Leon Thomas has devoured the R&B and pop culture landscape since 2024. “MUTT” is one of those songs that exists in rare air, defying gravity with something refreshingly familiar. “She said, ‘Take your time, what’s the rush?’ I said, ‘Baby, I’m a dog, I’m a mutt’” is a hook that feels like it’s existed since the beginning of time. Its bounce is addictive, the sweet coos are deliriously sweet—if “MUTT” didn’t become a hit, we were living in the wrong timeline.
Thankfully, it did. Leon Thomas has stuck around on the Billboard Hot 100 for almost an entire calendar year at this point. Moreover, he’s been nominated for a hefty six nominations at the Grammys. In the general field, he’s in the race for Best New Artist and his album MUTT is in the mix for Album of the Year alongside Bad Bunny and Kendrick Lamar. For R&B specifically, he’s in the running for four additional nominations.
It’s been a monumental few years for Thomas. But as recognizable as his voice has become, some Grammy viewers might be trying to place where they’ve seen his face before.
Leon Thomas: Nickelodeon Actor Turned Grammy Performer
Gen Z, your eyes aren’t mistaken. You definitely heard, then saw him on Nickelodeon during your earlier youth. Long before Thomas made his mark as a songwriter and musician, he voiced Tyrone in The Backyardigans. Then, he gained even more eyes when he played Andre Harris in the hit teen show Victorious. It was there he eventually met Ariana Grande. “She was coming to my little parties I would throw at the studio. That would turn into songs that ended up being on her first album,” Leon Thomas told The Hollywood Reporter.
Mixed in his time with Broadway in between, Thomas explained that a music career felt inevitable. “All throughout my career, even as a child actor I was part of films, TV shows, and Broadway plays that really highlighted my musical talent. I knew that was something that was really special about me as a person. It’s been a long journey, you know?” Leon Thomas said in a conversation with Clash Magazine. “Being signed to different labels and working with different teams, trying to really build this out over the years. But I’m really happy that this is my season to really make it all happen. It’s been a life long process to become an overnight success.”
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