Key Takeaways
- Q-Tip presented Pharrell Williams with the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award at the 2026 GRAMMYs.
- Pharrell’s speech reflected on his evolution from the Neptunes to a broader role in shaping music and culture.
- Earlier in the week, he was recognized by the Black Music Collective alongside Brandy and Kirk Franklin.
Pharrell Williams marked another milestone on Sunday (Feb. 1), accepting the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award onstage at the 2026 Grammy Awards. Presented by Q-Tip, the honor recognized the producer’s decades-long influence on Black music, culture, and creative possibility.
In his acceptance speech, Williams opened with humor and humility, acknowledging the discomfort of watching his own career montage before turning his focus outward. “It’s always awkward for me to sit through these montages. I don’t know how… some of y’all feel, but it’s like listening to your voicemail over a loudspeaker,” he said, before thanking Q-Tip for his guidance and impact. “Q-tip is someone that I've looked up to since the very beginning… There's no one like you and I call you teacher every day.”
Williams’ journey began in the early 1990s as one half of the Neptunes alongside Chad Hugo, a partnership that helped reshape Hip Hop and R&B production. From early studio days to genre-defining hits, the duo’s sound pushed artists to experiment and audiences to expand their ears. That spirit of curiosity was reflected as he spoke about growing up immersed in Hip Hop culture, recalling early mornings watching rap videos and studying albums that changed his life.
“Me and Pusha man, we would get up like five, six in the morning… just listening to like The Chronic and 2001,” he said, adding that holding an award tied to Dr. Dre’s legacy carried special meaning. “The idea that I get to like hold this award that is signatory of one of the greatest producers of all time. Dr. Dre. The greatest.”
The Louis Vuitton’s men’s creative director also used the moment to uplift his longtime collaborators Clipse, congratulating them on their first Grammy win, and to offer advice rooted in consistency. “I’ve never stopped loving this job. I’ve never stopped being a student,” he said. “Never stop grinding. Never stop working. Stop doing anything else but working. Work, man. Because… I'm 52, I get to do this every day. I love what I do and if you do what you love every day, you’ll get paid for free”
Pharrell Williams celebrated at Recording Academy Honors during Grammy Week
Just days earlier, Williams was also honored at the Recording Academy Honors Presented by the Black Music Collective, alongside Brandy and Kirk Franklin at the Fairmont Century Plaza. The night included tributes from Clipse, Leon Thomas, and a surprise performance by Justin Timberlake, following an introduction by Tyler, the Creator.
After the event, Williams reflected on the moment on Instagram, writing, “Music is the skeleton key that opens ALL doors. These moments tell the story of what actually moves the world. And that is music. That is Black music.”