RAYE’s “Ice Cream Man” will obtain the Harry Belafonte Finest Music For Social Change Award throughout Grammy Week 2026, with the Recording Academy honoring the track days earlier than the 68th Grammy Awards. The popularity locations the observe among the many most socially impactful works acknowledged by the Academy this 12 months.
Written by RAYE alongside BloodPop and Mike Sabath, “Ice Cream Man” will probably be formally celebrated on the Particular Benefit Awards Ceremony on Saturday, Jan. 31, on the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles. The occasion takes place on the eve of the 2026 Grammys, which air reside on Sunday, Feb. 1, from Crypto.com Area.
Launched on RAYE’s critically acclaimed debut album My twenty first Century Blues, this poignant quantity has stood out for its unflinching subject material and emotional readability. Drawing from private expertise, “Ice Cream Man” confronts sexual violence and the buildings that permit abuse to go unchallenged. By way of uncooked honesty, it amplifies the voices of sexual assault survivors, and underscores the pressing want for each empowerment and justice for them. Its stark storytelling has made it one of the vital mentioned and impactful tracks of RAYE’s profession.
Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. stated the track displays music’s capacity to spark consciousness and provides voice to these typically unheard, aligning with the mission behind the Harry Belafonte award.
“This track is a robust reminder of music’s distinctive capacity to lift consciousness, encourage change and supply a voice to these too typically unheard. Its bravery embodies the whole lot this award stands for, and we look ahead to recognizing it together with its songwriters at this 12 months’s Particular Benefit Awards Ceremony.”
Grammy Week 2026 leads into the primary ceremony on CBS and Paramount+, with the Premiere Ceremony streaming earlier that day on reside.grammy.com and YouTube. For RAYE, the distinction marks one other important second in a profession outlined by creative management, honesty, and cultural resonance.
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