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Some 4,000 people cast votes for the 10 finalists in each category, said ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Hip Hop Awards founder and coordinator Jahmar “DJ Jahmarâ€� Anthony.

The awards also will honor six ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ hip-hop artists with lifetime achievement awards for their body of work and their impact on the community.

“The lifetime achievement award is based on who best represents ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ hip-hop and how they have advanced others,â€� said Anthony, who selects the winners in that category. All other nominations and winners are voted by the community, beginning with the initial nominations on Facebook in February.

Anthony launched the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Hip Hop Awards in spring 2022 as a way to recognize ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ artists who were largely underrepresented in regional and statewide music awards.

“A lot of times there really wasn’t a lot of representation, and when I would ask people why don’t you go (to the statewide awards), they would say, ‘Man, no one cares about ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥,’â€� Anthony said. “I want ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ to have their own thing. It’s just creating something cool for the city.â€�

All of the award winners and performers at Saturday’s all-ages show are from ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Anthony said.

Here are the Lifetime Achievement Award winners:

Shug Jac, the OG of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s rap and hip-hop scene, was the first ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ rapper signed to a major label. He recorded “86 the Madnessâ€� on Def Jam in 1996. Today, the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ native, who also dabbles in acting and writing, has his own label, Nightstalker Entertainment.

Tio Harris and his brothers — Elvae and Cleveland Harris and DeJuan Massaqouiu — had a shot at a national label for their rap ensemble, Universe, but they turned it down. Harris, in a phone call last week, said he decided not to pursue the big label route.

Madlab went against the grain of 1980s-90s hip-hop, focusing on positive messages wrapped in inventive lyricism. The group is still making music today; their latest project dropped Sept. 8.

In addition to his music career, Harris, a longtime ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ barber, is being honored for his years of mentoring young people, including African-American youths, through the that he founded. He also launched , which has locations at 446 N. Campbell Ave. and 3232 N. Stone Ave. in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ and in Eloy and Phoenix.

“I kind of mentor a lot of the young African-American men in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥,â€� he said. “My rap name is Support.â€�

Reymon M started his hip-hop career by chance when a stranger at a ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ sandwich shop heard his voice and encouraged him to give music a shot. That 2008 encounter convinced the New York native to turn a visit with friends in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ into a permanent move and a career change, from arena football player to musician. The father of three’s journey since then has included being a member of Katie Haverly’s band in 2016 and his own hip-hop band Street Blues Family, which will be performing at Saturday’s awards show.

James Owens, aka Runt, has been making music since he and his brother, Jason Owens (aka “Deekoâ€�), formed with an assortment of friends in 1996. The ensemble dabbles in funk, soul, classic rock and old-school hip-hop and has been a mainstay at South by Southwest and other regional festivals for more than 20 years. Anthony said Owens is being honored not only for his performance career but for nurturing and supporting ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s hip-hop community by booking shows at Thunder Canyon Brewery, where he is a bartender.

Praise Z was instrumental in convincing the University of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ to expand its outreach and support for the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ hip-hop community. Zenenga heads the UA’s Africana Studies program, which offers a minor in hip-hop — the first university ever to offer a degree in hip-hop.

Reginald , aka Swindoe, used to blast his music from a TV screen on his ice cream truck that he drove around the neighborhoods. Through his music and his entrepreneurial spirit, including his latest invention, the scalable screen printing system , Swindoe has “definitely paved the way for the youth of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ that this is a direction they can go,â€� Anthony said.