Emeli Sandé to be honored at Essence Black Women in Music event

U.K. singer-songwriter Emeli Sandé will be honored at Essence magazine's fifth annual Black Women in Music celebration at an invitation-only reception to take place January 22, during Grammy Awards week. The event will feature an exclusive performance by Sandé with special guest DJ Kiss, Billboard reports.

"Emeli Sandé's soaring confidence as a songwriter and fearless self-expression as a singer is in the tradition of many iconic female trailblazers such as Nina Simone," Essence editor-in-chief Vanessa K. Bush said in a statement.

In an interview with Billboard, Essence president Michelle Ebanks said, "Emeli is a global, multi-faceted artist, extraordinary storyteller and a bold and beautiful collaborator whose future is extremely bright. She follows in the tradition of what Essence has always done: supporting artists who are doing incredible things."

Sandé's debut U.K. album, Our Version of Events, sold more than 238,000 in the U.S. with the singles "Next to Me" and "My Kind of Love."

She will release a sophomore record in 2014. "It's just a baby at the moment. I'm not sure what it is yet," Sandé told them. "But it will be very spiritual. I want it to hit people's souls, to speak to them no matter where they are in the world."

Black Women in Music launched in 2010 as part of the magazine's 40th anniversary commemoration, Billboard reports. Previous honorees include Mary J. Blige, Kelly Rowland, Janelle Monae, Solange and Lianne La Havas.

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