{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "NewsArticle", "@id": "https://badiyaa.com/leon-thomas-trophy-single/#article", "mainEntityOfPage": "https://badiyaa.com/leon-thomas-trophy-single/", "headline": "Leon Thomas releases Trophy, his first single since winning two Grammys, a day before Camp Flog Gnaw", "description": "Leon Thomas released Trophy on November 13, 2026, his first single since winning two Grammys, produced by Freaky Rob and D. Phelps for EZMNY/Motown.", "datePublished": "2026-11-14T12:16:00+00:00", "dateModified": "2026-11-14T12:16:00+00:00", "author": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Badiyaa Editorial Desk", "url": "https://badiyaa.com/author/editorial-desk/" }, "publisher": { "@type": "NewsMediaOrganization", "@id": "https://badiyaa.com/#organization", "name": "Badiyaa", "url": "https://badiyaa.com/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://badiyaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/badiyaa-logo-color-600x60-1.png", "width": 600, "height": 60 }, "email": "badiyaavideo@gmail.com", "publishingPrinciples": "https://badiyaa.com/editorial-policy/", "correctionsPolicy": "https://badiyaa.com/corrections/", "actionableFeedbackPolicy": "https://badiyaa.com/contact/", "ownershipFundingInfo": "https://badiyaa.com/about/#ownership", "sameAs": [ "https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61595518283625", "https://www.instagram.com/badiyaa.com.ai/", "https://www.threads.net/@badiyaa.com.ai" ], "parentOrganization": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Rezilient Digital", "url": "https://www.rezilientdigital.com/", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "Fl No 3, Nav Shyam Sadan, Plot No 38, Pestom Sagar, Chembur", "addressLocality": "Mumbai", "addressRegion": "Maharashtra", "postalCode": "400089", "addressCountry": "IN" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.linkedin.com/company/rezilientdigital" ] } }, "isAccessibleForFree": true, "inLanguage": "en-US", "wordCount": 606, "image": [ "https://badiyaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/emi-rm-1b-microphone-1930s-abbey-road-studios.webp", "https://badiyaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/emi-rm-1b-microphone-1930s-abbey-road-studios-1024x768.webp" ], "articleSection": "Entertainment", "keywords": "Camp Flog Gnaw, Leon Thomas, Motown, Trophy", "articleBody": "Leon Thomas has released “Trophy,” his first new single since he walked out of the 2026 Grammy Awards with two trophies from six nominations. The track arrived on November 13 through EZMNY and Motown, one day before he plays the Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival in Los Angeles. His label describes “Trophy” as a slow-burning R&B record with funk-leaning production and classic soul instincts, a love song about chasing someone where the pursuit matters as much as the prize. The title is a neat bit of timing for an artist whose last cycle ended in gold-plated gramophones. Who made it “Trophy” is produced by Freaky Rob and D. Phelps, the two players who have backed Thomas live on guitar and drums. That matters for anyone who followed the PHOLKS era: when Thomas released the “Just How You Are” video in October 2025, the label singled out the same pair for bringing a live-band edge to his funk-rock turn. Keeping them in the producer chairs points to a single built from played instruments rather than loops. Thomas is a producer in his own right. Before his solo run, he spent the 2010s as half of the production duo The Rascals with Khris Riddick-Tynes, co-writing and co-producing for Ariana Grande, his former Victorious co-star, as well as Drake, Rick Ross, SZA and Toni Braxton. He won his first Grammy, Best R&B Song, as a co-writer of SZA’s “Snooze.” The road from Mutt to “Trophy” For readers catching up, here is the short version of how Thomas got here: May 2022: Ty Dolla Sign launches EZMNY Records as a joint venture with Motown and names Thomas its first artist. 2024: His second album, Mutt, becomes his first entry on the US albums chart; its title track peaks at No. 6 on the Hot 100. October 2025: The PHOLKS EP arrives, and the Mutts Don’t Heel tour starts a sold-out North American leg. 2026 Grammys: Six nominations, including Album of the Year and Best New Artist; wins for Best R&B Album (Mutt) and Best Traditional R&B Performance (“Vibes Don’t Lie”). November 13, 2026: “Trophy” is released. The numbers behind that run keep climbing. According to the label, Mutt has now passed 3.1 billion streams worldwide, up from the 1.2 billion figure it quoted in October 2025, which means the album has added roughly 1.9 billion streams in about 13 months. That growth, more than the trophies, explains why a stand-alone single now gets the full rollout. A busy year on other people’s records Thomas spent much of 2026 as a guest. The label lists features with Victoria Monét, Kehlani, Giveon, Davido and Lucky Daye; on Davido’s album Oriadé he sings on “Tell Everybody.” Badiyaa has followed Lucky Daye’s year closely, including the 24-date North American tour Lucky Daye set for 2027. On stage, Thomas joined Bruno Mars on The Romantic Tour, opened for Lenny Kravitz at Gunnersbury Park in London, and played Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits. The awards kept coming outside the Grammys too: Breakthrough R&B Artist at the American Music Awards, Best Male R&B/Pop Artist at the BET Awards and the ASCAP Vanguard Award. More R&B release news sits on our Entertainment section page. What comes next The label frames “Trophy” as a first look at new music rather than a stand-alone, though no album title or date has been announced. The next fixed dates are live ones: Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival in Los Angeles on November 14, then Coachella in April 2027. Further reading Wikipedia: Leon Thomas Image: Josephenus P. Riley, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed by our Editorial Desk. How we work.", "markdown": "https://badiyaa.com/leon-thomas-trophy-single.md" }