Usher Receives Legend of Live Award at Billboard Summit, Teases New R&B Project

On Nov. 3, the Billboard Live Music Summit session was held in West Hollywood, which included keynote speakers and a panel discussion including industry professionals around mental health and wellness, equity in ticketing, and sustainability in live entertainment. The initial session focused on the emotional cost of touring and included a grounding meditation exercise for artists and crew to help with stress and burnout.

Maggie Baird stepped up to explain sustainable touring and outlined the importance of smarter routing, reducing waste, and holding vendors accountable. The other highlighted panel had renowned women agents who explored their own journeys, how we are slowly making progress, and how to change the systemic obstacles to advance the discussion for gender equality in agency and representation roles.

Usher, honored as Billboard's Legend of Live, reflected on his touring milestones, including the 83-show Past Present and Future Tour, which grossed $183.9 million and contributed to a career total of $422.6 million from 3.3 million tickets across 334 shows. He emphasized the need to pay homage to the legends who inspired him, mentioning that in order to become a legend and to push R&B forward in terms of recognition and monetization, one needs to study the artists of the past.

“In the same way that I think all other industries have managed to monetize what they are — whether it's hip-hop, rock & roll, country — I want the same thing for R&B,” he shared. “That is the thing that I haven't done yet. I want us to celebrate the legacy of what it is that we created, not just look at these nostalgic things that have come and gone, but be able to savor them and savor their legacy.”

“I'm in the midst of working on something that may shine a light on a very specific period of my life and around performance. Just stay tuned. There is true value in live,” he said.

Other featured panelists included Rauw Alejandro and Hans Schafer, with Leila Cobo leading a discussion on Alejandro's evolution in the live sector. The summit's sessions generally ran about 30 minutes, balancing education, energy, and engagement, as Billboard continued to unify its major industry events under one platform that highlights live music's ongoing transformation.