Mary J Blige Presented Icon Award At Billboard 2022

Singer and actress, Mary J Blige, was honored at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday.

The icon award was presented to Blige by another icon in her own right, Janet Jackson. While presenting Jackson credited Blige with a “multi-decade” career full of hits.

“What an icon means to is overcoming obstacles to accomplish the unthinkable and be widely admired for having influence over a multitude of people. And that is what I’ve always represented,” Blige said while accepting her award.


Blige spoke about the long journey of experiences and pain that she was able to channel into her music. Blige told the audience that we are “not alone in our struggles.”

“For so long I was searching for a real love, but I finally found my real love — and that real love is me,” she said.

She also showed love to Diddy, who hosted this year’s award show, and credited him as one of her “biggest inspirations.”

According to Billboard, previous Icon Award winners were Neil Diamond, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Jennifer Lopez, Celine Dion, Cher, Mariah Carey, Garth Brooks, P!NK and Jackson.