Awards season keeps chugging along, and the worlds of hip-hop and R&B are along for the ride.

On Sunday night (Jan. 11), Teyana Taylor won her first career Golden Globe (best supporting female actor in a motion picture) for her bombastic performance in Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, which won four trophies total, cementing the film as the best picture Oscar frontrunner. Ryan Coogler’s Michael B. Jordan-led Sinners, another leading Oscar contender, picked up two wins, including best original score for Ludwig Göransson.

Next month (Feb. 1), Taylor will compete for best R&B album at the 2026 Grammys. Kendrick Lamar leads with nine nods at the upcoming ceremony, Doechii boasts five and Wicked: For Good star Cynthia Erivo competes in three categories across as many fields. Notably, all three artists, alongside Taylor and Jordan, are nominated for entertainer of the year at the 2026 NAACP Image Awards, which announced its nominations Monday morning (Jan. 12).

While stars flooded the red carpet on the West Coast, two East Coast hip-hop figures dominated news headlines. On Thursday (Jan. 8), New Jersey rapper Fetty Wap was released from prison 11 months earlier than expected after serving over three years behind bars on federal drug charges. The same day, President Trump told The New York Times that he had no plans to pardon Diddy, despite the disgraced mogul self-penning a letter seeking one.

With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Jill Scott’s latest offering to Chief Keef’s new banger. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.