cultural acknowledgement and that dismissing the region in favour of neighbouring New York represents an overlooking of authentic regional significance and character.
Where outlets differ
Source 2 emphasises career commercial dominance with detailed chart performance and 70+ billion streaming figures; Source 1 focuses more on personal connection to community and gratitude
Source 2 specifies the 18th annual induction ceremony and exact date (September 24); Source 1 only mentions 'Thursday night'
Source 2 explicitly identifies Columbia High School as her alma mater; Source 1 only reveals this indirectly through reference to Lauryn Hill
Source 1 lists more previous inductees including Paul Rudd, Toni Morrison, Tony Bennett, Meryl Streep, and F. Scott Fitzgerald; Source 2 provides a condensed roster
Source 2 provides comprehensive album and commercial data (Ctrl specifics, SOS chart weeks, deluxe edition, 'Kill Bill' single); Source 1 mentions only Grammy wins and awards
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Originally published by Rolling Stone as “SZA Is Officially a New Jersey Hall of Fame Inductee: ‘More Importantly, I Met Danny DeVito’”.