Mary J. Blige always brings it on the red carpet — and she didn’t let us down at the Billboard Music Awards! The 51-year-old arrived at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas rocking a sequin black gown with nude mesh panelling by Julian Macdonald. The super sexy number featured a deep-v cut and cutout, along with a high center slit showing off her thigh tattoo. Mary’s glam was on point too, with her blonde locks up in a high mermaid style pony, a glossy lip and glowing skin.
Mary is set to receive the Icon Award at the show, which is being held on Sunday, May 15 in Las Vegas Nevada. The “Family Affair” songstress is the 11th artist to be bestowed with the honor, along side Neil Diamond, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Jennifer Lopez, Celine Dion, Cher, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Garth Brooks, and P!NK. Of course, she more than deserves the accolades with her highly successful music career that has now spanned three decades — starting with 1992’s What’s the 411?
“My career has been such an incredible and unexpected journey that has included many turns into avenues I never could have imagined like acting, producing, launching businesses and now even my own music festival,” she said in a statement after it was announced she would be receiving the Icon Award.
“Through it all, I always one way or another gravitated back to my first love, music. To be recognized in this way at this moment, with the Icon Award at the Billboard Music Awards, is an incredible honor and one that I am truly humbled by,” Mary also said. She’s previously won 10 BBMAs: one in 1995 in the R&B album of the year category for My Life, and a whopping nine awards at the 2006 show for The Breakthrough.
Through her career, she’s had four number one albums on the Billboard 200: Share My World, Love & Life, The Breakthrough and Growing Pains, as well as a number one hit with “Family Affair” in 2002. Notably, she has also won nine GRAMMY Awards.
The Bronx native — who is often called the “Queen of Hip-Hop and Soul” — is also slated to perform at the show.