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Mary J. Blige to receive Icon gong at the Billboard Music Awards

Mary J. Blige is set to receive the Icon Award credit:Bang Showbiz
Mary J. Blige is set to receive the Icon Award credit:Bang Showbiz

Mary J. Blige will receive the Icon Award at the upcoming Billboard Music Awards.

The 51-year-old singer will receive the honorary gong at the ceremony in Las Vegas on May 15, when she'll also perform on stage at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Mary said: "My career has been such an incredible and unexpected journey that has included many turns into avenues I never could have imagined like acting, producing, launching businesses and now even my own music festival.

"Through it all, I always one way or another gravitated back to my first love, music. To be recognised in this way at this moment, with the Icon Award at the Billboard Music Awards, is an incredible honour and one that I am truly humbled by."

The Icon Award was created in 2011 and previous winners of the gong include Neil Diamond, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Jennifer Lopez, Celine Dion, Cher, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Garth Brooks, and Pink.

Earlier this year, meanwhile, Mary performed alongside Dr Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar at the Super Bowl halftime show.

The award-winning star loved performing at the SoFi Stadium in California, and she also relished teaming up with Dr Dre.

The 'Just Fine' hitmaker previously said: "To actually have Dr Dre reach out and ask was just huge, because Dr Dre is one of the most important people in hip-hop, and as a producer, as a writer, as a rapper. He's just the one, you know?"

Mary didn't even mind not getting paid for the halftime show.

She said: "I mean, listen, you’re going to be paid for the rest of your life off of this. People are going to be knocking at your door,

"They don’t have to pay me … but if they were paying, it’d be a lot of money.

"But I’m good …This is the opportunity of a lifetime."