Ne-Yo

Beginning with the release of Ne-Yo's platinum debut In My Own Words in 2006, life hasn't been the same for the Las Vegas native. "The transition from being in the background as a songwriter and being an artist took a little getting used to," Ne-Yo says. "It's a lot different being the guy that nobody knew two years ago, but, I'm not complaining." Last year, Ne-Yo proved himself a masterful songwriter, penning such gems as Rihanna's top-ten hit "Unfaithful" and co-writing Beyonce's instant classic "Irreplaceable." That track was the Billboard Hot 100 number-one single for ten weeks. Ne-Yo is currently composing songs for Celine Dion, Whitney Houston and Jennifer Hudson that will certainly bring even more acclaim. The list of awards for the songwriter goes on and on. In addition to winning the prestigious Male R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year award at the 2006 Billboard Awards (where he was also nominated in three other categories, including Male Artist of the Year, New Artist of the Year, and R&B/Hip-Hop Single of the Year for "So Sick," his premiere single), he was nominated for two Grammys: Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for his chart-topping hit "So Sick" and Best Contemporary R&B Album.