The applause was a physical force, a tidal wave of sound that followed Landon as he descended the stairs offstage. He clutched the three awards, their weight feeling both heavy and impossibly light in his hands. Confetti dusted his hair and shoulders like a fine layer of glitter as he stepped into the controlled chaos of the backstage area.
Amid the blur of stagehands, frantic publicists, and hurried presenters, two familiar faces broke through the crowd. Rachel and Emma barreled toward him, their expressions a mix of unadulterated joy and utter relief.
"Landon! Oh my god!" Rachel exclaimed, her voice thick with emotion as she threw her arms around him. "We did it! We really did it!"
Emma, her eyes sparkling, grabbed his arm. "Three down, three to go!!! You are absolutely killing it!"
Landon just shook his head, a wide, disbelieving grin spreading across his face. "This is insane," he repeated, the same words he had whispered into the microphone. He looked down at the trophies, polished metal gleaming under the harsh backstage lights. "I... I don't even know what to say."
Rachel pulled back, her hands on his shoulders, her gaze serious. "Don't say anything. Just soak it in. This is the moment."
He did. In that single, fleeting moment, he wasn't the guy with three awards. He was just Landon, standing backstage at the AMAs. He thought about a different stage, smaller, with all his friends he made along the way. He thought about the endless rehearsals, the long nights on the bus, the constant fights, and hearing about their dreams.
"Okay, guys, eyes up," Rachel said, her voice shifting into business mode, though her smile was still beaming. "We need to get back into our seats, the shows far from over. Landon, you still have 3 more nominationsand i hope you win them all."
Emma nodded in agreement. " To think we're a indie label not even a year old, and we produced a artist who can go head to head with the industries best and win? . Man, im really glad you chose to sign with us, Landon." She said with a smile on her face.
"Don't worry about it. If anythingim glad y'all listened to me and gave me the freedom i want to make the music i want." Landon said with his nonchalant demeanor finally back.
Meanwhile, Representatives from different labels were all busy callingbtheir label and already trying to set up deals with Echowaves, their intentions? They wanted to buy Landon out of his deal. That, or either come to a "Track deal" agreement that within a certain time frame he can release music directly through them(the label of choice) and they get a certain percentage of his earnings.
A few moments later, a dynamic male-female duo, stepped onto the stage. The buzz in the arena was electric as they prepared to announce one of the night's most prestigious honors: Favorite RnB/ Soul Album.
"This next award is for the RnB / Soul albums that have defined the year," the male presenter began, his voice booming. "The projects that have lived with us, that have become the soundtracks to our lives."
The female presenter took over with a playful grin. " Thank you to all these amazing artists for the work they put in to craft these masterpieces. Now, the nominees are..." The giant screen behind them lit up, showcasing the album art as she read the names:
* X by Chris Brown
* Beauty Behind the Madness by The Weeknd
* Black Messiah by D'Angelo and The Vanguard
* Landon by Landon Asher
The camera panned to each artist, capturing their nervous anticipation. As it settled on Chris Brown, the female host leaned into the microphone with a laugh. "I'm just going to say, if the winner isn't Chris Brown, this place might riot tonight. We all know what's up."
The crowd chuckled in response, and the male presenter playfully nudged her. "Easy now. The people have voted. Let's see who they chose." He held up the envelope and slowly ripped it open. The tension in the arena was palpable. He glanced at the card, his eyes widening in surprise.
The two hosts shared a look of pure shock and delight. "And the winner of the 2015 Favorite RnB / Soul Album is..." The male presenter paused for dramatic effect, drawing out the moment. He finally shouted into the microphone, "…Landon by Landon Asher!"
The venue erupted. A deafening mix of cheers and surprised gasps filled the air as confetti canons blasted once more, raining down silver streamers. The camera immediately cut to a stunned Landon backstage, his awards and team momentarily forgotten as he stared at the screen in disbelief. This was his fourth win. This wasn't just another award; it was for the entire album, his first album as a solo artist, the project that carried his name and his soul.
Landon moved as if in a trance, making his way back to the stage, a path he now knew all too well. This time, however, the journey felt different. The walk was longer, the cheers more intense, and the weight of the moment was almost too much to bear. When he reached the microphone, he looked out at the sea of faces, his mind still trying to process what had just happened. He held up the new award, the most important one of the night, and took a moment to breathe.
"Wow," he began, his voice full of a genuine, almost childlike wonder. "I... I don't even know what to say. To be nominated alongside artists like D'Angelo, The Weeknd, and Chris Brown... I mean, these guys don'tplay like that. They're the reason I fell in love with music in the first place."
He looked directly at Chris Brown, who was smiling and giving him a sincere round of applause from the audience.
"Chris, you're the king. The fact that I was even in the same category as you is the real win tonight. It's truly an honor."
His eyes then found Rachel and Emma in the crowd, and a smile spread across his face. "This album... it's a piece of me. It's all the late nights, all the dreams, all the things I was too afraid to say out loud until now. We called it Landon because it's just that. It's the most honest thing I've ever created."( Author caughs) He held the award up for the crowd to see...."Thank you to every single person who listened to this record and felt something. Thank you for making my story part of yours."
The crowd roared with approval. Landon stood there for a long moment, the four awards now a testament to his journey from a boy band member to a solo superstar. It was no longer a question of whether he had a place in the music world. With this fourth win, he had arrived. He had claimed his space.