Gerald Maxwell Rivera (born May 23, 1973), known mononymously as Maxwell, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He rose to prominence following the release of his debut studio album Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite (1996), which received widespread acclaim and spawned the hit singles "Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)" and "Sumthin' Sumthin'". Through the album and its follow ups, Maxwell has been credited—alongside Lauryn Hill, D'Angelo, and Erykah Badu—with popularizing neo soul for mainstream audiences in the late 1990s. His second and third albums, Embrya (1998) and Now (2001), both received platinum certifications by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA); the latter became his first to debut atop the Billboard 200 chart. His 1999 single, "Fortunate" was released for the R. Kelly-produced soundtrack to the film Life, and yielded his furthest commercial success as it peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. After an eight-year hiatus, Maxwell returned with the release of his fourth album BLACKsummers'night (2009), which became his second to peak atop the Billboard 200 and won two Grammy Awards—Best R&B Album and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance—from six nominations; its single, "Pretty Wings" was nominated for Song of the Year. His fifth album, blackSUMMERS'night (2016), was supported by the single "Lake by the Ocean" and met with continued acclaim. Maxwell has won three Grammy Awards, six Soul Train Music Awards and two NAACP Image Awards. He was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and Congressional Black Caucus in 2019 for "his innovative contributions to the music industry as a singer, songwriter, and producer".