KEVIN AVIANCE LAUNCHES GRAMMY® CAMPAIGN WITH HIPPOPOTAMUS! DELUXE EDITION
The Billboard chart-topping dance music pioneer and nightlife icon submits his 20-track album for Best Dance/Electronic Album consideration, celebrating three decades of music, survival, reinvention and Black queer cultural influence
NEW YORK, NY — TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2026— For more than three decades, Kevin Aviance has helped shape the sound, attitude and visual language of dance music. Now, the Billboard chart-topping recording artist, nightlife icon and member of the legendary House of Aviance is marking a new career milestone: his first-ever submission for GRAMMY consideration.
Aviance's HIPPOPOTAMUS! DELUXE EDITION, released August 14, 2026, via Chervana Music, has been submitted for consideration in the Best Dance/Electronic Album category. The 20-track project represents the culmination of more than two decades of music, personal transformation and artistic evolution, bringing together the sounds and stories that have defined Aviance's extraordinary career.
“I poured every part of myself into Hippopotamus Deluxe. It’s a big, bold, unapologetic celebration of who I am and everything I’m still becoming. Dance music is my heartbeat. It’s where I come from and how I connect with the world. There’s something here for everybody. So turn it up, let go, and have a damn good time!” — Kevin
THREE DECADES OF INFLUENCE. ONE DEFINING ALBUM.
Long before ballroom and queer nightlife aesthetics entered the mainstream, Aviance was helping define the culture from which they emerged.
Through club anthems including “Cunty (The Feeling),” “Din Da Da,” “Rhythm Is My Bitch,” “Alive” and “Give It Up,” Aviance established himself as an unmistakable voice in underground dance music, building a career rooted in Black queer expression, performance and liberation.
His influence reached an entirely new generation when Beyoncé sampled his work on “PURE/HONEY” from her GRAMMY-winning 2022 album RENAISSANCE, bringing renewed attention to the artists and communities whose creative contributions helped shape contemporary pop and dance music.
But HIPPOPOTAMUS! is not a retrospective.
Originally released in October 2025 as Aviance's first full-length solo album in more than two decades, the project expanded into its definitive 20-track Deluxe Edition in August 2026.
The album moves between celebration, reflection and reinvention. “BEAUTIFUL” delivers a message of confidence and self-acceptance; “BLOODLINE” honors community and chosen family; and “THAT PART,” his collaboration with rising Black queer artist SEVNDEEP, bridges generations of queer artistry.
The Deluxe Edition introduces five additional recordings, including “THE DOLLS,” a celebration of trans women and their resilience; “OF GOLDEN SUN,” a collaboration with longtime creative partner DJ Gomi centered on renewal; and “C*NTY,” which revisits the attitude and sound that have followed Aviance throughout his career. Morrison Media Group
FROM NEW YORK NIGHTLIFE TO THE WORLD'S MOST INFLUENTIAL DANCE FLOORS
The GRAMMY campaign arrives amid an extraordinary period of activity for Aviance.
In July, he made his debut at the newly reopened Pacha New York, serving as host and MC for Cardi B's headlining performance.
In September, Aviance released CLUB HIPPOPOTAMUS!, an uninterrupted DJ mix transforming the music and remixes of his latest album into one continuous dance-floor experience. He celebrated both releases at an official New York party with Paul's Dolls, presented in partnership with QCare+.
The momentum continued internationally with an October appearance at Panorama Bar inside Berlin's legendary Berghain, followed by an Atlanta Pride performance at their Horse Meat Disco on October 10.
Aviance has also continued releasing new club music, including a Club Pele mix available on Apple Music, while bringing his story to new audiences through interviews and appearances.
A CAREER DEFINED BY SURVIVAL AND REINVENTION
The milestone carries particular meaning in 2026, which marks 20 years since Aviance survived a violent anti-LGBTQ hate crime in New York City.
Rather than allowing that experience to define the limits of his career, Aviance has continued building a body of work grounded in visibility, community and creative freedom.
Earlier this year, his collaboration with SEVNDEEP on “THAT PART” brought those themes into focus through a music video celebrating Black queer intimacy, joy and bodily autonomy while incorporating HIV prevention into its visual storytelling.
HIPPOPOTAMUS! DELUXE EDITION brings those experiences together, presenting not only the legacy of a dance music pioneer but the ongoing evolution of an artist whose influence continues to resonate across generations.
FOR YOUR GRAMMY® CONSIDERATION
KEVIN AVIANCE — HIPPOPOTAMUS! DELUXE EDITION
Best Dance/Electronic Album | 2027 GRAMMY® Awards
The 20-track album is available on streaming platforms. Recording Academy voting members are invited to listen and consider HIPPOPOTAMUS! DELUXE EDITION during the current voting period.
Kevin Aviance is managed by Talentiish, with publicity support from Morrison Media Group.
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