The activism of Killer Mike will be acknowledged during the Oct. 14 Billboard Music Awards.

The Atlanta rapper – who is one half of Run the Jewels – will receive the inaugural Billboard Change Maker Award during the ceremony, which begins at 8 p.m. on NBC.

Killer Mike (aka Mike Render) is being honored for his “dedication to equality, social justice and financial literacy in the Black community,” as well as for leading movements for voter registration and creating opportunities for Black businesses to thrive by educating civic leaders and the community about the importance of entrepreneurship and financial responsibility.

Killer Mike will be presented with the award by Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms from the African American Panoramic Experience Museum.

This year’s Billboard Music Awards, hosted by Kelly Clarkson, will feature performances from Alicia Keys, BTS, Luke Combs, En Vogue, Demi Lovato, Sia, Post Malone and others. Garth Brooks will receive the Icon Award as well as perform during the show.

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Sergio Suárez at work in his studio. (Walter Bankson/Courtesy of Johnson Lowe Gallery)

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Fulton DA Fani Willis (center) with Nathan J. Wade (right), the special prosecutor she hired to manage the Trump case and had a romantic relationship with, at a news conference announcing charges against President-elect Donald Trump and others in Atlanta, Aug. 14, 2023. Georgia’s Supreme Court on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, upheld an appeals court's decision to disqualify Willis from the election interference case against Trump and his allies. (Kenny Holston/New York Times)

Credit: NYT