All week long, we’re celebrating Janet Jackson Week here at Billboard.com, as the youngest Jackson sibling turns 60 on Saturday (May 16).
We celebrate her talent, her versatility and, not least, her survival. Pop megastardom is not for the faint of heart. Not many artists achieved success on Jackson’s level in her peak era as a hitmaker that went from the mid-1980s to the early 2000s, but a disheartening number of those who did died before their time, including Whitney Houston, George Michael, Prince and of course her brother Michael. Just making it to 60 in the unforgiving glare of the modern media spotlight is an accomplishment. And to assemble an impressive and richly varied body of work while doing it is even better.
In this piece, we look at Jackson’s history at awards ceremonies. Just last week, on Friday May 8, Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in a ceremony at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. That album had been voted into the National Recording Registry, administered by the Library of Congress, in 2020.
On that 1989 album, Jackson ventured into social commentary on such tracks as “Rhythm Nation” and “State of the World.” A&M executives were reportedly nervous about the change in direction and probably would have been happier with another album of dance tracks similar to her 1986 breakthrough collection, Control. But when Jackson sang on that album’s title track that she wanted to be the one in control of her life and her choices, it turns out she meant it.
Jackson’s career tally of just five Grammy Awards – and just one nomination (as a lead artist) in a so-called Big Four category (album, record and song of the year plus best new artist) is enough to make you want to scream. But digging deeper into those Grammy nods, they reflect her versatility and range of talents. She has been nominated in five distinct music genres – R&B, pop, dance music, rock and rap, and for work in five professional capacities – vocal performance, songwriting, producing, arranging and as a video artist.
Jackson, who wrote or co-wrote all but four of her 27 top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, has yet to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. That honor will likely come her way, along with a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy and the Kennedy Center Honors.
Here are eight times Janet Jackson was in control at awards ceremonies.
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Youngest solo artist to receive a Grammy nod for album of the year to that point (1987)
Jackson was just 20 when Control received a Grammy nod for album of the year. That made her the youngest solo artist to be nominated in that category to that point, breaking a record set by Barbra Streisand, who was 21 in early 1964 when she was nominated for her debut LP, The Barbra Streisand Album.
Jackson’s record has since been broken by both Billie Eilish, who was 17 when she was first nominated, and Olivia Rodrigo, who was 18.
Jackson performed her breakthrough smash “What Have You Done for Me Lately” at the 29th annual Grammy Awards ceremony, which was held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Feb. 24, 1987.
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First solo-billed woman to receive a Grammy producer of the year nod (1990)
At the 32nd annual Grammy Awards, Jackson was nominated for producer of the year, non-classical, alongside Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. She was the first woman with solo billing to be nominated in this category (which was first presented in 1975). Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman had been nominated in 1985 as members of Prince & the Revolution, but they weren’t individually billed.
Jackson won her first Grammy – best music video – long form for Rhythm Nation 1814 at that year’s ceremony, which was held on Feb. 21, 1990 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
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Third act from the Jackson family to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (1990)
Janet upheld a family tradition when she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She received her star on April 20, 1990. The Jacksons got theirs on Sept. 3, 1980. Michael’s star ceremony was on Nov. 20, 1984.
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Youngest MTV Video Vanguard winner ever (1990)
Jackson was just 24 when she received this award, making her the youngest recipient ever – a record that will likely never be broken. Runner-up is George Michael, who was 26 when he received the honor in 1989.
Magic Johnson presented the award to Jackson on that year’s VMAs, which were held on Sept. 6, 1990, at the Universal Amphitheatre near Los Angeles. Jackson also won an award in competition that night – best choreography in a video for “Rhythm Nation,” which she shared with Anthony Thomas. Jackson performed her then-current hit “Black Cat,” which went on to top the Hot 100 the following month. Jackson created a stir when she ripped open her white shirt during the performance to reveal a black bra. (Gasp.)
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Won eight awards in one night at the Billboard Music Awards (1990)
Jackson was the big winner at the inaugural Billboard Music Awards, which were held at Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, Calif on Dec. 10, 1990. She took eight awards, including #1 pop album and #1 R&B album for Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814. Her other awards that night were #1 Hot 100 singles artist, #1 R&B artist, #1 R&B singles artist, #1 R&B albums artist, #1 dance club play artist and #1 hot dance 12-inch singles sales artist.
The record for most BBMAs wins in one night is currently held by Drake, who won 13 awards in 2017. The record for a female artist is currently held by Adele, who won 12 awards in 2012.
Jackson has since won three more awards at the BBMAs – artist achievement awards in 1995 and 2001 and the ICON Award in 2018.
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Received inaugural Chairman’s Award at NAACP Image Awards (1992)
Jackson was one of two recipients of the award, along with CNN anchor Bernard Shaw. Subsequent recipients have included fellow music stars Harry Belafonte, Bono, The Neville Brothers and the Dave Matthews Band; Tyler Perry, who directed Jackson in three movies – Why Did I Get Married? (I and II) and For Colored Girls; Oscar winners Forest Whitaker and Viola Davis; and a sitting U.S. Senator who went on to bigger things, Barack Obama.
That year’s NAACP Image Awards were held at Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 11, 1992.
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Performed her own nominated song on the Oscars (1994)
Jackson performed the Oscar-nominated song “Again” on the Academy Awards in 1994, 21 years after Michael performed “Ben” from the film of same name on the 1973 Oscars.Janet and Michael are the only siblings to perform nominated songs on the Oscar telecast separately.
Janet co-wrote the song with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis for the John Singleton film Poetic Justice, in which she starred with 2Pac. As a co-writer, Janet was a nominee that night. Not having co-written “Ben,” Michael was just there as a performer.
The 1994 Oscars, hosted by Whoopi Goldberg, were held on March 21, 1994 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles.
Three sets of siblings have performed nominated songs on the Oscars in tandem. The Smothers Brothers performed “The Ballad of Cat Ballou” from Cat Ballou (1966). Carpenters performed “Bless the Beasts and Children” from the film of the same name (1972). Billie Eilish and Finneas performed both “No Time to Die” from the film of the same name (2021) and “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie (2024).
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Third act from the Jackson family to enter Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (2019)
Again, Janet upheld a family tradition by being inducted into the Rock Hall. The Jackson 5 were inducted in 1997. Michael was inducted as a solo artist in 2001. Janelle Monáe presented the award to Janet at the Rock Hall event, which was held on March 29, 2019 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Jackson reflected on watching the J5’s induction in 1997, stating she never expected to follow in their footsteps but was proud that “your baby sister has made it.” She closed her speech by stating, “Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, please, 2020: induct more women.” The Rock Hall listened. The 2020 class included Whitney Houston, and subsequent classes have included Tina Turner, Missy Elliott, Cher, Cyndi Lauper, Mary J. Blige and many more women.
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