USHER

Usher Raymond IV was born October 14, 1978, in Dallas, Texus. He rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which got him his first "Billboard Hot 100" number-one hit, "Nice and Slow". His followup album 8701, which was released in 200,1 produced the "Billboard Hot 100" number-one hits "U Remind Me" and "U Got It Bad". Both albums sold over 8 million copies worldwide, establishing Usher as one of the biggest selling R&B artists of the 1990s.

Ushers success then carried on with his 2004 album Confessions, this has sold over 10 million coppies in the United States. Confessions has the highest first week sales in history for an R&B artist - selling over 20 million coppies world wide confsessions has been named the best selling album of the 2000s decade. Ushers 2008 album Here I Stand, has sold over 5 million copies world wide.

To date, Usher has sold over 45 million albums world wide. He has won numous awards over the years - including 5 Grammys, 4 World Music Awards, 4 American Music Awards and 19 Billboard Awards. In 2008, Usher was ranked as the 21st most successful Hot 100 Singles Artist of all-time by Billboard magazine. The RIAA ranks Usher as one of the best-selling artists in American music history, having sold 23 million copies in the United States alone. Billboard Magazine ranked Usher the number one Hot 100 artist of the 2000s decade.They also named him the second most successful artist of the 2000s decade, and his 2004 album Confessions was ranked as the top solo album and second most successful overall album of the last decade.Usher has attained nine hot 100 number-one hits (all as a lead artist) and has attained sixteen hot 100 top-ten hits.

Aside from his musical career, he is regarded as a sex symbol. In 1998 People Magazine named him the sexiest R&B artist alive. In 2010, Glamour Magazine named him one of the 50 sexiest men alive.In 2010, Usher released his sixth studio album Raymond v. Raymond, which became his third consecutive album to debut at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart. Raymond Vs Raymond featured the number one single OMG, this song became his ninth number one in the United States, making him the first 2010s artist to collect number one singles in three consecutive decades, and only the fourth artist of all-time to achieve the feat. He later released an extended play and deluxe edition of "Raymond v. Raymond", entitled Versus, which debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 chart. It's lead single "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love", achieved international success and has reached number-five on the Billboard Hot 100.

USHERS AWARDS

Billboard-AURN R&B/Hip-Hop Awards 2002 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Artist
2002 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Artist
2002 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Artist
2005 Top Artist
2005 Top Male Artist
2005 Top Singles Artist

BET Awards
2002 Best R&B Male Artist
2004 Best R&B Male Artist
2005 Best R&B Male Artist
2004 Viewers Choice Award

NAACP Image Awards
2005 Outstanding Male Artist

Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards 2002 Favorite Male Singer
2005 Favorite Male Singer
2005 Favorite Song ("Burn")

Soul Train Music Awards
1998 Best R&B/Soul Single; Male ("My Way")
2002 Best R&B/Soul Album; Male ("8701")
2005 Best R&B/Soul Single; Male ("Confessions Part II")
2005 Best R&B/Soul Album; Male ("Confessions")
2005 Best R&B/Soul Single; Group, Band or Duo ("My Boo", with Alicia Keys)
2005 Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video ("Yeah", with Ludacris and Lil Jon)
2005 Sammy Davis Jr. Award for Entertainer of the Year-Male

Grammy Awards
2001 Best Male R&B Vocal Performance ("U Remind Me")
2002 Best Male R&B Vocal Performance ("U Don't Have To Call")
2005 Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals ("My Boo", with Alicia Keys)
2005 Best Contemporary R&B Album ("Confessions")
2005 Best Rap/Sung Collaboration ("Yeah", with Ludacris and Lil Jon)

NRJ Music Awards
2005 International Male Artist of the Year

People's Choice Awards 2005 Favorite Male Singer
2005 Favorite Combined Forces ("Yeah", with Ludacris and Lil Jon)

Billboard Music Awards
1998 R&B Artist of the Year
1998 Hot 100 Singles Artist of the Year
2004 Artist of the Year
2004 Billboard 200 Artist of the Year
2004 Billboard 200 Album of the Year ("Confessions")
2004 Hot 100 Artist of the Year
2004 Hot 100 Single of the Year ("Yeah", Usher with Ludacris and Lil Jon)
2004 Hot 100 Airplay Single of the Year ("Yeah", Usher with Ludacris and Lil Jon)
2004 Mainstream Top 40 Artist of the Year
2004 Mainstream Top 40 Single of the Year
2004 R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year
2004 R&B/Hip-Hop Album of the Year ("Confessions")
2004 R&B/Hip-Hop albums Artist of the Year ("Confessions")

VH1 Awards
2004 Big Musical Artist

MTV Video Music Awards
2004 Best Male Video ("Yeah", Usher with Ludacris and Lil Jon)
2004 Best Dance Video ("Yeah", Usher with Ludacris and Lil Jon)

MTV Europe Music Awards
2004 Best Male Artist
2004 Best Album ("Confessions")

American Music Awards
2004 Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist
2004 Favorite Pop/Rock Album ("Confessions")
2004 Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist
2004 Favorite Soul/R&B Album ("Confessions")
Radio Music Awards
2004 Hip-Hop Artist of the Year
2004 Hip-Hop Song of the Year ("Yeah", Usher with Ludacris and Lil Jon)
2004 Cingular Wireless Artist of the year

First Annual Nordic Music Awards 2004 Top Male Artist

Source Hip-Hop Music Awards
2004 R&B Artist of the Year
2004 R&B/Rap Collabo of the Year ("Yeah", Usher with Ludacris and Lil Jon)

MOBO Awards
2004 Best R&B Act

World Music Awards 2005 Male Entertainer of the Year
2004 Best Selling Male Artist
2004 Best Selling Male Pop Artist
2004 Selling Best Male R&B Artist

Teen Choice Awards 2002 Choice R&B Music Artist
2002 Choice Love Song ("U Got It Bad")
2004 Choice Album ("Confessions")
2004 Choice R&B Artist
2004 Choice R&B/Hip Hop Track ("Yeah", Usher with Ludacris and Lil Jon)
2004 Choice Hook Up ("Yeah", Usher with Ludacris and Lil Jon)

ASCAP Awards
2002 Pop Music Award ("U Got It Bad")
2002 Pop Music Award ("Nice & Slow")
2002 Pop Music Award ("You Make Me Wanna")

Blockbuster Awards 2002 Favorite Male Singer

The 2005 MuchMusic Video Awards
Best International Video – Artist ("Caught Up")