Nobody puts Leon Thomas on a leash!
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The Grammy-winning R&B sensation, who’s signed to Ty Dolla $ign and Shawn Barron’s Motown-housed EZMNY imprint, accepted the Vanguard Award at the 2026 ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Awards on Thursday (June 25), just a few days before he’ll grace the red carpet at the 2026 BET Awards on Sunday (June 28).
Sporting a snazzy gray-green suit and black-out shades, Thomas humbly accepted the Vanguard Award as his songwriting peers looked on. Grammy and Oscar winner Paul Williams led the presentation, with some assistance from ASCAP executive vice president & head of creative membership Nicole George-Middleton. EZMNY co-founder Ty Dolla $ign closed out the presentation via a video message recorded from Paris Fashion Week. Previous ASCAP Vanguard Award recipients include Victoria Monét, Migos, Janelle Monáe, Beastie Boys and more.
“Leon is a once-in-a-lifetime, generational talent who inspires everyone around him, including me,” said Ty Dolla $ign. “He’s proof that authenticity and real music will take you to the T-O-P… thank you for friendship and sharing your gift with the whole world.”
After pausing to snap some pictures, Leon began: “At 16 years old, ASCAP was my choice [of PRO], and 16 years later, it’s been so many moments that I’m extremely grateful for… Along this journey, it’s been a lot of ups and downs.”
“As a songwriter and producer, there were times when you had to dim your light in order to get where you wanna go,” he continued. “What God put on my path was a journey of self-reflection and confidence. He also put [people] on my journey [who] would help me take my own music as an artist to the ‘T-O-P,’ as Ty Dolla $ign said.”
With “Mutt,” a slow-burning smash that conquered both R&B and pop radio on its way to a No. 6 peak on the Billboard Hot 100, Thomas cemented himself as the R&B’s brightest new superstar. From childhood Broadway stints to his beloved portrayal of Andre Harris on Victorious, an era-defining Nickelodeon sitcom for early Gen Zers, Thomas is an entertainment powerhouse over two decades in the making.
After receiving mentorship from Babyface and producing select tracks on Ariana Grande’s Billboard 200-topping 2013 debut album, Yours Truly, Thomas Pickle earned his first Grammy nomination in 2020 for his writing and production contributions to Rick Ross and Drake’s “Gold Roses.” Two years later, he climbed to No. 2 on the Hot 100 — his highest peak as a producer — with SZA’s “Snooze,” which earned him his first Grammy for best R&B song in 2024.
“Shoutout to my brother Shawn Barron at EZMNY, who recognized that a lot of the music I was making was songs that didn’t quite fit on any other artist. I knew I would be the only voice that could genuinely take it there,” Thomas said. “Shawn [and Ty Dolla $ign] brought me over to Capitol Music Group and put me in a position today to do what I’m doing. Shoutout to Culture Collective — Jonathan Azu and the whole team — for keeping my life organized and well-planned, and also fighting the good fight in boardrooms to make sure that my creativity was heard. And my lawyer, Dan Shulman, and the Eisner Law crew have always worked very hard to protect my IP and who I am as a creative. And Grant Financial Management, for making sure those royalty checks are coming in on time, hallelujah!”
Earlier this year (Feb. 1), Thomas added two more gilded Gramophones to his awards mantle: best traditional R&B performance for “Vibes Don’t Lie” and best R&B album for Mutt, which reached No. 35 on the Billboard 200. He earned six nods in total, including album of the year and best new artist, emphasizing his arrival as a true front-facing star after years of behind-the-boards achievements. Since February’s ceremony, where he also played in the best new artist and D’Angelo tribute medleys, the Billboard cover star has been wrapping up the European and Australian legs of his sprawling Mutts Don’t Heel World Tour, as well as assisting Bruno Mars on his Romantic Tour in stadiums across the United States. At Sunday night’s BET Awards, Thomas will compete for album of the year (Mutt Deluxe: Heel) and best male R&B/pop artist.
“To all of my collaborators and all of the songwriters and producers that I see in this room, there’s a bunch of you [who] are also chasing your artistic dreams,” he concluded. “I don’t want y’all to give up on that because I know that with hard work and a solid team around you, you too can be heard. And don’t let any of these companies put you in a box and tell you what you can’t do.”
“Luther,” the doe-eyed, Hot 100-topping duet between Kendrick Lamar and SZA that took home the 2026 record of the year Grammy, was named the ASCAP R&B/Hip-Hop and Rap Song of the Year. Co-written by the two superstars, alongside ASCAP winners Marvin Gaye, Kamasi Washington, Scott Bridgeway and Jack Antonoff, “Luther” broke the record for the longest-running No. 1 hit in Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs history (31 weeks).
The K.Dot glow also rubbed off on Mustard, who took home ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Songwriter of the Year honors for his contributions to Lamar’s “TV Off” and Ella Mai’s “Little Things.” While the former reached No. 2 on the Hot 100 and scored a flashy Apple Music Super Bowl LIX halftime show look, the latter hit No. 4 on R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales Chart. Over on the faith-based side, Maverick City & Upperoom’s “Rest On Us,” co-written by Brandon Lake & Harvest Grapevine, was named ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Gospel Song of the Year.
Sony Music Publishing earned ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Publisher of the Year honors for Hot 100-charting hits including “Push 2 Start” (Tyla, No. 88), “Went Legit” (G Herbo, No. 70), “Folded” (Kehlani, No. 6), “Man I Need” (Olivia Dean, No. 2), “WHATCHU KNO ABOUT ME” (Glorilla & Sexyy Red, No. 17), “Mutt” (Leon Thomas, No. 6), “Shake It To The Max (Fly) Remix” (MOLIY, Silent Addy, Skillibeng & Shenseea, No. 44) and “Rather Lie” (The Weeknd & Playboi Carti, No. 4).
Additional 2026 ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Award-winning songwriters include Cardi B (“Outside”), Justin Bieber (“Yukon”), Partynextdoor (“Somebody Loves Me”), Kali Uchis (“Is It A Crime”), Usher (“It Depends”) and Summer Walker (“Heart of A Woman”).
The ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards recognize the songwriters and publishers of the most-performed songs of the past year based on Luminate data for terrestrial and satellite radio and streaming services, as specified by the ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards rules.
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