On August 29th, 2025, broadcast music rights organization BMI held its R&B/Hip-Hop Awards at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles, California, shining a light on this year’s most influential artists, hitmakers, and songwriters in the genre. The evening mixed tributes to veteran stars with recognition for artists breaking new ground. Here are the standout moments.
T-Pain was awarded the BMI President’s Award, the highest honor of the night, recognizing his longtime influence and contributions to R&B and hip-hop over his many years in the industry. Since joining BMI in 2005, he has amassed 28 BMI Awards, been named BMI Songwriter of the Year multiple times, and been honored as BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Producer of the Year. BMI.com
GloRilla was presented with the BMI Impact Award, a recognition meant to spotlight an artist whose voice, creativity, and vision are helping shape the future of the genre. She didn’t stop there. She also tied with Tay Keith and Mike Dean for Songwriter of the Year. BMI.com+1
Kendrick Lamar & “Not Like Us” Take Song of the Year
Kendrick Lamar’s track “Not Like Us” was named BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Song of the Year, a testament to its commercial success, cultural resonance, and influence in the genre over the past year. Producer Sounwave was also named Producer of the Year for his work on that and other projects.
During his acceptance of the President’s Award, T-Pain reflected on his journey: “Every journey has a beginning, a middle and an end… Don’t let anyone dictate your time or how fast you get to the finish line. Let yourself be your own time measurement.”
GloRilla used her moment to encourage others coming up, saying, “keep your foot on the gas … don’t let anyone tell y’all what you can’t do because a lot of people told me what I can’t do.” Her speech underscored the impact of perseverance and confidence in her rise. BMI.com
This year’s BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards balanced honoring legacy acts with recognizing newer, boundary-pushing artists. T-Pain’s lifetime contributions represent the past two decades of innovation in the genre; GloRilla’s rising star status represents where it’s going. Meanwhile, Kendrick Lamar’s Song of the Year win with “Not Like Us” underscores how mainstream, chart-topping tracks can still carry weight in cultural commentary and personal voice.
