The 7th annual Variety Hitmakers Brunch, held on Saturday (Dec. 2) in Los Angeles, was a star-studded event honoring excellence within the music industry, awarding artists like SZA, Billie Eillish, Victoria Monét, and Metro Boomin.

After an opening statement from Executive Music Editor Jem Asward, the festivities began with Babyface introducing the first award to Metro Boomin, who received the “Producer Of The Year” award, running down the list of accolades the rising superstar has achieved at this time and how he brought back soundtracks, highlighting his contributions to the Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse soundtrack, sharing how he made soundtracks “cool again.” 

He continued his speech, sharing how he was “incredible” to watch during his set at Coachella and how he would want to “grow up” to be like Metro Boomin when he thinks of a producer in today's time. 

“I think everyone that works with you loves you and loves your work,” he began. 

“I sit on the side and think how did you do that, wondering if I could do it – I’m grown up and I still want to be you. It’s amazing what you’ve done and what you’ve accomplished.” 

Monét was on hand to receive the ”TripleThreat Award,”  she began her speech by stating she was on her couch watching this ceremony happen last year before acknowledging the “difference a year can make.” 

“I want to thank God, the best artist of all-time and my grandma, who is one of my angels who's been working overtime to make my wildest dreams come true this year,” she began. 

“When I think about what a triple threat is, I think about the different hats one has to wear to fully immerse themselves in each position. While wearing one hat, others can be attached to that version of you that exists within that silhouette and stay there because it's a version of you that benefits them. They can try to pigeonhole you to be one dimensional when you’re meant to be a prism.” 

The afternoon ended with SZA receiving the” Hitmaker Of The Year” award. She began her speech by thanking her team for helping her throughout the years and sharing her struggles and confusion while rising to the top. 

“[Terrence Punch Henderson], you know for so long the conversation about me not making radio music, radio hits, or not having a sound but I realized the biggest thank you is to people who saw me as a hitmaker before that,” she shared. 

“Being a hitmaker is having the public believe what God and your inner circle already sees you. Thank you to RCA and their awards.Thank you to everyone who has had a zoom with me where I questioned why I couldn’t be on the radio or pop radio – thank you for taking the time to break it down for me and giving me patience and encouraging me to believe there will be a time for me to do my thing and they will play me.”