This is an accepted version of this page
Ne-Yo | |
|---|---|
 Ne-Yo in 2025 | |
| Born | Shaffer Chimere Smith (1979-10-18)October 18, 1979 (age 46)[1] Camden, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Other names | Gogo |
| Education | Las Vegas Academy |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Works | |
| Spouse | |
| Partner | Monyetta Shaw (2009–2013) |
| Children | 7[2] |
| Awards | Full list |
| Musical career | |
| Origin | Las Vegas,Nevada, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Labels | |
| Website | neyothegentleman |
Musical artist | |
| Signature | |
 | |
Shaffer Chimere Smith (born October 18, 1979), known professionally asNe-Yo (/ˈniːjoʊ/NEE-yoh), is an American singer-songwriter. Regarded as a leading figure of2000s R&B music,[7][8][9][10] he is the recipient of numerous accolades, including threeGrammy Awards. He gained recognition for his songwriting abilities following the success of his first major credit,Mario's 2004 single "Let Me Love You". Its release prompted a meeting between Ne-Yo andDef Jam's then-presidentJay-Z, resulting in a contract in which he released four studio albums, each of which spawnedhit songs.
Ne-Yo's 2005 debut single, "Stay" (featuringPeedi Peedi) was released the following year to lukewarm commercial reception, though his 2006 single, "So Sick", became hisbreakthrough hit as it peaked atop theBillboard Hot 100. Both songs, along with the follow-up singles "When You're Mad" and "Sexy Love", preceded the release of his debut studio albumIn My Own Words (2006), which peaked atop theBillboard 200 and saw positive critical reception. Furthermore, the album yielded two nominations at the49th Annual Grammy Awards and receivedplatinum certification by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA), in addition to similar certifications in the UK, Japan and Australia.
His second and third albums,Because of You (2007) andYear of the Gentleman (2008), were met with continued success, peaking at numbers one and two on theBillboard 200, respectively. The former wonBest Contemporary R&B Album at the50th Annual Grammy Awards, while the latter was nominated for the award, as well as forAlbum of the Year. They spawned the US-top ten singles "Because of You", "Closer", and "Miss Independent" — the latter wonBest Male R&B Vocal Performance andBest R&B Song at the51st Annual Grammy Awards.Year of the Gentleman received double platinum certification by the RIAA—selling two million copies—as well as triple platinum certification by theBritish Phonographic Industry (BPI).
Libra Scale (2010), Ne-Yo's fourth studio album, was met with moderate success on international charts and reached number nine on the USBillboard 200. Seeing an overall decline in commercial reception, he parted ways with Def Jam in favor of its coequalUniversal Music Group subsidiary,Motown two years later. His fifth album,R.E.D. (2012) peaked at number four on the chart and was preceded by the single "Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself)", which peaked at number six on theBillboard Hot 100 and peaked atop theUK Singles Chart. His sixth album,Non-Fiction (2015) was met with similar commercial response despite a steep critical decline. It was supported by theBillboard Hot 100-top ten single "Time of Our Lives" (withPitbull) and thestrip club-inspired top 40 single, "She Knows" (featuringJuicy J). His seventh album,Good Man (2018), peaked at number 33 on theBillboard 200, while his eighth and ninth albums,Another Kind of Christmas (2019) andSelf Explanatory (2022), narrowly entered the chart.[11][12]
Alongside his recording career, Ne-Yo served as a judge for thereality competition seriesWorld of Dance from 2017 to 2020 alongsideJennifer Lopez andDerek Hough. In 2021, Ne-Yo competed as Badger on the second season ofThe Masked Singer UK, and finished in second place. In 2023, he competed on the tenth season ofThe Masked Singer, as the Cow and finished in first place. According toRecording Industry Association of America, Ne-Yo has sold 29 million certified albums and singles in the United States.[13]Billboard ranked "Give Me Everything" and "Knock You Down" among the Greatest Songs of the Summer of all time.[14] Ne-Yo has yielded five number one singles on the UK Singles Chart, and spent 315 weeks within the chart's Top 75.[15] Ne-Yo also has four songs listed on Motown's Top 100 songs of the Millennium in the UK—the fifth most entries on the list.[16]
Shaffer Chimere Smith was born on October 18, 1979, inCamden, Arkansas to parents Lorraine and Shaffer Smith, both of whom are also musicians. As a young child, he was raised by his mother after she separated from his father.[17] His mother then relocated the family toLas Vegas, Nevada.
While in theLas Vegas Academy, Smith adopted the stage nameGoGo and joined an R&B group called Envy, who appeared during amateur night onShowtime at the Apollo[18] and on the short livedMTV seriesThe Cut[19] (hosted byLisa "Left Eye" Lopes ofTLC).[20] The group disbanded in 2000, and Smith continued to write songs for other artists before starting his solo career. The stage nameNe-Yo was coined by Big D Evans, a producer with whom Ne-Yo once worked,[21] because Evans claimed that Ne-Yo sees music like the characterNeo seesthe Matrix.[22]
After Envy disbanded in 2000,Columbia Records signed Ne-Yo, but the label dropped him before he could release his already-recorded first album.[23] American singerMarques Houston happened to hear "That Girl", which Ne-Yo had planned to release as his debutsingle from his then-unreleased album. Houston re-recorded the song and released it as a single for his 2003 albumMH.[24] The release of the song led to Ne-Yo being recognized as a top songwriter.[24]
For the next two years, Ne-Yo continued writing songs, some of which have not been officially released.[24] He contributed songs to American singerTeedra Moses's 2004 albumComplex Simplicity,Christina Milian'sIt's About Time, and the American boy bandYoungstown,[25] none of which, however, brought Ne-Yo much mainstream attention.[24] Ne-Yo has also contributed songs to singersMary J. Blige,B2K,Faith Evans, andMusiq, among others.[26]
A breakthrough came when Ne-Yo wrote "Let Me Love You" for American singerMario. The song reached number one on theBillboard Hot 100, and later stayed at the top spot for nine weeks.[25] After the successful release, Tina Davis, former A&R representative forDef Jam Recordings, arranged an informal meeting with label headL.A. Reid.[24] Despite not seeking a new contract at the time, then-CEO of Def JamJay-Z signed Ne-Yo to a new deal after he performed for the label's executives.[23][26]
In early 2006, Ne-Yo released his debut album,In My Own Words, throughDef Jam. Boosted by its popular second single "So Sick", the album debuted at number one onBillboard 200, selling over 301,000 copies in its first week on sale.[27] During the same week, the single had reached number one on theBillboard Hot 100.[28] Later singles released were "When You're Mad" and "Sexy Love", which peaked at number 15 and number seven, respectively.[29] The album has been certified platinum by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for a shipment of over one million units.[30]
His second album,Because of You, was released on May 1, 2007, and, fueled by its lead single, debuted at number one on theBillboard 200, selling 251,000 copies in the United States; the feat gave Ne-Yo his second number-one album.[31] The first single from the platinum-selling album was thetitle track, which peaked at the number-two spot.[29] Despite the success of "Because of You", later singles released charted lower and were unable to reach the Top 20.[29] The album has been certified platinum by RIAA for a shipment of over one million units.[30] In December 2007, Ne-Yo and theGoo Goo Dolls performed at a fund-raising concert for the then–presidential candidate SenatorBarack Obama.[32]
Ne-Yo's third album,Year of the Gentleman, was released internationally on August 5, 2008. Speaking to noted UK R&B writer Pete Lewis of the award-winningBlues & Soul, Ne-Yo explained the thinking behind its title: "To meYear of the Gentleman is all about a persona, a swag and a charm. I made an assessment of the music business. And, in my personal opinion, the essence of the gentleman is absent right now. Everybody kinda looks the same, everybody's kinda doing the same thing, everybody's kinda rude and full of themselves. Whereas a gentleman is calm, courteous, kind, charming... So that title basically represents me trying to lead by example, and showing these cats what it is to be a gentleman in this business still."[33]
The album sold 250,000 copies in its first week in the United States, debuting on theBillboard 200 at number two.[34] Reviews for the album were positive: in one, Caryn Ganz ofRolling Stone magazine wrote thatYear of the Gentleman is "actually a superb concept album about what a great boyfriend he [Ne-Yo] can be".[35] The first two singles, "Closer" and "Miss Independent", peaked at number seven on theBillboard Hot 100. The album was nominated forBest Contemporary R&B Album andAlbum of the Year at the2009 Grammy Awards, "Closer" forBest Male Pop Vocal Performance, and "Miss Independent" forBest Male R&B Vocal Performance andBest R&B Song.[36]Year of the Gentleman has been certified platinum by RIAA for a shipment of more than one million copies.[30] The third single, "Mad", peaked at number 11 on theBillboard Hot 100.
On August 12, 2008, theNew Kids on the Block released "Single", the second single from their fifth studio album,The Block, which is a duet with Ne-Yo. Ne-Yo included a solo version of the song on his albumYear of the Gentleman. In December 2008, Ne-Yo performed at the Kennedy Center Honors as part of the tribute toBarbra Streisand; he sang and danced to the song "Lover Come Back to Me", which Streisand recorded on her second album in 1963. In 2009,Billboard ranked him as the 57th Artist of the 2000s decade.[37] On September 2, 2009, Ne-Yo released greatest hits albumNe-Yo: The Collection in Japan.[38] The album was also released with a limited edition CD+DVD edition complete with the music videos of singles.[39] It debuted at number four on Japan'sOricon weekly albums chart, selling 55,625 copies in the first week.[40]
In January 2010, Ne-Yo was featured in a duet with singerMariah Carey titled "Angels Cry". In June 2010, Ne-Yo released the single "Beautiful Monster", which became Ne-Yo's third number-one single on theUK Singles Chart. It peaked at number 53 on theBillboard Hot 100 chart. On October 8, 2010, Ne-Yo performed some of his songs from the new album at P.C. Richard & Son Theater in New York City, an event hosted byiHeartRadio.[41] Ne-Yo made an appearance at New York ComicCon to announce that he was collaborating with Stan Lee for a Libra Scale comic.[42] Ne-Yo also met with fans for pictures and autographs in the Cultyard of the ComicCon.[43] The second and third singles released from the album are "Champagne Life" and "One in a Million", respectively.
Libra Scale was released on November 22, 2010. It received critical acclaim from music critics, but was a commercial disappointment, debuting at number nine on theUSBillboard 200 chart, selling less than all of his previous three studio albums. Ne-Yo stated: "The album is based upon this short story which basically follows these three characters who are forced to choose between money-power-and-fame versus love. Which in turn is why I've called it 'Libra Scale'. You know, its whole concept is based on that question of morality – that, if you weighed it all out on a libra scale, which one of those two options would you choose?".[44]Libra Scale sold 112,000 copies in its first week. In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number 11 on theUK Albums Chart, while debuting at number one on theUK R&B Chart.
On February 25, 2011, while on his tour in the United Kingdom, he announced his new album would be calledLove and Passion and would be released in September, but this was proven false as the title was tentative. American rapperFabolous said in an interview that he is planning a collaboration album with Ne-Yo as well. Ne-Yo has also written songs forMary J. Blige,JB,Beyoncé,Monica,Alexandra Burke,Cheryl Cole, andWillow Smith's upcoming albums. Ne-Yo starred in two motion pictures, the long-gestatingGeorge Lucas projectRed Tails, released in early 2012, andBattle: Los Angeles, which was released in the United States on March 11, 2011. Ne-Yo has already finished writing songs for American singer andRoc Nation artistAlexis Jordan and herself-titled debut album as well asJennifer Hudson for her second studio album,I Remember Me, which had a North American release on March 22, 2011. Ne-Yo appeared in the children's preschool showThe Fresh Beat Band and was one of the few artists not to cancel appearances in the wake of the2011 Japan earthquake.[45]
In the spring of 2011, Ne-Yo featured alongsideNayer andAfrojack onPitbull's single "Give Me Everything", which peaked at number one on theBillboard Hot 100, giving Ne-Yo his second US number-one single, his first since 2006's "So Sick" and his first as a guest artist. Ne-Yo also revealed in an interview that he would like to collaborate withChris Brown,Lil Wayne, andDrake on his upcoming album.
In January 2012, it was reported that Ne-Yo, along with his label imprint Compound Entertainment, had moved fromDef Jam Recordings toMotown Records.[46][47] He was also appointed vice president of Motown, serving as a producer, songwriter, mentor, and talent scout.[48] Ne-Yo was slated to release his fifth studio album,R.E.D. (as in "Realizing Every Dream"), on September 18, 2012.[49][50] The album was initially titledThe Cracks in Mr. Perfect.[51] The album's first official single, "Lazy Love", was released on June 12, 2012, and peaked at number forty-two on the USHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. "Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself)", co-written by Australian singer-songwriterSia, was released as the second single on July 31, 2012. The song peaked at number seven on theBillboard Hot 100 and became Ne-Yo's fifth number-one song in the United Kingdom.[52] Because ofKevin McCall's new album and the song Ne-Yo will be in, "Love Time", was not yet released because he and his friend Chris Brown will make an appearance on Ne-Yo's R.E.D. album in the song called "What I Do", which they all will be involved in writing the beat says Ne-Yo, who was interviewed by TMZ in New York. "I expect this to be a banger in clubs for the slow songs and to get Ne-Yo his first top 10 song in years," said Chris Brown, after a celebrity basketball game with Ne-Yo, Kevin Hart, and other celebrities in the month of July.
On August 29, 2012, Ne-Yo was one of the headliners alongsideR&B recording artistMelanie Fiona, in theSummer Beats Concert Series, otherwise known as theMJ Birthday Concert, which was on what would have been the 54th birthday of the late American pop iconMichael Jackson which was sponsored by and live-streamed byPepsi andBillboard. He performed a medley of hits, as well as performing "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Smooth Criminal" and "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" from Jackson's best-selling 1987 album,Bad, in preparation for thereissue ofBad 25 on September 18, 2012. The concert took place atGotham Hall in New York City.[53]R.E.D. was released in the United Kingdom on November 5, and in North America on November 6, 2012.[54] On December 8, 2012, Ne-Yo was the musical guest forSaturday Night Live withJamie Foxx guest-hosting for that week.[55]
In 2012, Ne-Yo was awarded the Hal David Starlight Award of theSongwriter's Hall of Fame which honors gifted songwriters who are at an apex in their careers and are making a significant impact in the music industry via their original songs.[56]
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In March 2013, Ne-Yo collaborated withAkon onDavid Guetta's single "Play Hard", from his 2012 albumNothing but the Beat 2.0. He also collaborated withJessica Sanchez on her single "Tonight" from her debut albumMe, You & the Music. The single, along with the music video was released on March 21, 2013. In April, Ne-Yo andCher Lloyd collaborated on their single "It's All Good", which eventually was featured on Fruttare commercials.[57] Around the same time, he andCeline Dion recorded "Incredible" for Dion's 2013 albumLoved Me Back to Life. "Incredible" was released as a single in February 2014 and the music video premiered in June 2014.[58]
On May 29, 2014, Ne-Yo announced his upcoming sixth studio album would be calledNon-Fiction. That same day, he announced a new single, "Money Can't Buy".[59] On September 16, 2014, the lead single from "Non Fiction" was sent to mainstream radio titled "She Knows" featuringJuicy J.[60] A few months later, Ne-Yo announced that the new release date forNon-Fiction was January 27, 2015.[61] The album included collaborations with Pitbull andCharisse Mills.[62] The album peaked at number five on theBillboard 200 chart.
In July 2015, Ne-Yo collaborated withDimitri Vegas & Like Mike on a new song for theTomorrowland anthem titled "Higher Place".[63] In 2016, Ne-Yo collaborated with Yunel andJ Alvarez for their single entitled "Sin Miedo", released on November 12, 2016, and withDiamond Platnumz for their single entitled "Marry You", released on February 2, 2017.
On May 8, 2017, Ne-Yo released a single "Earn Your Love" from his forthcoming seventh album, whilst announcing that the album is slated for a release in 2017.[64][65] A new single, "Another Love Song" was released on May 30, 2017.[66] He also made a cameo in the comedy filmGirls Trip, starringQueen Latifah,Jada Pinkett Smith, andRegina Hall.[67]
On March 27, 2020, Ne-Yo collaborated with Jamaicandancehall singerCharly Black for a new single,Over Again.[68]
From 2020 to 2021, Ne-Yo competed as "Badger" in thesecond season of theBritish version ofThe Masked Singer. He finished as the runner-up toJoss Stone as "Sausage". He also confirmed that his next album, previously titledSweet Escape had been renamedSelf Explanatory.[69] It was released onMotown Records on July 15, 2022.[70]
In 2023, Ne-Yo competed inseason ten ofThe Masked Singer as "Cow" where he won the season.[71]
Ne-Yo's music is generallyR&B, while he also incorporates pop andhip hop occasionally. His musical influences includeMichael Jackson,Luther Vandross,Babyface,Blackstreet, andUsher.[72][73] Ne-Yo is noted for histenor voice, including his application offalsetto in his works.[74][75][76][77]
Ne-Yo frequently co-writes withTor Erik Hermansen and Mikkel S. Eriksen of the Norwegian production teamStargate. Ne-Yo met them in a hallway atSony Music Studios in New York, and knowing the team produced R&B records, decided to collaborate with them. The collective's early works were tracks fromIn My Own Words, including "So Sick".[78]
Aside from working on his own album, Ne-Yo also collaborates with several other artists. His works include:Rihanna's top-ten singles "Unfaithful", "Russian Roulette", and her number-one hit "Take a Bow",Mario Vazquez's "Gallery",Paula DeAnda's "Walk Away (Remember Me)", andBeyoncé Knowles'Billboard Hot 100 number-one single "Irreplaceable", which stayed at the top of the chart for ten consecutive weeks.[79] He wrote the song "I'm You" forLeona Lewis's debut albumSpirit, and is currently writing songs for her next album and for the debut album of fellowX Factor winnerAlexandra Burke. He has also been working withSugababes for theirseventh album, with memberKeisha Buchanan confirming that Ne-Yo had written a song called "No More You" for their album.[80]
In 2010, he dueted withMariah Carey on "Angel's Cry", a song for her cancelled album,Angels Advocate. Ne-Yo has also written songs forCeline Dion,Whitney Houston,Carrie Underwood,Anastacia,Ciara,Corbin Bleu,Enrique Iglesias, andDima Bilan.[79] He collaborated withLindsay Lohan on her new material, having already finished "Bossy", a pre-single for her new albumSpirit in the Dark.[81] In 2007, Ne-Yo confirmed that he had been contacted by producerwill.i.am to work on what would have beenMichael Jackson's new album.[82] However, at the time of Jackson's death, Ne-Yo's collaborations with him had yet to move past the writing stage.[83] In an interview in 2010, Ne-Yo said that, since Jackson's death, he had been confused as what to do with the songs, as he felt that selling them to another artist or even releasing the songs himself would be disrespectful to Jackson's legacy.[84] In 2009, he wrote "Truth (Saigo no Shinjitsu)" for the Japanese pop groupw-inds.[85]
Ne-Yo ventured out to open his own recording studio, called Carrington House, in Atlanta, Georgia.[86] He also had started his own production company, Compound Entertainment, in 2007, and has hired several producers and songwriters in hopes of turning it into a full-fledgedrecord label. It successfully became a label, and artists such asRaVaughn,Paula Campbell, Sixx John,Adrienne Bailon and Shanell are now associated with Compound.[23][86]
In 2011, Ne-Yo was approached byCartoon Network to help create an animated series. Ne-Yo announced that the show would be titledI Heart Tuesday and that he had created it for his sister.[87] He also stated that he wanted to avoid having the show resemble theanime art style ofThe Boondocks due to the potential cost of the show's animation style.[87][88] The series has since been believed to have been quietly cancelled.
Ne-Yo appeared in an episode ofthe seventh season ofCSI: NY as a hit-man, under his birth name of Shaffer Smith.[89][90]
In 2011, Ne-Yo appeared in an episode ofThe Fresh Beat Band as himself.[91]
He starred as theTin Man inNBC'smusical telecast adaptation ofThe Wiz alongsideDavid Alan Grier,Elijah Kelley,Queen Latifah,Common,Amber Riley,Uzo Aduba andMary J. Blige. The musical telecast premiered December 3, 2015 as a three-hour event. For his performance, he received aCritics' Choice Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Movie made for Television or Limited Series.[92] In May 2018, he took part in theCelebrity Ninja Warrior special forRed Nose Day. He completed the course, resulting in a $30,000 donation.[93]
In December 2018, he was the entertainment at67th Miss Universe pageant where he performed during the opening and final catwalk.
Ne-Yo is passionate about the arts and children and has shown his support forLittle Kids Rock by filming a PSA for the organization.[94]
In November 2024, Ne-Yo began a stint in sports management, signing boxerPaul Bamba as his first fighter. Ne-Yo was initially introduced to boxing through his uncles when he was younger and he participated in martial arts classes. Later in life, boxing was incorporated into his workout routine, where he would meet Bamba.[95] Bamba would become theWorld Boxing Association's cruiserweight champion in December 2024, and brokeMike Tyson's record for most boxing wins in a calendar year via knockout, with 14 KO's. Bamba died on December 27th, 2024, 6 days after winning the championship.[96]
In 2005, Jesseca White, Ne-Yo's girlfriend at the time, gave birth to a boy.[79] Ne-Yo later discovered the child was not his.[97][98]
In June 2010, Ne-Yo toldEbony that he and his then-girlfriend, Monyetta Shaw, were expecting their first child together – a girl due early in 2011.[99] Shaw gave birth prematurely to a daughter in November 2010. Announcing the birth, Ne-Yo said, "I've been in love before but this feels like nothing I've ever felt... like I'm in love for the first time."[100] Shaw and Ne-Yo's son was born in October 2011.[101] They broke up in 2013.[102]
In September 2015, the singer announced that he and Crystal Renay Williams were engaged and expecting a child.[103] They were married on February 20, 2016.[104] A son was born to them in March 2016.[105] Their second son was born in June 2018.[106] In February 2020, Ne-Yo announced that he and Crystal would end their marriage,[107] and he withdrew his divorce case afterwards.[108] The pair reconciled during the onset of theCOVID-19 pandemic in 2020, with Ne-Yo telling CBS chat showThe Talk: "Before the quarantine happened, we were definitely talking divorce, and the quarantine forced us to sit still, block out the noise from the world – you know the world can get very, very loud, and we tend to let the world's opinion mean more in certain situations than it should."[109][110]
Ne-Yo and Crystal's third child, a daughter, was born in June 2021.[111] In April 2022, the couple renewed their vows in a Las Vegas ceremony.[112] Four months later, Crystal filed for divorce, with allegations of Ne-Yo fathering a child outside of marriage.[113] On January 26, 2023, Ne-Yo and Crystal finalized their divorce.[114]
In 2019, in wake of thetelevision documentary,Surviving R. Kelly, Ne-Yo confirmed his support for theMute R. Kelly campaign.[115]
In 2025, he revealed being in apolyamorous relationship with four women.[116][117]
On February 19, 2008, Ne-Yo was arrested forreckless driving and driving without a valid license after driving throughCobb County, Georgia in his 2006Range Rover. It was reported that he was doing about 150 mph, 100 mph over the speed limit. On June 2, 2008, Ne-Yo pleaded guilty to the driving without a valid license charge and no contest to the reckless driving charge. He was sentenced to 24 hours of community service.[118]
In 1998, Ne-Yo signed a management agreement with David Wallace for seven years that Wallace would provide professional management services for Ne-Yo in exchange for 15%. But shortly after, the singer moved toLos Angeles where his career started to blossom.[119] Tanya Wallace maintains David Wallace tried to contact Ne-Yo several times by telephone but was unsuccessful. In 2007, Wallace filed a complaint against Smith in district court, seeking damages for breach of contract and other claims. While litigation was pending, Wallace divorced his wife, Tanya, and the divorce decree awarded Tanya one-half of the proceeds from any future judgment in the lawsuit. The district court later dismissed the case and while Wallace's appeal was pending, he died in 2012.[citation needed][120]
On August 22, 2011, Ne-Yo was sued along with rapperPitbull and DJAfrojack by actressLindsay Lohan, claiming that their song "Give Me Everything" referenced her by name in the lyrics. A judge ruled that Pitbull's use of her name was protected by theFirst Amendment and that Lohan was barely mentioned in the song. Pitbull then won the lawsuit.[121]
On March 22, 2023, Ne-Yo was revealed to have been charged by theUnited States Securities and Exchange Commission for violating investor-protection laws. Ne-Yo settled the charges for over $400,000 without admitting or denying the claims.[122][123]
In August 2017, Ne-Yo announced he had adopted avegan diet after viewing the documentaryWhat the Health. In February 2019, he said in an interview that he had lost "like 30 pounds" and had also reversed histendinitis since he became vegan, calling it "one of the best things he's ever done".[124] However, his representative confirmed in March 2020 that he was no longer a vegan.[125]
During a television appearance in 2023, Ne-Yo made comments that were critical oftransgender youth andgender affirming care for children.[126][127] He later posted an apology for his comments.[126][127] The following day, Ne-Yo retracted his apology and suggested that the apology had come from a publicist.[127][128]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Save the Last Dance 2 | Mixx | Video |
| 2007 | Stomp the Yard | Rich Brown | [129] |
| 2011 | Battle: Los Angeles | Specks | [130] |
| 2012 | Red Tails | Andrew 'Smoky' Salem | [131] |
| 2015 | Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! | Secret Service Agent Deveroux | TV movie |
| The Wiz Live! | The Tin-Man | ||
| 2017 | Girls Trip | Himself | |
| Down by Love | Martin (voice) | Short | |
| 2021 | Hip Hop Family Christmas | Jayson Shannon | TV movie |
| 2022 | Hip Hop Family Christmas Wedding | ||
| The Sound of Christmas | Quentin |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | CosmoGIRL! Spy | Himself | Episode: "Ne-Yo" |
| 2006 | Walmart Soundcheck | Himself | Episode: "Ne-Yo" |
| It's Showtime at the Apollo | Himself | Episode: "Ne-Yo/Ghostface Killah" | |
| Top of the Pops | Himself | Episode: "Episode #43.12" & "#43.24" | |
| 2007 | MTV Cribs | Himself | Episode: "Episode #14.3" |
| SBC Blue Room | Himself | Episode: "Ne-Yo" | |
| Wild 'n Out | Himself | Episode: "Ne-Yo" | |
| The City That Never Sleeps | Himself | Episode: "2008 Spring/Summer Hugo Boss Fashion Show" | |
| 2008 | Las Vegas | Himself | Episode: "Guess Who's Coming to Breakfast" |
| The Real Housewives of New York City | Himself | Episode: "Fashion Week" | |
| All My Children | Himself | Episode: "Episode #1.9878" & "#1.9879" | |
| 2009 | Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List | Himself | Episode: "I Heart Lily Tomlin" |
| The Electric Company | Himself | Recurring Cast: Season 1 | |
| 2010 | Popstars: Girls forever | Himself | Episode: "Popstars: Girls forever" |
| Private Sessions | Himself | Episode: "Ne-Yo" | |
| The Real Housewives of Atlanta | Himself | Episode: "Model Behavior" | |
| Hot 50 of 2010 Countdown | Himself | Episode: "30 to 20... Avant, Doug E. Fresh" | |
| Pop Profiles | Himself | Episode: "Usher" & "Rihanna" | |
| 2011 | The Fresh Beat Band | Himself | Episode: "Band in a Jam" |
| The X Factor | Himself | Episode: "Live Season Finale, Part 2 of 2" | |
| CSI: NY | The Handsome Man | Episode: "Smooth Criminal" | |
| 2012 | 90210 | Himself | Episode: "99 Problems" |
| Empire Girls: Julissa and Adrienne | Himself/Adrienne's Mentor | Episode: "Triple Threat, Baby!" & "Oh Say Can You See" | |
| The X Factor | Himself/Guest Mentor | Episode: "Judges Home Visit 1 & 2" | |
| Never Mind the Buzzcocks | Himself/Host | Episode: "Episode #26.6" | |
| X Factor | Himself/Guest Mentor | Episode: "Das große Finale" | |
| Saturday Night Live | Himself | Episode: "Jamie Foxx/Ne-Yo" | |
| Huff Post's BV 365 | Himself | Episode: "Ne-Yo and Luke James" | |
| The Voice | Himself/Adviser | Recurring Adviser: Seasons 2-3 | |
| 2012-13 | American Idol | Himself | Episode: "Top 7 Results" & "Episode #12.22" |
| 2013 | Styled to Rock | Himself/Guest Mentor | Episode: "Hollywood Glam For Khloe" |
| 2015 | Ridiculousness | Himself | Episode: "Ne-Yo" |
| Follow Me | Himself | Episode: "Ne-Yo" | |
| Empire | Himself | Episode: "Be True" | |
| 2016 | Kocktails with Khloé | Himself | Episode: "Raise Your Glass" |
| America's Got Talent | Himself/Guest Judge | Episode: "Judge Cuts 1" | |
| The Mindy Project | Marcus | Episode: "Baby Got Backslide" & "The Greatest Date in the World" | |
| TripTank | All Voices for Loud Ninja (voice) | Episode: "Sick Day" | |
| 2017 | Lip Sync Battle | Himself | Episode "Taye Diggs vs. Ne-Yo" |
| 2017-19 | Hollywood Game Night | Himself/Celebrity Player | Recurring Guest |
| 2017-20 | World of Dance | Himself/Judge | Main Judge |
| 2018 | American Ninja Warrior | Himself | Episode "Red Nose Day: Celebrity Ninja Warrior" |
| 2018-23 | Step Up: High Water | Sage Odom | Main Cast |
| 2019 | The Substitute | Himself | Episode: "Ne-Yo"[132] |
| 2020 | Nickelodeon's Unfiltered | Himself | Episode: "Porcupines Rock High Tops!" |
| 2020-21 | The Masked Singer UK | Badger | Contestant: Season 2[133] |
| 2022 | Urban One Honors | Himself/Host | Main Host |
| Basketball Wives | Himself | Episode: "Episode #10.4" | |
| Dance Monsters | Himself/Panelist | Main Panelist | |
| 2023 | Soul of a Nation | Himself | Episode: "Soul of a Nation Presents: Black in Vegas" |
| Celebrity Game Face | Himself | Episode: "Music Hitmakers Edition" | |
| Black Pop: Celebrating the Power of Black Culture | Himself | Episode: "Music" | |
| The Masked Singer | Contestant | Performed as "Cow" in Season 10, winner | |
| 2024–present | BMF | Greeny | Season 3 (recurring) |
Ne-Yo has received several nominations at theGrammy Awards during his career, winning three;Best Contemporary R&B Album forBecause of You,Best Male R&B Vocal Performance andBest R&B Song for "Miss Independent". TheMTV Video Music Awards has nominated Ne-Yo in 2008 forBest Dancing in a Video for "Closer".
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