Pop Smoke won four posthumous gongs at the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday (23.05.21).
The late rap star – who died of gunshot wounds in February last year, at the age of 20 – won the Top New Artist, Top Rap Artist, Top Rap Male Artist, and Top Rap Album accolades at the awards show for ‘Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon’.
His successes were announced before the televised awards show at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
The accolades aren’t the first gongs awarded to the acclaimed star since his death in 2020. The rapper – whose real name was Bashar Jackson – won Best New Hip-Hop Artist at the 2020 BET Hip Hop Awards while he also received a Grammy nomination for the Best Rap Performance prize.
The upcoming ceremony will include Pink being honoured with the Icon Award at the star-studded bash.
The ‘Raise Your Glass’ hitmaker previously revealed she feels “humbled and blessed” to have been chosen to follow in the footsteps of stars including Neil Diamond, Jennifer Lopez, Celine Dion, the late Prince, and Mariah Carey to be only the 10th artist to receive the accolade.
The 41-year-old singer – who is also set to perform at the show – said prior to the ceremony: “As a little girl, I always dreamed about being a singer and sharing my love of music with the world.
“Years later, to receive the Billboard Music Awards Icon Award is hard to fathom! I feel so honoured to join the ranks of music idols like Cher, Garth Brooks, Janet Jackson and Stevie Wonder. It’s a true ‘pinch me’ moment and I feel humbled and blessed.”
