After an incredibly successful year and on the heels of her Billboard 200 chart-topping fourth album Sweetener, Ariana Grande has been named Billboard’s 2018 Woman of the Year.
The superstar singer, songwriter, actress and activist will be presented with the award Dec. 6 at the 13th annual Women in Music dinner and awards gala in New York. Grande joins a history of icons who have been previously honored as Woman of the Year, including Selena Gomez, Madonna, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift.
“Ariana Grande is a star on her own terms, never bending to any particular musical trend or path in the industry,” says Ross Scarano, Billboard’s vp content. “Certain in her convictions, she consistently stands up for herself and her decisions in a world that often isn’t hospitable to that sort of strength in young women. She’s got guts, she’s making some of the best music of her career and she’s absolutely deserving of Woman of the Year.”
Over the course of her career, Grande has claimed the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 albums chart three times. Her latest chart-topper was August’s Sweetener, home to the hits “No Tears Left to Cry” and “God Is a Woman” and scoring the largest streaming week ever for a pop album by a female artist upon its release.
Beyond music, Grande uses her platform and strength to support causes she believes in. She took part in March for Our Lives earlier this year in support of smarter gun control laws and is constantly advocating for mental health awareness, gender equality, LGBTQ rights and Black Lives Matter on her social media accounts. Following the tragic Manchester Arena bombing outside her concert last year, the songstress helped organize the One Love Manchester benefit concert, which raised more than $23 million to aid victims and their families.
The Women in Music event and red-carpet preshow will broadcast live Dec. 6 via Twitter from 7 to 10 p.m. ET. Sponsors include American Airlines, Honda Stage and Nielsen Music.
This article was originally published by Billboard.
