The Recording Academy Honors Presented by the Black Music Collective has established itself as one of Grammy Week’s most prominent fixtures, and the 2026 edition, held last Thursday at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles, was no exception.
“Honoring Brandy, Kirk and Pharrell at this year’s Recording Academy Honors was a powerful reminder of how visionary artistry and fearless creativity shape our culture,” said Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy. “It was an honor to recognize their legacy and continue our commitment to celebrating and uplifting excellence in the Black music community.”
Pharrell Williams received the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, recognizing a career that has reshaped pop, hip-hop, fashion and creative culture. Brandy and Kirk Franklin were honored with the Black Music Icon Award for their foundational roles in R&B and gospel, while Eve was recognized for her contributions to the Roots’ 1999 smash “You Got Me,” a moment that helped rectify a notable error in hip-hop history from more than two decades ago.
For honorary chair Valeshia Butterfield, the night served as a marker of how far the Black Music Collective has come since its formation during the early months of the pandemic. “Almost six years later,” she said, reflecting on the organization’s origins, “to see what happened last night is just the testament.”
“I remember when I first got the call from the Academy and from [CEO of The Recording Academy] Harvey Mason Jr., who was the chair of the board at the time: ‘Hey, you know, we’re looking for a new and our first ever chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer,’” recalled Butterfield. “These were the early days of COVID, no one knew how long it would last.”
One week into that role, George Floyd was murdered. Butterfield says the moment accelerated the work. “I knew what to do, which was to build out a real plan,” she said. That plan eventually became the Black Music Collective, sparked by an idea from trustee Rick Morales and developed over months alongside Mason and Jerry O. Johnson. “Almost six years later,” Butterfield added, “to see what happened last night is just the testament.”
Onstage, that evolution played out through performances that treated legacy as something living, not frozen. Music director Adam Blackstone approached each tribute with tight parameters and clear intent. “I could [play] Brandy for two hours,” he said. “But they say, all right, bro, you got 10 minutes.”
That constraint produced one of the evening’s most talked-about sequences. British girl group Flo delivered a confident take on “The Boy Is Mine,” bridging eras and highlighting Brandy’s direct imprint on contemporary R&B. Another generational throughline came via Coco Jones, who performed “Full Moon,” a nod to Brandy’s 2002 single and album. Earlier in the evening, Kehlani performed “I Wanna Be Down” which Blackstone intentionally selected as Brandy’s latest release is a remix of Kehlani’s Grammy-winning “Folded.” “I always want to tell a story through the music,” Blackstone said. “And make sure people go on this journey.”
When Brandy accepted her honor, she struck a characteristically grounded tone, describing herself as “humbly just a vessel,” a sentiment that echoed the evening’s broader framing of legacy as stewardship.
Surprise remained part of the program’s DNA. Justin Timberlake appeared in a 10-minute performance tied to Pharrell’s honor, a moment kept tightly under wraps. Executive producer Massah David described the logistics as “a beast,” noting that Pharrell’s involvement was managed under an alias simply listed as “special guest.”
“His name wasn’t on anything,” David said. “We were very methodical about the way that we handled it.” According to co-executive producer Miatta Johnson, even close collaborators were left guessing.
Now in its fifth consecutive year under the executive production of David and Johnson’s MVD Inc., the BMC Honors has developed a reputation for precision rather than excess. “They’re not just events,” Johnson said. “When you are amplifying voices and putting people on a platform globally to appreciate and understand and experience Black music, that’s not a small feat.”
David echoed that philosophy, emphasizing that recognition doesn’t always align neatly with award cycles. “Not every year is going to be your year,” she said. “But we want to make sure that we never miss those moments.”
Beyond the ceremony, BMC continues to expand its reach through education initiatives, masterclasses and partnerships with Amazon Music and the Quinn Coleman Fund. “A lot of this work we do quietly,” Butterfield noted, “but you’ll be hearing more about it.”
English (US) ·