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Nas to Be Honored With BMI Icon Award at 2026 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards
BMI has announced that Nas will receive the BMI Icon Award at the 2026 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards, recognising the Queensbridge rapper's decades-long influence on the genre. The honour places him alongside past recipients such as Lil Wayne, Al Green, James Brown, Babyface, Snoop Dogg and Janet Jackson, reflecting his standing as one of hip-hop's most celebrated lyricists and storytellers.
The ceremony will be held in Los Angeles on 26 August, where BMI will also present awards for songwriter, song, producer and publisher of the year, honouring those behind the 35 most-performed R&B and hip-hop songs of the past year. Nas, who won his first Grammy in 2021, has notched 27 Billboard Hot 100 entries and five number-one solo albums on the Billboard 200, and recently reunited on stage with Jay-Z during his three-night run at Yankee Stadium.
In short
- Nas to receive BMI Icon Award at 2026 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards
- Ceremony takes place in Los Angeles on 26 August
- Joins past honourees including Snoop Dogg, Janet Jackson and Lil Wayne
Explained simply
Nas is a rapper from Queensbridge in Queens who became prominent in the 1990s and is widely regarded as one of hip-hop's most influential lyricists and storytellers. Over his career he has achieved significant commercial success, including multiple number-one albums, Grammy awards and numerous hit singles.
The BMI Icon Award is presented by BMI, an organisation representing songwriters and music publishers that collects and distributes royalties. The award honours artists who have fundamentally shaped their musical genre and left a lasting cultural impact.
Such awards acknowledge an artist's enduring influence on their field and their significance in music history. They typically go to artists with sustained careers who have achieved both commercial success and widespread respect within the music industry.