Grammy award-winning and Academy Award-nominated artist, actress and producer Mary J. Blige along with influential record executive and social justice activist Jason Flom will be celebrated with honorary awards at the 2022 Clio Music Awards presented by Pepsi in Nashville, Tenn. on May 10. At a live ceremony hosted by Grammy-nominated artist Yola, Blige will be presented with the 2022 Clio Music Legend Award and Flom will accept the 2022 Clio Music Impact Award.
The Clio Music Legend Award is granted to an artist who has made a significant impact on popular culture by channeling their originality in ways that move the music industry forward and inspire a new generation of artists to think differently about their own creative potential. Blige is a prolific figure of inspiration and a defining voice of the contemporary music era. For years, marketers have leaned on Blige’s star power to represent their products in high profile moments, like this year’s Super Bowl commercial for Hologic. Blige has also appeared in ads for AT&T, Target and Apple Music. On the heels of Blige’s epic performance during the Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show, she will host the inaugural “Strength of a Woman Festival and Summit” from May 6-8 in partnership with Pepsi and Live Nation Urban. The event is unapologetically curated for and by women in the hotbed for creativity and culture, Atlanta, and will feature music, comedy, and community building sessions. Blige's alluded to Oscar nominations were for Best Supporting Actress and Original Song ("Mighty River"), both for Mudbound in 2018. Blige has also cemented herself as an entrepreneur, launching many successful businesses including her production company Blue Butterfly, Sun Goddess Wines and Sister Love jewelry.
Clio Music will honor Flom for his work with The Innocence Project and numerous criminal justice reform organizations. Currently the CEO of Lava For Good and Lava Media, Flom previously served as chairman and CEO at Atlantic Records, Virgin Records, and Capitol Music Group. He is personally responsible for launching acts such as Katy Perry, Kid Rock and Lorde. The imprint he’s left on the music industry alone would be more than enough to celebrate, but his work outside of the traditional lines of his career has made the biggest impact. As a founding benefactor of the Bronx Freedom Fund, founding board member of the Innocence Project, board member of the Legal Action Center, Drug Policy Alliance, Families Against Mandatory Minimums, VETPAW, advisory board member of the NYU Prison Education Program, and host of the podcast Wrongful Conviction, Flom has helped to influence progressive legal reforms, deliver justice, and fundamentally contribute to bettering the lives of countless people who needed someone on their side.
“Each year we select individuals at the forefront of the music industry whose creative work has a sizable impact that shapes our culture,” said Clio Music executive director Michael Kauffman. “We’re so inspired by Mary J. Blige and Jason Flom for their courage to break the mold and show aspiring artists and execs that there are no limits to what they can achieve.”
Clio Music celebrates creative excellence in music marketing and the use of music in advertising. These specialty honors will be presented alongside the Grand Clio Music Awards for Design, Integrated Campaign, Social Media, Use of Music in Film and more. For the first time ever, Clio Music is partnering with the Music Business Association (Music Biz) to host a live awards ceremony as part of Music Biz 2022, the trade Association’s annual conference set to take place at the JW Marriott Nashville from May 9-12. Clio Music will also host the Brand Summit programming at Music Biz on Tuesday afternoon, which will feature conversations with Pepsi, Mastercard, the NFL, and others.
