BET AND NISSAN PARTNER TO SPOTLIGHT EMERGING TALENT WITH ‘BET AMPLIFIED’ INITIATIVE

LEON THOMAS RECOGNIZED AS ‘BET AMPLIFIED’ ARTIST FOR FEBRUARY 2025

Photo Credit: Raymond Alva

New York, NY, February 5, 2025 – BET and Nissan continue their partnership to spotlight rising artists in music through the esteemed BET Amplified initiative. Launched in 2020, BET Amplified remains the seal of endorsement for the next big thing in music and spotlights artists poised for major impact in the industry. With over 10 years of support for this emerging artist platform, Nissan joins BET this Black History Month to showcase a new artist through its original one-on-one docu-style interview “Road to Stardom,” set to air on BET.com and the official BET YouTube Channel. This month’s BET Amplified artist is none other than the multitalented Leon Thomas.

Brooklyn native Leon Thomas effortlessly bridges the worlds of music, acting, and production. Signed to Ty Dolla $ign’s EZMNY Records in 2022, Thomas made a notable debut with his album Electric Dusk (2023), featuring collaborations with Victoria Monét, Benny the Butcher, and Ty Dolla $ign. Songs like “Breaking Point” and “Crash & Burn” have amassed more than 11 million Spotify streams. His groundbreaking work on SZA’s “Snooze” earned him a Grammy in 2024, solidifying his influence in shaping contemporary R&B. Beyond music, Thomas has captivated audiences through roles in Nickelodeon’s Victorious and HBO’s Insecure, and his appearance in the Oscar-nominated film August Rush. His latest album, MUTT, explores the depths of love and ambition, featuring collaborations with Ty Dolla $ign, Wale, Baby Rose, Masego, and Freddie Gibbs.

Leon Thomas continues to make waves across the industry, recently earning a spot on Billboard’s 10 Hottest R&B Artists Right Now list. His debut album, MUTT, not only marked his Billboard Hot 100 debut but also claimed the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s R&B Albums of 2024 and VIBE’s Best R&B Albums of 2024. The album saw impressive success on streaming platforms, holding No. 1 on Apple Music’s R&B/Soul chart for weeks and debuting in the top 10 worldwide. With praise from Essence, VIBE, Huffington Post, and more, Leon Thomas’ meteoric rise shows no signs of slowing anytime soon.

Leon Thomas can now add BET Amplified Artists to his list of accolades. As a BET Amplified artist, Leon Thomas will receive BET and Nissan’s support across multiple BET campaigns and platforms, including BET, BET Her, BET Jams, BET Soul, BET.com, BET Socials, and the BET Official YouTube Page.

BET Amplified continues to be the ultimate platform for discovering and celebrating rising talent. Previous BET Amplified artists include 41, Ayra Starr, BossMan Dlow, Cash Cobain, Coco Jones, Connie Diiamond, Doechii, Domani, Flau’jae, Fridayy, GLorilla, Ice Spice, Kaliii, Lady London, LAILA!, Lakeyah, Lola Brooke, Muni Long, October London, Rema, Skilla Baby, Tanner Adell, Tems, That Mexican OT and more! 

About Leon Thomas
Leon Thomas, a 31-year-old Brooklyn native, seamlessly bridges the worlds of music, acting, and production. Signed to Ty Dolla $ign’s EZMNY Records in 2022, Thomas made a notable debut with his album Electric Dusk (2023), featuring collaborations with Victoria Monét, Benny the Butcher, and Ty Dolla $ign.racks like “Breaking Point” and “Crash & Burn” that have garnered over 11 million Spotify streams. His groundbreaking work on SZA’s “Snooze” earned him a Grammy in 2024, highlighting his innovative influence in shaping contemporary R&B. Beyond music, Thomas has made notable appearances on Nickelodeon’s Victorious and HBO’s Insecure. With his latest album MUTT, Thomas continues to explore the complexities of love and ambition through singles like “Far Fetched” ft. Ty Dolla $ign, “MUTT,” and “MUTT (Remix)” featuring Freddie Gibbs. The album features collaborations with Ty Dolla $ign, Wale, Baby Rose, Masego, and others, showcasing his ability to redefine and elevate the boundaries of modern artistry and musical expression.

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MEDIA CONTACTS:
For BET:
Johnny Cooper (Johnny.Cooper@bet.net)  

For Leon Thomas:
BIZ 3: Dana Meyerson (dana@biz3.net) | Niquita Tamar (niquita@biz3.net)
Capitol Records: Erin Cooney (Erin@umusic.com)