Kehlani, The Roots, and Others Recognized at Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players 2026

Billboard hosted its 2026 R&B Hip-Hop Power Players event in NYC on Wednesday (Sept. 9). Rap and R&B royalty graced SoHo House as artists, managers, executives, publicists and industry mainstays mingled throughout the night.

The Roots were inducted into the Billboard Hip-Hop Hall of Fame, while Jill Scott was honored with the R&B Hall of Fame award. In addition to honoring the past and giving Ms. Scott and The Roots their flowers, Billboard looked toward the future with a trio of emerging artists.

Samara Cyn accepted the honor for Billboard ‘s 2026 Hip-Hop Rising Star, while Destin Conrad was named the 2026 R&B Rising Star and Skippa took home the first-ever Caribbean Rising Star award.

All three artists will be hitting the stage at Billboard ‘s   R&B Hip-Hop Live 2026 concert on Thursday (Sept. 10) at Brooklyn Steel, which will also feature performances from Lucky Daye, Yung Miami and kwn.

It was a celebratory night for the Above Ground Entertainment family. Above Ground CEO David Ali was honored as the R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players executive of the year. Ali has also managed Kehlani for more than a decade, and the Grammy-winning singer was honored as Billboard ‘s 2026 R&B Artist of the Year.

Kehlani dedicated her award win to Ali with a heartfelt speech recalling their challenging journey to the top. “What I didn’t know at the time is I’d gain the closest thing I’ve ever had to a father,” she said. “To know David is to love David.”

See some of the best photos from the 2025 Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players event below.

_Originally reported by [Billboard](https://www.billboard.com/photos/kehlani-the-roots-billboard-rb-hip-hop-power-players-photos-1236337415/)._