Among the celebrants cheering loudly for Leon Thomas as he accepted his Breakthrough of the Year Award at Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players 2025 was his mother, Jayon Anthony.

Smiling at his mother on Thursday night (Sept. 4) at Unveiled in Brooklyn, Thomas noted that she paid for his first studio session and ever since then he’s been in a studio recording. Approaching the podium to accept the award, Thomas initially engaged the audience in a call-and-response chant reminiscent of church: “God is good… all the time!” Then, in addressing his solo career takeoff, he said, “This has been 22 years in the making, and a lot of talks I had with God are a big part of my journey.”

In his accompanying Billboard cover story — “Rebirth of the Cool” — chronicling his rise from former Nickelodeon

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