Justin Timberlake delivered a surprise musical tribute to Pharrell Williams during the Recording Academy Honors Presented by the Black Music Collective in Los Angeles. The ceremony took place on 29 January 2026 in Los Angeles during Grammy Week events. Williams was honoured with the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award.
Timberlake closed the tribute segment following performances by Tyler, The Creator, Clipse, and Leon Thomas. His performance focused on records connected to Williams’ production career and long-standing collaborations. The tribute highlighted music spanning different periods of Williams’ work in popular music.
Songs Featured In The Tribute Performance
The medley included Timberlake recordings “Señorita”, “Rock Your Body”, and “Like I Love You”. Additional selections reflected Williams’ production credits for other artistes. These included N.O.R.E.’s “Nothin’”, Mystikal’s “Shake It Fast”, Snoop Dogg’s “Beautiful”, and Jay-Z’s “I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)”. The performance concluded with Daft Punk’s “Lucky”.
Timberlake Reflects On His Relationship With Pharrell Williams
Timberlake spoke about their early professional connection and studio collaborations during his remarks. He said,
“He came into my life at a time when I was entering my own.”
“Anybody who’s come in contact with or been in the same frequency with Pharrell Williams is changed forever.”
Timberlake praised him further, saying,
“Your creativity is unparalleled, your energy is infectious… you changed my life.”
Pharrell Williams’ Acceptance Speech And Additional Honourees
In his acceptance speech, Pharrell Williams addressed national leadership in the United States with a prayer,
“I want to pray for the leaders of this nation and the powers that be. I’m praying that they find it in their hearts some empathy, some grace, and, most importantly, some mercy for these people who may not have been born in this country but love it just as much.”
The Recording Academy Honors programme also recognised Brandy and Kirk Franklin with Black Music Icon Awards.
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