Georgia’s finest were honored at the 33rd Annual Georgia Music Hall of Fame Awards at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta Saturday night. A sparkly-suit wearing Usher and his protégé Justin Bieber were on hand to present their vocal coach, Jan Smith, with the Chairman’s Award, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The teen sensation, nicknamed Jellybean by Smith, also picked up the Horizon Award in recognition of his achievements.
The stunning Toni Braxton showed no signs of age as she was inducted by Gov. Nathan Deal after her sisters allegedly bailed on their scheduled performance (look for the drama to unfold on next season’s “Braxton Family Values”). The “Un-Break My Heart” singer, who was born in Maryland and moved Atlanta in the ‘90s, showed her appreciation by singing a line from “Georgia on My Mind.”
Bieber performed an acoustic medley of hits including Matchbox Twenty’s “3 A.M.,” Usher’s “U Got It Bad,” and his own “Baby,” as the young girls in the audience shrieked with delight.
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