From playing young Simba in Broadway’s Lion King in the early 2000’s at the age of 10 to being a co-star of the hit Nickelodeon show Victorious, 10 years after his Broadway debut Leon Thomas III, now 32, has been in the spotlight more than half his life. Thomas, now one of today’s rising R&B stars, sold out two nights at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles, CA December 22nd and 23rd on his Mutts Don’t Heal Tour which kicked off at the end of October. Before the tour announcement, he had won Best New Artist at the BET Awards in 2025. Thomas currently has six GRAMMY nominations, including a nomination for the most coveted award: Album of the Year. Thomas performed at the most recent Rock Hall of Fame concert during its opening performance which was a tribute to Sly Stone which included Stevie Wonder, Flea, Beck, Questlove, Jennifer Hudson, and Maxwell. Thomas was also the cover artist for this past end of year issue for Music Connection. Thomas played a set including hits like “Love Jones,” “Not Fair," and “Mutt.”
Photos by Alex Kluft
