Melissa B.’s “One Up” Wins the 2026 InterContinental Music Award in the R&B Category for the USA
- Melissa B.
- 11 minutes ago
- 4 min read
An international win for a song about self-worth, intuition, and refusing to be a fool for love.
What began as a song about seeing through the games has officially become an award-winning record. I am incredibly proud to announce that “One Up” has won in the R&B category at the 2026 InterContinental Music Awards. 🏆🌍
After first receiving the news that “One Up” had been selected as a finalist, simply seeing my name and my music recognized alongside artists from around the world was already an incredible moment. Now, to go from finalist to winner is something I am still taking in.
As an independent artist, milestones like this mean so much because behind every release are countless hours of writing, recording, producing, creating, promoting, and believing in a vision before anyone else can see it.
And with “One Up,” that vision started with a very specific message.
“One Up” Is About Knowing Your Worth in Love
“One Up” is not about being defeated by love.
It’s about being smart enough to recognize when someone is playing games with your heart.
It’s that moment when a woman realizes:
I see what you’re doing. I see through the manipulation. I hear the empty promises. And I am not going to be a fool for love.
There is tremendous power in reaching that point.
Sometimes we want love so badly that we overlook the things our intuition has been trying to tell us. We make excuses. We give another chance. We convince ourselves that someone's actions will eventually match their words.
“One Up” comes from the other side of that experience.
It represents the woman who has learned to trust herself.
She recognizes the game before she becomes consumed by it. She understands that walking away doesn't mean she lost—it means she finally chose herself.
That is the spirit behind “One Up.”
And knowing that this message connected with the InterContinental Music Awards and resulted in an R&B category win makes this recognition especially meaningful to me.
From Finalist to Winner
When I learned that “One Up” had been selected as a 2026 InterContinental Music Awards finalist, I was grateful simply to see the song recognized internationally.
Then came the words every artist hopes to hear:
We won.
There is something powerful about watching a song travel beyond the moment in which it was created.
You write it.
You record it.
You release it.
Then eventually, it belongs to the listeners.
People begin attaching their own experiences, relationships, victories, and memories to the music.
That is one of the greatest gifts of being an artist.
Now “One Up” has another chapter in its story:
2026 InterContinental Music Awards — R&B Winner.
This Award Belongs to the Team Behind the Music
No record reaches its full potential because of one person.
I want to give a very special thank you to the people who helped bring “One Up” to life.
Michael Ashby, my engineer — thank you for your ears, your expertise, and for helping me shape the sound of this record.
And to my producers, Doc Native and MGDee — thank you for your creativity, musicianship, and contribution to the vision behind “One Up.”
An artist may stand at the front of a record, but there are talented people behind the scenes whose fingerprints become part of the music.
Michael, Doc Native, and MGDee: we won this together. 🏆
I am deeply grateful for what each of you contributed to this song.
What This Win Means to Me as an Independent Artist
There is another reason this award carries so much meaning.
I am an independent artist.
Independent artists learn very quickly that making great music is only one part of building a career. We often become our own creative directors, marketers, strategists, executives, content creators, and advocates.
You learn how to keep going when there isn't a giant machine doing the work for you.
You learn to create opportunities.
You learn to believe in your music even when the industry hasn't caught up with your vision yet.
That is why international recognition matters.
An award does not define an artist, but recognition can become an important part of an artist's professional journey. It gives another audience an opportunity to discover the music, strengthens the story surrounding a body of work, and provides independent creators with another credential demonstrating that their work is connecting beyond their immediate audience.
For me, this win is another reminder that independent does not mean insignificant.
Independent music can compete.
Independent music can travel.
Independent music can connect cultures.
And independent artists belong on global stages.
Thank You for Believing in “One Up”
Most importantly, I want to thank the people who listen.
If you streamed “One Up,” shared it with someone, posted about it, added it to a playlist, watched a video, sent me a message, or simply told someone, “You need to hear this song,” you became part of this story.
Thank you.
Thank you for believing in my music.
Thank you for allowing me to continue evolving as an artist.
And thank you for celebrating these moments with me.
I also want to thank the InterContinental Music Awards for recognizing “One Up” and for providing a platform where artists and music from around the world can be celebrated.
Going from 2026 ICMA Finalist to 2026 ICMA Winner is a moment I will always remember.
What Comes Next?
We keep creating.
We keep growing.
And we keep going one up.
There are more songs to write, more stories to tell, more boundaries to push, and more people around the world that I hope to reach through music.
This award isn't the end of the journey.
It's another chapter.
And perhaps that's the perfect ending for a song called “One Up.”
Because sometimes going one up isn't about proving that you're better than someone else.
It's about becoming wiser than you were yesterday.
Knowing your value.
Trusting what you see.
Protecting your heart.
Choosing yourself.
And refusing to settle.
“One Up” is officially an award-winning R&B record.
I couldn't be more grateful.
One Up. One Win. And many more chapters to come. 🏆💜
With love and gratitude,Melissa B.
“ONE UP” — Melissa B.🏆 2026 InterContinental Music Awards Winner🎵 R&B Category
Produced by Doc Native & MGDee
Engineered by Michael Ashby
Written by Melissa B
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