Alicia Keys is set to be the next recipient of the newly coveted Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, following in the footsteps of Dr. Dre and Jay-Z.
Billboard reports that the acclaimed Grammy winner will receive the third award presentation at the fourth annual Recording Academy Honors, presented by the Black Music Collective. The event will take place at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles on Thursday, Jan. 30.
Established in 2023, the award honors artists for their influence beyond music and celebrates their entrepreneurial accomplishments, philanthropic contributions, and global impact.
“From her timeless music to her unwavering dedication to uplifting others, Alicia has made an indelible impact on the world,” Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, said in a statement.
“Alicia embodies everything the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award represents -– her artistry knows no bounds, her advocacy inspires meaningful change, and her influence has profoundly shaped culture. We are honored to celebrate her extraordinary legacy and the transformative contributions she continues to make in music and beyond.”
Throughout her career, Alicia Keys has earned 16 Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year for her 2001 breakout hit, “Fallin.” She is tied with Adele as the fourth most-awarded woman in Grammy history, behind Beyoncé (32), Alison Krauss (27), and Aretha Franklin (18).
On the business front, Keys owns multiple ventures, including AK Worldwide, which manages her projects within and beyond music; a recording studio in Long Island, New York; her KrucialKeys production
and songwriting company; and her lifestyle brand, Keys Soulcare; created in partnership with e.l.f. Beauty. As a philanthropist, she launched a $1 billion fund to support Black-owned businesses in the fight against racism and co-founded the nonprofit Keep a Child Alive in 2003, which combats HIV/AIDS and where she serves as a global ambassador.Alicia Keys has sold over 90 million records globally, cementing her status as one of the world’s best-selling music artists. Billboard recognized her as the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the 2000s, and she ranked 10th on its list of the Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years. In addition to her 16 Grammy Awards, she has earned 17 NAACP Image Awards, 12 ASCAP Awards, and honors from the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the National Music Publishers Association.
Alicia Keys has been recognized on VH1’s lists of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and 100 Greatest Women in Music. Time included her in its 100 Most Influential People list in 2005 and 2017. She is also nominated for a Grammy at the 2025 ceremony for Best Musical Theater Album for Hell’s Kitchen.
The musical, inspired by Keys’ journey to musical stardom and featuring her songs, premiered at the Shubert Theatre in New York on April 20 and remains in production. It received 13 Tony nominations and won two: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical (Maleah Joi Moon) and Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical (Kecia Lewis).
Keys will be the third recipient of the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, following the super producer himself, who was the inaugural honoree in 2023, and Jay-Z, who received the award earlier this year. During his acceptance speech, Jay-Z used the moment to criticize the Recording Academy for its history of overlooking his wife, Beyoncé, in the Album of the Year category.
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