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Leon Thomas to receive ASCAP Vanguard Award for shaping the future of R&B

LOS ANGELES (AP) — From Broadway stages to Grammy winner, Leon Thomas is adding another milestone to his rising career.

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers announced Tuesday that the three-time Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and producer will receive the ASCAP Vanguard Award, which recognizes members whose work is helping shape the future of music.

Thomas will be honored June 25 at ASCAP’s private, invitation-only celebration of top hip-hop, R&B and gospel songwriters in Los Angeles. Previous recipients of the Vanguard Award include Victoria Monét, Migos and Janelle Monáe.

“Leon Thomas is one of R&B’s most creative forces today and is reshaping its sound with his boundary-breaking artistry,” Nicole George-Middleton, ASCAP executive vice president and head of creative membership, said in a statement. “His passion, creativity and undeniable talent have established him as a defining voice of this generation.”

Thomas first emerged as a child performer on Broadway in “The Lion King” before becoming widely known for his role on Nickelodeon’s “Victorious.” After the show’s end, he built a successful career behind the scenes as a songwriter and producer for artists such as Ariana Grande, Drake, Chris Brown and Kehlani.

In 2024, Thomas earned ASCAP’s R&B/Hip-Hop and Rap Song of the Year award for co-writing SZA’s “Snooze,” which won a Grammy in 2022.

Thomas later stepped further into the spotlight with his sophomore album “Mutt,” released in 2024. The project featured the breakout title track, which climbed to No. 1 on Billboard’s Radio Songs chart and earned double-platinum certification. The album also included the single “Yes It Is,” which recently achieved gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America.

“Mutt” helped solidify Thomas as one of contemporary R&B’s rising stars, earning Grammy wins for best R&B album and best traditional R&B performance for “Vibes Don’t Lie.”

Thomas recently released his EP “PHOLKS” and is touring select markets with Bruno Mars on “The Romantic Tour.”

Grandfather recovering from surgery after bison attack at Yellowstone sent him flying

By WTOP Staff
(CNN) — What started as a yearly trip for a grandfather and his grandson turned into a visit to a Montana hospital after a bison attack at Yellowstone National Park.Carl McDaniel, 65, was hospitalized with a broken femur after a bison charged and tossed him into the air Friday evening at the park’s Bridge Bay Campground, according to McDaniel and the National Park Service.He was visiting the park with his 13-year-old grandson when they decided to take a walk after dinner.Along the way, they encountered a large bison that appeared to be rolling around in the dust and was not bothering anyone, McDaniel told CNN.“We were about a hundred yards away,” McDaniel said. “He was not aggressive; he was not having problems and we took some pictures and decided to walk on.”McDaniel and his grandson snapped a quick photo and continued with their walk, video of the encounter shows. At the same time, a truck drove by, and the driver laid on his horn in what appeared to be an attempt to get the bison to move, McDaniel said. There is no audio on the video.The bison then appeared to become agitated and began running toward the pair.“There was little time to decide what to do. At that point, he was within 100 yards; he could be to us in seconds, so I told my grandson to run in one direction and I went the other to try and draw him away,” McDaniel said.The animal then pushed McDaniel with the top of its head, sending him flying into the air before he hit the ground, the grandfather said.“When I was on the ground immobile, unable to move, he was right on top of me. He could have stomped on me, he could have gored me, he could have done almost anything to take my life, and he did not do so,” McDaniel said.After McDaniel hit the ground, photographer Mike MacLeod, who captured the encounter on video, had to step in, he told Cowboy State Daily.“I was really afraid he was going to gore the guy on the ground, so I stopped videotaping and ran at the bison, yelled loud, and was trying to be as big and intimidating as possible,” MacLeod said.After the bison took off, people rushed over to McDaniel, who was in a lot of pain, MacLeod told Cowboy State Daily. Yellowstone EMS arrived soon after, he said.“Park emergency medical personnel responded and transported him to a nearby hospital,” the National Park Service said in confirming the incident in a statement to CNN.This is the second bison attack at Yellowstone this year. A 12-year-old was injured near Mud Volcano on June 26, according to the agency.After Friday’s attack, “all the people that were there were amazing; they were all positive, they were trying to help as best they could,” McDaniel said. A nurse started tending to his leg, while another bystander held his head.He was then transferred to a hospital in Bozeman, a two-hour journey during which he was in intense pain. He said he was grateful for the paramedic who helped him along the way.McDaniel broke his femur, the body’s strongest bone, in four places near his hip and suffered several bruises. He had surgery Sunday and could stand by Monday.“I will be doing physical therapy for the next few days to get to walk, but it was not as catastrophic as it could have been,” McDaniel said.The National Park Service advises visitors to stay at least 25 yards away from bison at all times and to never approach the animals. “If the bison follows you, spray bear spray as you are moving away, and seek cover behind nearby trees or cars,” the agency said.Correction: An earlier version of this story understated how far visitors should stay away from bison. The National Park Service advises visitors to stay at least 25 yards from them.The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
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