Chicago – Last night we were at The Park Supper Club to celebrate 🙌🏽 one of our own bringing an Emmy award 🥇 home 🏠!
You know I love ❤️ my Chicago peers, family, and friends. I truly believe we are some of the greatest people on the planet 🌎, which is why Chicago is one of the best cities in the world 🗺️. I was so grateful to accompany TaRhonda to show love ❤️ and support to one of our very own.
Chicago breeds so many great talents. Once you say ‘Chicago,’ that’s a statement. Like, ‘Oh, you’re from Chicago?’ There’s nothing else to say.”
-Tony Russell, expressing pride in his Chicago roots during his acceptance speech.
About Tony
Tony “Chicago” Russell, a bassist and music director from Chicago, won a Creative Arts Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Direction for his work on Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show. The award was presented in early September 2025.
Russell has been collaborating with Kendrick Lamar for approximately 13 years and has an extensive background in music, having worked with artists such as Usher, Jamie Foxx, and Jay-Z. He attributes his success to his musical upbringing in Chicago, particularly his experiences at First Corinthians M.B. Church, where his mother serves as the pastor.
The Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show, which featured Kendrick Lamar as the first solo rapper to headline, garnered significant attention and acclaim, reaching an audience of 133.5 million viewers. Russell’s role as musical director was instrumental in the success of this performance.
It still hasn’t hit me. It’s still surreal.
– Tony Russell, reflecting on the moment he won the Emmy for Outstanding Music Direction at the 2025 Creative Arts Emmy Awards
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