For those that are unaware, Emeli Sande’s debut album, Our Version of Events, became the top-selling album in the U.K. for the second year in a row and to date has sold 238,000 units in the USA, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
In a statement released about the honor, Essence editor-in-chief Vanessa K. Bush shared, “Emeli Sandé’s soaring confidence as a songwriter and fearless self-expression as a singer is in the tradition of many iconic female trailblazers such as Nina Simone.â€
Sandé will join previous honorees Mary J. Blige, Kelly Rowland, Janelle Monaé, Solange Knowles, Lianne La Havas and industry veteran Sylvia Rhone.