During Billboard’s celebrations for Hip-Hop/R&B Week 2025, stars and industry leaders gathered for an exclusive event called Billboard Future of Music & Money: Presented by UBS and Feeture to honor innovative executives and artists who are transforming the dialogue around financial literacy and creating new opportunities for creators.
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On Friday, September 5, the invite-only cocktail reception and award ceremony took place at Cattail Lounge NYC, featuring DJ Goldie Harris who curated a mix of classic and contemporary hip-hop and R&B tracks. Guests enjoyed hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, and laughter in the dimly-lit venue before honorees Leon Thomas, Ty Dolla $ign, and others took the stage for the award presentation. Inside the Lower East Side venue, Billboard raised a toast to Leon Thomas for his remarkable year, highlighted by his hit “MUTT,” which peaked at No. 12 on Billboard’s Hot 100.
“Tonight, we’re not just celebrating an incredible artist — we’re celebrating a true visionary,” said Wale Ogunleye, UBS Head of Sports and Entertainment, during the award ceremony. “Being a visionary is not only about creating timeless music. It’s about building a legacy, knowing where you want to go, and having the courage to forge your own path. At UBS, we have the privilege of standing beside amazing artists, helping them turn their vision and creative talents into lasting financial success for themselves, their families, their communities, and generations to come,” continued Ogunleye before R&B hitmaker and recipient of the Creative Visionary Award Presented by UBS, Thomas took the spotlight to thank Ogunleye and share some words with the crowd.
“It’s really hard sometimes being early on a trend or early on a sound because there’s really nothing to reference it to in the marketplace and I really thank everybody for being fearless enough to trust my vision,” he told the audience.
Among the additional honorees was Ty Dolla $ign, who received the Collab Impact Award from Jareiq Josef Kabara, Feeture CEO, as well as Shawn Barron, who received the Executive Impact Award from Jareiq Josef Kabara, Feeture CEO.
