By Sydney Scott ·
01
Terrace Martin
Best R&B Album, Velvet Portraits
02
Mint Condition
Best R&B Album, Healing Season
03
Mya
Best R&B Album, Smoove Jones
04
KING

KING – Best Urban Contemporary Album; We Are King

05
Jill Scott
Best Traditional R&B Performance, “Can’t Wait”
06
Fat Joe
Best Rap Performance, “All The Way Up”; Best Rap Song “All The Way Up”
07
Schoolboy Q
ScHoolboy Q – Best Rap Performance, “That Part”; Best Rap Album, Blank Face LP
08
DJ Khaled
DJ Khaled – Best Rap Album, Major Key
09
D.R.A.M.
D.R.A.M. – Best Rap/Sung Performance, “Broccoli”
10
Gallant
Gallant returns to rock the ESSENCE Festival Superlounge stage.
11
Desiigner
Desiigner – Best Rap Performance, “Panda”
12
PartyNextDoor

Millennial bedroom music dominates PartyNextDoor 3, the third sensual studio album of 23-year-old Canadian alternative-R&B artist Jahron Brathwaite, a.k.a. PartyNextDoor. Signed to Drake’s OVO Sound label in 2013, the singer-rapper-producer scored his highest-profile songwriting touchdown last year with Rihanna’s patois-infused summertime smash, “Work.” (Brathwaite’s roots: Jamaican and Trinidadian.) But ambient, blues-flavored tracks work seductive magic on PartyNextDoor 3—transforming his behind-the-scenes influence on seminal Drake records into frontman swagger. PartyNextDoor packs his personal brand of atmospheric melancholy into mood music meant for sexy time. It’s an addictive cocktail that reveals his party next door as less “shake your body down to the ground” and more downright erotic.

13
Ro James
Ro James is bringing his multi-talented swag to the Superlounge stage this year.
14
Tory Lanez
Tory Lanez – Best R&B Song, “Luv”
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15
Bryson Tiller
Bryson Tiller – Best R&B Song, “Exchange”
16
Lalah Hathaway
Best Traditional R&B Performance, “Angel”; Best R&B Album, Lalah Hathaway Live
17
Musiq Soulchild
Musiq Soulchild – Best R&B Performance, “I Do”
18
Solange
Solange – Best R&B Performance, “Cranes in the Sky”
19
Kanye West
Kanye West – Best Rap/Sung Performance, “Ultralight Beam” and “Famous”; Best Rap Song, “Famous”and “Ultralight Beam”; Best Rap Album, The Life of Pablo; Best Rap Performance, “That Part” and “Pop Style”
20
BJ The Chicago Kid
BJ the Chicago Kid – Best R&B Performance, “Turnin’ Me Up”; Best Traditional R&B Performance, “Woman’s World”; Best R&B Album, In My Mind
21
De La Soul
Best Rap Album, And The Anonymous Nobody
22
Drake
Album of the Year, Views;  Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, “Work”; Best Rap Performance, Pop Style; Best Rap/Sung Performance, “Hotline Bling”; Best Rap Song, “Hotline Bling”; Best Rap Album, Views; Record of the Year, “Work”; Best R&B Song, “Come See Me”
23
Fantasia
Best Traditional R&B Performance, “Sleeping With The One I Love”
24
Chance The Rapper
“What’s better than eating is feeding your fam. What’s better than meetings is missing meetings to meet with your fam.”
25
Anderson .Paak
Best New Artist; Best Urban Contemporary Album, Malibu
26
Rihanna
Record of the Year, “Work”; Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, “Work; Best R&B Performance, “Needed Me”; Best R&B Song “Kiss It Better”; Best Urban Contemporary Album, Anti; Best Recording Package, Anti; Best Rap/Sung Performance, “Famous”; Best Rap Song, “Famous”
27
Maxwell
Best R&B Song, “Lake By The Ocean”
28
Beyonce
Beyoncé –  Record of the Year, “Formation”; Album of the Year, Lemonade;  Song of the Year, “Formation”; Best Pop Solo Performance, “Hold Up”; Best Rock Performance, “Don’t Hurt Yourself”; Best Urban Contemporary Album, Lemonade; Best Rap/Sung Performance, “Freedom”; Best Music Video, “Formation”; Best Music Film, Lemonade
29
William Bell
Best Traditional R&B Performance, “The Three Of Me”