Destin Conrad Crowned R&B Rising Star at Billboard Power Players Event
Destin Conrad was celebrated as Billboard's 2026 R&B Rising Star on September 9th, recognizing his versatile artistry and prolific releases, including jazz and reggae albums this year. In his speech, Conrad underscored R&B as the foundational genre that continually draws him back with its honesty and freedom.
Destin Conrad has been honored as this year’s Billboard R&B Rising Star, accepting the prestigious award on Wednesday night, September 9, 2026. Conrad shared the recognition with Hip-Hop Rising Star Samara Cyn and Caribbean Rising Star Skippa, highlighting a diverse celebration of emerging talent in music.
Conrad's prolific output has been notable, marked by the release of two distinct projects in 2026 alone: the jazz record wHIMSY! in April and the reggae album ROADRUNNER in August. These followed his impressive Grammy-nominated R&B album, LOVE ON DIGITAL, released in 2025. His career received an early boost from Billboard’s 2026 R&B Artist of the Year, Kehlani, who introduced him to his manager, David Ali, recognized as the 2026 Billboard Executive of the Year.
In his acceptance speech for the 2026 R&B Rising Star Award, the Florida singer expressed profound gratitude. He articulated how, despite his ventures into various musical genres, R&B consistently serves as his fundamental artistic home. He remarked, “R&B music has played such a foundational role in my life — music as a whole, really — but the different genres have given me different backdrops to explore many facets of who I am, and they’ve inspired me to sing and write and create. But R&B has always been the foundation that I come back to. There’s something about the honesty in R&B that I feel like I gravitate towards and there’s something very free about the genre that’s always encouraging me to trust my own ear.”
Conrad further elaborated on his recent creative endeavors, stating, “Over the last year, I put out three different bodies of work. Three albums all coming from the same place of intuition, curiosity and honesty and just wanting to have fun whether that was wHIMSY!, my jazz album, or this new one ROADRUNNER, the dancehall-esqe album.” He emphasized his excitement for the contemporary R&B landscape, praising its strong foundation and ample room for innovation, reshaping, and unexpected evolution. He conveyed appreciation for the generation of artists demonstrating balance in music and expressed gratitude for his role within it.
He concluded his heartfelt speech by extending thanks to his dedicated team, Above Ground, and specifically acknowledged David Ali and Kehlani for their belief and support, stating, “Shout-out to Kehlani for introducing me to him.”