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By The Holiday Firm Manisha Holiday | Published May 16, 2022 2:02AM | Entertainment | The Holiday Firm Atlanta
Mary J. Blige accepts her Icon Award at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards (Photo: NBC)
The R&B legend and 10-time BBMA winner is the 11th artist and seventh woman to receive the honor, which recognizes artists who have achieved excellence on the Billboard charts and have made an indelible mark on music.
Previous Icon Award recipients include Neil Diamond, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Jennifer Lopez, Celine Dion, Cher, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Garth Brooks and Pink.
Before Mary accepted her honor, a video tribute highlighting the 10-time BBA winner's nearly 30-year career played, featuring testimonials from the likes of Taraji P. Henson, Missy Elliot, Gabrielle Union, H.E.R. and Queen Latifah. Mary then took to stage in a sparkly cut-out mini-dress. “I’m in a dream right now,” Blige said after taking the stage, escorted from the audience by BBMA host Sean “Diddy” Combs, as the crowd continued to erupt in applause as former Icon Award recipient Janet Jackson presented her with her trophy.
Mary J. Blige receives the Icon Award onstage during the 2022 Billboard Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 15, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. ( Video: NBC)
" Mary began her acceptance speech. "It takes a lot of time, hard work, and a lot of survive and trial and error to achieve greatness." She continued, "What an icon means to me is overcoming obstacles to accomplish the unthinkable and be widely admired for having influence over a multitude of people. I've been on this journey for a long time. One that didn't always look the way you see me now. One that is filled with a lot of heartache and pain for God helped me to channel those experiences and emotions into my music which is where I started in music."
The "Family Affair" singer then reflected on how the music industry has changed since she was introduced as the "Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" back in the '90s, calling those early days, "the beginning of a movement." "Every inner-city girl was recognizing their own and could relate to everything I was saying," she said. "And every female artist that came into the game wanted to do everything I was doing and still does to this day. I was ghetto fabulous and I still am. People were threatened by that. Now everybody wants to be ghetto fabulous."
Blige continued to reflect on how the “message of my music has always been that we are not alone in our struggles. And I’m not alone now. For so long I was searching for a real love but I finally found my real love and that real love is me. Who’s managing Mary J. Blige now? Me.”
Blige later thanked everyone on her team including her family, friends, Diddy, Jimmy Iovine, and Dr. Dre. She concluded her speech with a recognition to her “phenomenal, diehard, unbelievable fans.”
According to Billboard, Blige has accumulated four No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 (Share My World, Love & Life, The Breakthrough and Growing Pains) and a No. 1 single (“Family Affair”) on the Billboard Hot 100.
See below for the full list of winners below:
Top Artist
Doja Cat
Drake *WINNER
Olivia Rodrigo
Taylor Swift
The Weeknd
Top New Artist
Givēon
Masked Wolf
Olivia Rodrigo *WINNER
Pooh Shiesty
The Kid LAROI
Top Male Artist
Drake *WINNER
Ed Sheeran
Justin Bieber
Lil Nas X
The Weeknd
Top Female Artist
Adele
Doja Cat
Dua Lipa
Olivia Rodrigo *WINNER
Taylor Swift
Top Duo/Group
BTS *WINNER
Glass Animals
Imagine Dragons
Migos
Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak)
Top Billboard 200 Artist
Adele
Drake
Juice WRLD
Morgan Wallen
Taylor Swift *WINNER
Top Hot 100 Artist
Doja Cat
Drake
Justin Bieber
Olivia Rodrigo *WINNER
The Weeknd
Top Streaming Songs Artist
Doja Cat
Drake
Lil Nas X
Olivia Rodrigo *WINNER
The Weeknd
Top Song Sales Artist
Adele
BTS *WINNER
Dua Lipa
Ed Sheeran
Walker Hayes
Top Radio Songs Artist
Doja Cat
Ed Sheeran
Justin Bieber
Olivia Rodrigo *WINNER
The Weeknd
Top Billboard Global 200 Artist (NEW)
Doja Cat
Ed Sheeran
Justin Bieber
Olivia Rodrigo *WINNER
The Weeknd
Top Billboard Global Artist
BTS
Dua Lipa
Ed Sheeran *WINNER
Olivia Rodrigo
The Weeknd
Top Tour
Eagles (Hotel California Tour)
Genesis (The Last Domino? Tour)
Green Day, Fall Out Boy & Weezer (The Hella Mega Tour)
Harry Styles (Love on Tour)
The Rolling Stones (No Filter Tour) *WINNER
Top R&B Artist
Doja Cat *WINNER
Givēon
Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak)
Summer Walker
The Weeknd
Top R&B Male Artist
Givēon
Khalid
The Weeknd *WINNER
Top R&B Female Artist
Doja Cat *WINNER
Summer Walker
SZA
Top R&B Tour
Bruno Mars (Bruno Mars at Park MGM) *WINNER
Omarion & Bow Wow (The Millennium Tour 2021)
Usher (The Vegas Residency)
Top Rap Artist
Drake *WINNER
Juice WRLD
Lil Baby
Moneybagg Yo
Polo G
Top Rap Male Artist
Drake *WINNER
Juice WRLD
Polo G
Top Rap Female Artist
Cardi B
Latto
Megan Thee Stallion *WINNER
Top Rap Tour
J. Cole (The Off-Season Tour)
Lil Baby (The Back Outside Tour)
Omarion & Bow Wow (The Millennium Tour 2021) *WINNER
Top Country Artist
Chris Stapleton
Luke Combs
Morgan Wallen
Taylor Swift *WINNER
Walker Hayes
Top Country Male Artist
Chris Stapleton
Luke Combs
Morgan Wallen *WINNER
Top Country Female Artist
Carrie Underwood
Miranda Lambert
Taylor Swift *WINNER
Top Country Duo/Group
Dan + Shay *WINNER
Florida Georgia Line
Zac Brown Band
Top Country Tour
Luke Bryan (Proud to Be Right Here Tour)
Eric Church (Gather Again Tour) *WINNER
Chris Stapleton (All-American Road Show Tour)
Top Rock Artist
Glass Animals *WINNER
Imagine Dragons
Machine Gun Kelly
Måneskin
twenty one pilots
Top Rock Tour
Genesis (The Last Domino? Tour)
Green Day, Fall Out Boy & Weezer (The Hella Mega Tour)
The Rolling Stones (No Filter Tour) *WINNER
Top Latin Artist
Bad Bunny *WINNER
Farruko
Kali Uchis
Karol G
Rauw Alejandro
Top Latin Male Artist
Bad Bunny *WINNER
Farruko
Rauw Alejandro
Top Latin Female Artist
Kali Uchis *WINNER
Karol G
Rosalía
Top Latin Duo/Group
Calibre 50
Eslabon Armado *WINNER
Grupo Firme
Top Latin Tour
Bad Bunny (El Último Tour Del Mundo)
Enrique Iglesias & Ricky Martin (Live in Concert)
Los Bukis (Una Historia Cantada Tour) *WINNER
Top Dance/Electronic Artist
Calvin Harris
David Guetta
Lady Gaga *WINNER
Marshmello
Tiësto
Top Christian Artist
Carrie Underwood
Elevation Worship
for King & Country
Lauren Daigle
Ye *WINNER
Top Gospel Artist
CeCe Winans
Elevation Worship
Kirk Franklin
Maverick City Music
Ye *WINNER