Adam Blackstone has played important roles on stages near and far, at concerts, awards shows and some of the most-watched football fields in the country.
Now, fresh off his first Grammy win and the latest of many Super Bowl gigs, New Jersey's multi-instrumentalist, producer and musical director extraordinaire has won again.
Blackstone and Fantasia were just named the winners of the NAACP Image Award for outstanding duo, group or collaboration (traditional) for their performance of the song "Summertime" (see video below).
Blackstone, 42, who was born in Trenton and grew up in Willingboro, plays the upright bass, or double bass, in the song.
He has worked as a musical director for stars like Rihanna, Janet Jackson, Alicia Keys, Eminem and Justin Timberlake, and is now halfway to the coveted EGOT (Emmy. Grammy, Oscar, Tony).
His "Summertime" win was announced Tuesday, during the second night of non-televised announcements for the 56th NAACP Image Awards, which air Saturday on BET and CBS.
Blackstone's first Grammy arrived this month for his work in the album from the Broadway musical "Hell's Kitchen." In 2022, he won an Emmy for outstanding music direction for that year's hip-hop-centric Super Bowl halftime show featuring Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and 50 Cent.
Blackstone's involvement in the Super Bowl spans several years.
He just produced and arranged Ledisi's performance of "Lift Every Voice and Sing," the Black national anthem, at the 2025 Super Bowl Feb. 9.
Before that, he produced Reba McEntire's national anthem performance at the game last year. He was also the musical director for Rihanna's halftime show in 2023, Shakira and Jennifer Lopez's halftime show in 2020, and Justin Timberlake's halftime show in 2018.
The NAACP Award follows Blackstone's first Grammy, awarded Feb. 2. He accepted the award for best musical theater album for "Hell's Kitchen," the Broadway show inspired by the life, career and music of Alicia Keys. Blackstone is the show's music supervisor.
Over the past few years, he has worked on the Oscars, BET Awards, Tonys and Soul Train Awards.
"Summertime," from the 1935 opera "Porgy and Bess," was composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward (author of the book "Porgy").
The song also has some personal history for Fantasia.
As "American Idol" viewers may remember, the Grammy-winning artist performed a show-stopping rendition of the song during the televised competition in 2004 before she was voted winner of the show (see video above).
"I'll never forget how this song changed my life on @AmericanIdol," Barrino-Taylor said in an Instagram post last year. "When nobody was voting for me, this song allowed people to see who I really am. 20 years later, I got a chance to reimagine this classic with my bro @adamblackstone!"
Blackstone's debut album, "Legacy" (2022), featuring Leslie Odom Jr., Kirk Franklin, Queen Latifah, Jill Scott and more -- the bassist sings with Latifah and others -- won an NAACP Image Award for outstanding jazz album in 2023.
He was also nominated for best new artist the same year.