BMI Foundation Presents Inaugural Babyface Award to Songwriter and Producer Rijah Banerjee
LOS ANGELES, CA - August 26, 2026 - BMI Foundation, Inc. presented the Inaugural Babyface Award to songwriter and producer Rijah Banerjee at the 2026 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards held in Los Angeles on Wednesday, August 26th. Founded with an initial $25,000 investment from Wells Fargo, the Babyface Award honors the accomplishments of 13-time GRAMMY Award-winning recording artist, songwriter, and producer Babyface through a competitive program that provides artistic and business mentorship and a $10,000 career grant to songwriters and composers of hip-hop, R&B, soul, and other American music of the African diaspora.
The Babyface Award is co-directed by BMI Executive Director, Creative, Atlanta Byron Wright and songwriter, producer and performer Will Wells. First-round judges for the 2026 award included Rico Brooks, Mary Brown, Jasper Cameron, and KEYZ; final judges for the award were Jozzy, Khris Riddick-Tynes, Will Wells, and Babyface himself. The Babyface Award was developed by an advisory board made up of industry professionals, including co-directors Wells and Wright as well as Nikisha Bailey, Rico Brooks, Evita Kaigler, and Shannon Sanders.
“Rijah’s songwriting is strong, unique, and refreshing,” shared Byron Wright. “I know that her talents will take her far, and we’re proud to be a step on that path. Any writer would be honored to have the support of Babyface, and we’re excited to have had the opportunity to connect these excellent artists.”
“Like Babyface, Rijah’s music feels classic but fresh, and always creative,” said Wells. “It’s an honor to celebrate the next generation of musicians, especially with the support of such an enduring icon.”
Rijah Banerjee is a songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist from Jersey City whose music blends R&B, progressive soul, jazz, and Indian influences. She has performed her original music at Soundside Music Festival, SXSW, and NAMM, and has been featured by NPR’s Top Shelf and recognized as a 2026 Best R&B entry. Her work is rooted in introspective songwriting, rich musicianship, harmonic exploration, and her cultural identity, bringing together organic instrumentation and modern production to create a sound that feels both personal and contemporary.
One of the most celebrated creative forces in music history, Babyface developed his love for music early on when he began songwriting at the age of 12. Upon graduating high school, he got signed to his first record deal after joining the band, Manchild. In the 1980s, he broke into the music world as guitarist and songwriter for the R&B band, The Deele. Today, Babyface is the only producer to win the ‘Producer of the Year’ category four times, three times of which was in consecutive years (1995-1997); a record he holds to this day. He has also had three consecutive multi-platinum albums: Tender Lover (1989), featuring the #1 “Tender Lover”; For the Cool in You (1993), which included “Never Keeping Secrets” and “When Can I See You”; and The Day (1996) featuring “Every Time I Close My Eyes.” Babyface is also co-founder of the legendary record label LaFace, which launched the careers of artists like Usher, Toni Braxton, TLC, Outkast, and P!nk, and he has written and produced hits for artists including Bobby Brown, Boyz II Men, Eric Clapton, Madonna, Beyonce, Bruno Mars, Ariana Grande, Mary J Blige, Celine Dion, Aretha Franklin, George Michael, Michael Jackson, Justin Bieber, Phil Collins, Janet Jackson, NSYNC, Chaka Khan, Faith Evans, Jay Z, Stevie Wonder, John Mayer, Lionel Richie, Michael Bolton, Kenny G, Lil Wayne, Luther Vandross, Barbara Streisand, and countless others.
About the BMI Foundation, Inc.
The BMI Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 1985 to encourage the creation, performance, and study of American music. The Foundation’s programs include competitive scholarships for songwriters and composers, operating grants for nonprofit arts presenters, and support for innovative music education initiatives in schools and communities across the country. For more information about the work of the Foundation, please visit our website at www.bmifoundation.org. For exclusive news and content, follow @bmifoundation on Instagram and like BMI Foundation on Facebook.
