David Ali Accepts Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Executive of the Year Award: ‘It’s a Dream, It’s an Honor’
His Above Ground Entertainment manages Kehlani, Destin Conrad and Larry June.
David Ali, CEO of Above Ground Entertainment, has been honored with Billboard's Executive of the Year award for the R&B/Hip-Hop category. The award was presented to him at an event on September 9 by Gail Mitchell, Billboard's Editor at Large for R&B/Hip-Hop. Mitchell highlighted Ali's "investing in people" philosophy, as mentioned in an article from Billboard's 2026 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players issue.
In his acceptance speech, Ali expressed his gratitude towards the people who have supported him throughout his career, including his long-time client Kehlani, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Destin Conrad, and independent rapper-entrepreneur Larry June. He also praised his entire Above Ground Entertainment team and acknowledged the incredible 18-month period they have experienced together, as well as the contributions of Atlantic Records and Live Nation. Ali emphasized that the award belongs to the collective efforts of everyone involved.
Written by urgent.news from Billboard's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
