Yola received the special Song of Soul award at the 2022 American Music Awards. The honor was presented as an inaugural award recognizing an emerging, mission-driven artist whose music inspires change and invokes social justice.
Yola, the stage name of Yolanda Quartey, is an English singer and songwriter known for blending soul, country, Americana, and roots music. At the ceremony, she performed “Break the Bough,” a song from the 2022 film Elvis. Her appearance connected the new honor to both her socially conscious artistry and her work in a major music-film project.
Song of Soul was not simply another genre competition alongside the AMAs’ regular fan-voted categories. It was a special recognition created for the 2022 ceremony, which is why the award can be confused with standard categories involving performers such as Anitta, Dove Cameron, or Ari Lennox. Yola’s honor was presented as a one-off inaugural distinction.