Mary J. Blige Receives 2022 Billboard Icon Award
The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, Mary J. Blige, was honored with the 2022 Billboard Icon Award at this year’s ceremony. The icon has won 11 Billboard awards, nine Grammys, and…
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 15: Mary J. Blige attends the 2022 Billboard Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 15, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
(Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, Mary J. Blige, was honored with the 2022 Billboard Icon Award at this year's ceremony.
The icon has won 11 Billboard awards, nine Grammys, and has sold 75 million records worldwide. Blige received the award from pop superstar and 2018 Billboard Icon recipient Janet Jackson.
“My career has been such an incredible and unexpected journey that has included many turns into avenues I never could have imagined like acting, producing, launching businesses, and now even my own music festival,” expressed Blige in a press statement per Vibe. “Through it all, I always one way or another gravitated back to my first love, music. To be recognized in this way at this moment, with the Icon Award at the Billboard Music Awards, is an incredible honor and one that I am truly humbled by.”
The "Icon Award" which was established in 2011 has only honored 10 artists with the award. Blige is the 11th artist to be honored following Neil Diamond, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Jennifer Lopez, Celine Dion, Cher, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Garth Brooks, and P!NK.
The 2022 Billboard Music Awards aired Sunday, May 15 on NBC at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
Mary J. Blige has had a remarkably enduring and successful career, but it took some time for her to get to this point. Here are eight things you may not know about the Queen of Hip-Hop/Soul.
8 Things You May Not Know About Mary J. Blige
(Photo by Getty Images/Getty Images for Vox Media)Mary dropped out of high school in her junior year. She was 16 years old.
8 Things You May Not Know About Mary J. Blige
(Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)Her first label was Uptown Records. And at the time she was signed (in 1989), she was the youngest and first female artist they ever had.
8 Things You May Not Know About Mary J. Blige
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)Her album, What's The 411, got the name from Mary's past occupation. Before making it big, she was a 4-1-1- operator.
8 Things You May Not Know About Mary J. Blige
(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)So far in her career, Mary has released 13 studio albums. She's also made over 150 guest appearances on other albums and soundtracks.
8 Things You May Not Know About Mary J. Blige
(Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)She wasn't always the big dog. At the beginning of her career, Mary was a backup singer until her 'Whats' The 411' album dropped.
8 Things You May Not Know About Mary J. Blige
(Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)Music runs in her family - Mary's father was a Jazz musician. Her mother was a nurse.
8 Things You May Not Know About Mary J. Blige
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)She had a perfume line. 'My Life' launched in 2010.
8 Things You May Not Know About Mary J. Blige
(Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images for BET)She was discovered after covering an Anita Baker song - at 17, Mary covered "Caught Up In The Rapture," and it got the attention of execs at Uptown Records.
