Queens-Bred Singer-Songwriter, Dancer, and Actress Recognized at the World’s Largest Independent Music Awards
Rising R&B and soul artist Bria Cheri has been officially nominated for Vocalist of the Year – R&B Soul at the 12th Annual Josie Music Awards, set to take place on September 20 at the world-famous Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee. Widely recognized as the largest independent music awards show in the world, the Josie Music Awards celebrate exceptional talent across every genre of independent music, and this nomination places Bria Cheri among an elite group of artists whose dedication continues to elevate the independent music community.
What sets Bria Cheri apart is not simply her voice, but the full range of disciplines she brings to bear on every performance. Born and raised on the Southside of Jamaica, Queens, New York, Bria’s relationship with music began at age three, when her mother introduced her to piano. That early foundation grew into a career built simultaneously across singing, songwriting, dance, and acting – a multi-hyphenate approach that few of her peers attempt, let alone sustain.
Bria writes her own material, drawing on influences as distinct as Aaliyah and Chaka Khan to shape a sound that spans R&B, soul, neo-soul, hip hop, and house. Her catalog includes the albums and EPs Before the Music – produced by Donnie Klang, the singer, songwriter, and producer who won Sean “Diddy” Combs’ “Making the Band 4” – alongside Silent Siren Vol. 1 and Phoenix. Her most recent single, “Boy Toy,” co-written with Kyle Davidson, showcases the same fearlessness and command of storytelling that has defined her decade-long climb.
That storytelling instinct is inseparable from her training as a dancer and her pursuit of acting, both of which inform how she builds a song from the inside out. Where the record ends, the performance begins, and Bria treats the stage as an extension of the narrative she has already written on the page. It is this layered artistry – vocalist, writer, dancer, and actress working in concert – that the Josie Music Awards nomination now formally recognizes.
“This nomination is an incredible honor,” said Bria Cheri. “To be recognized by the Josie Music Awards alongside so many talented independent artists is truly humbling. I’m grateful to everyone who has supported my journey and believed in my music.”
Bria Cheri’s nomination for Vocalist of the Year – R&B Soul stands as recognition not of a single song or moment, but of a career built deliberately across disciplines – and the Grand Ole Opry House stage on September 20 will be the latest proof that her full artistry is impossible to ignore.