The singer received the honour at the Fairmont Century Plaza on Thursday night. The audience cheered for her win. As she stepped on the stage to receive the award, she spoke about how she had to fight to sing and write the kind of music that she wanted to. She said, “When I first started in the music business, I was often told to conform to certain expectations. I was not encouraged to focus on my love for Black music. It took countless arguments, endless tantrums... and mostly unwavering determination but, eventually, I was able to reveal my authentic self.”