Nas Named BMI Icon as Kendrick Lamar Takes Songwriter of the Year at 2026 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards
Nas received the BMI Icon honour at the 2026 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards, held on August 26 at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Beverly Hills, while Kendrick Lamar was named R&B/hip-hop songwriter of the year for co-writing six of 2025's most-performed songs (Billboard; BMI).
The BMI Icon award recognises a songwriter or composer for their body of work and lasting influence on the craft. Nas accepted the honour with a speech thanking BMI, according to the organisation's own press release (BMI).
Lamar's songwriter of the year nod covers six of the year's most-performed R&B/hip-hop tracks, including '30 for 30,' 'Squabble Up' and 'Luther' (Billboard). 'Luther,' a collaboration with SZA, also took Song of the Year at the ceremony, having spent 23 weeks at number one on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart — the publication's weekly tally of the most popular tracks in the genre, measured by sales, streams and radio airplay. The song previously won BMI Pop Song of the Year at the 2026 BMI Pop Awards and earned Lamar a Grammy for Record of the Year in February (BMI).
Producer O Lil Angel was named R&B/hip-hop producer of the year. Sony Music Publishing — one of the three major music publishing companies that administer songwriters' copyrights and collect their royalties — took publisher of the year, representing 27 of the previous year's most-performed songs (Billboard).
The ceremony also carried a sombre note. The late songwriter and producer Tay Keith was remembered, with his sister and uncle accepting the 2025 BMI R&B/hip-hop songwriter of the year award on his behalf (Billboard).
Ahead of the main ceremony, the BMI Foundation presented the inaugural Babyface Award to songwriter and producer Rijah Banerjee (Billboard). The award is named for the producer and songwriter born Kenneth Edmonds, whose work across R&B and pop spans several decades.
BMI — Broadcast Music Inc., one of the major US performing rights organisations that pay songwriters and composers when their work is publicly performed — confirmed the full list of honourees on August 27 (BMI). The organisation represents more than 900,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers.
