The 2021 American Music Awards will include some familiar faces to the Trojan Family. The nominations include several former Trojans, such as Saweetie for Favorite Female Hip-Hop Artist and 24kGoldn for New Artist of the Year and Collaboration of the Year.
Diamonté Quiava Valentin Harper, known professionally as Saweetie, graduated from USC in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in communication. After graduation, Saweeite went on to dominate the rap world and signed with Warner Bros. Records. Her hit songs such as “Best Friend” with Doja Cat, “ICY GRL” and “Tap In” have been ranked in Billboard’s Hot 100 charts
Her song “ICY GRL” was released on SoundCloud in 2017 and immediately went viral online with over 100 million views on YouTube, catching the attention of well-known producer and A&R executive Max Grosse. That same month, she released her hit song “High Maintenance,” which also went viral on social media. She signed with Warner Bros. Records after releasing other new songs and being featured in an ad for Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty in 2018.
This will be Saweetie’s first nomination for an AMA. She has previously been nominated for the MTV Music Video Awards, Billboard Music Awards and the People’s Choice Awards. She has won Hustler of the Year at the BET Hip-Hop Awards and Best Art Direction for her song “Best Friend” at the MTV Music Video Awards in 2021.
Saweetie has revisited the university since graduation, speaking at an event with the Black Student Assembly and an entrepreneurship class on campus with her former professor Albert Napoli.
Golden Landis Von Jones, known professionally as 24kGoldn, started at USC in 2018 and left after his freshman year to pursue his rap career and focus on his music. He rose to fame in 2019 with his release of “Valentino” and released his EP “Dropped Outta College” within that same year. In March of 2021, he released his first album “El Dorado” which features appearances from Future, DaBaby, Swae Lee and Iann Dior.
This will be 24kGoldn’s first nomination for an AMA. He was nominated for four awards at the MTV Music Video Awards in 2021, including Best New Artist and Song of the Year.
The American Music Awards will air on Sunday, Nov. 21 at 5 p.m. on ABC.