‘I prayed for this’: Leon Thomas gives a testimony as he looks back on massive 2025

The R&B singer is up for six Grammy Awards at next year’s award ceremony, including Album of the Year for ‘MUTT’

The fall of 2024 was the initial breakthrough for Leon Thomas.

At the time, his “MUTT” single and album had just been released, and fans were not only gravitating toward the music but also sharing it with the world. Year-end playlists turned into Thomas going on tour and ultimately being rewarded with six Grammy nominations, including one for Album of the Year. Thomas’ grind has been well-documented on social media, which makes his breakthrough and gratitude loud and in full bloom.

“I prayed for this, man,” Thomas told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview as he prepares for next year’s Grammy Awards. “And I’ve also worked really hard. The team around me, we definitely didn’t skip any opportunities. I called it our season of yes. We said yes to just about everything.”

Thomas took home a Best R&B Song Grammy last year with SZA for “Snooze,” but his nominations are different this year. He’s now the lead, the main attraction and after writing and assisting for several stars, all eyes are on him.

“There were years I starved for this dream, so it’s just nice to feel like I’m not crazy,” the “MUTT” singer said. “This is an amazing win. Being a producer and a songwriter was a really nice opportunity for me to be a fly on the wall to a lot of greatness.”

As Thomas has navigated his newfound fame, there are still moments when he gets starstruck. After the death of funk pioneer Sly Stone in June, Thomas was asked to fly from Los Angeles to Nashville to perform with Stevie Wonder for a Sly tribute.

And Wonder personally requested that Thomas sing with him.

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“When I get there, Stevie invites us into his dressing room to speak to me before we do the show,” Thomas recalled. “And I guess the subtext of what he was saying is that R&B is a very important genre and he believes in me and he has younger kids and it’s time for me to really continue on within this journey. Because this genre’s very important and his son needs some good music to listen to down the road.

“So that let me know that I had to just keep doing what I’m doing, like, really stay focused and fight for good chord changes and strong melody and lyrics. Stevie definitely put the battery in my back when it comes to being energized for this next album, and the creative process I’m sure it’s going to be just as fun as the last one.”

The 68th annual Grammy Awards take place on February 2. Also among honorees during Grammy Week are Kirk Franklin, Brandy and Pharrell Williams, who will be honored with the Black Music Icon Award. In Williams’ case, he will be presented with the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award.