Entertainment Music Mary J Blige to Be Honored with Icon Award at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards: 'I Am Truly Humbled' On Thursday, the "Family Affair" performer was revealed as the next recipient of the Billboard icon award, which she'll receive on Sunday, May 15 during the 2022 Billboard Music Awards By Jack Irvin Jack Irvin Jack Irvin has over five years of experience working in digital journalism, and he’s worked at PEOPLE since 2022. Jack started in the industry with internships at Rolling Stone and Entertainment Tonight, and he worked as a freelance writer for publications including Bustle, MTV News, Shondaland, L’Officiel USA, Ladygunn, Flood and PopCrush before joining PEOPLE. In his current role, Jack covers daily music news and has interviewed both up-and-coming and established artists including Dolly Parton, Michelle Branch, Ashanti, Cyndi Lauper, Normani, Carly Rae Jepsen and Coco Jones. People Editorial Guidelines Published on April 14, 2022 02:50PM EDT Mary J. Blige. Photo: Will Sterling What's the 411? Mary J. Blige is about to add another award to her shelf! On Thursday, the superstar was revealed as the next recipient of the Billboard icon award, which she'll receive on Sunday, May 15 during the 2022 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The honor marks Blige's eleventh Billboard Music Award, following a 1995 album of the year win for My Life and nine trophies — including female R&B/hip-hop artist of the year and Hot 100 airplay song of the year for "Be Without You" — earned during her The Breakthrough album era in 2006. In a statement released Thursday, Blige, 51, expressed gratitude toward receiving the esteemed award. For more on Mary J. Blige, listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day. "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," said the My Life performer. "Through it all, I always one way or another gravitated back to my first love, music. To be recognized in this way at this moment, with the Icon Award at the Billboard Music Awards, is an incredible honor and one that I am truly humbled by." Mary J. Blige. Will Sterling The Billboard icon award was established in 2011, and Blige follows previous A-list recipients Neil Diamond, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Jennifer Lopez, Celine Dion, Cher, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Garth Brooks, and Pink. Olivia Rodrigo, The Weeknd, and Doja Cat Lead Billboard Music Awards 2022 Nominations Blige's 2022 has already been jam-packed, as she released her fourteenth studio album, Good Morning Gorgeous, on February 11 — two days before she delivered a show-stopping performance of 2001 hits "Family Affair" and "No More Drama" at the Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show alongside Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, and special guests 50 Cent and Anderson .Paak. Ahead of the halftime show, the "Just Fine" singer spoke to PEOPLE about representing women in an otherwise male-dominated performance. "I love the fact that I'm respected by my male peers like that, I've always been. I've never had a problem with any of my male peers," she said at the time. "And I actually have a lot of male fans too." Furthermore, Blige said there was a friendly and professional dynamic between the performers ahead of halftime. "We are incredible, we're like the Super Friends… It's crazy," she told PEOPLE, noting there was no goofing around during rehearsals. "Everybody's just focused. No one's pranking, everybody's just focused and tweaking this, and being in unity on whatever we need to fix or work out."