Shakira became the first Latina named “Woman of the Year” by Billboard

Colombian singer Shakira will be honored by Billboard as “Woman of the Year” during the celebration of the first “Latin Women in Music” event, which will be held on May 6 at the Watsco Auditorium in Miami.

Also superstars Ana Gabriel, Emilia, Evaluna, Goyo and Thalía will also receive special awards at the Billboard and Telemundo event, which will broadcast exclusively the following day, May 7.

It is a two-hour musical program, presented by Ivy Queen and Jacqueline Bracamontes, which aims to celebrate Latina artists, executives and creatives who proactively work for positive change that brings inclusion and gender parity in the music industry. music.

“Shakira is the definitive woman in music. Thanks to her, Latina women around the world have been empowered to write and perform deeply personal music.” said Leila Cobo, director of content for Billboard for Latin/Spanish and also of Colombian origin.

“He created a movement of his own and remains more relevant than ever today, with grace, a deep tradition of giving back, and tremendous talent. She is the definition of a woman in music.” Cobo added in a Billboard statement.

Shakira will be honored for her “extraordinary” achievements in music, such as becoming the first woman to reach the Top 10 on the Billboard chart with “Shakira: BZRP Music Sessions #53.”

That song produced by Argentinean Bizarrap also made history as the most streamed Latin track in 24 hours in Spotify history and the most viewed Latin track on YouTube in 24 hours, with more than 63 million views, breaking 14 Guinness Records.

The Colombian, who personally has gone through a turbulent period due to her separation from Spanish soccer player Gerard Piqué and her move to Miami from Barcelona with her two children, has sold more than 95 million records worldwide, making her Best-selling female Latin artist of all time.

His worldwide success as a “crossover” artist (also entering the English market) opened the doors for other Latino artists to enter international markets.

She is the most viewed female Latina artist and one of the top 10 overall artists of all time on YouTube with over 20 billion cumulative views, and the most streamed female Latina artist of all time on Spotify.

Apart from her stellar accolades from the industry, at the age of 18, Shakira created the Pies Descalzos Foundation, which has built and adapted nine public schools in Cartagena, Barranquilla, Guajira and Quibdó, with six under construction.

The foundation has raised more than $40 million since its inception and has impacted more than 150,000 children and nearly 900,000 families.

The inaugural Latina Women in Music event was announced earlier this year as an expansion of Billboard’s Women in Music franchise. Shakira will join the previously announced lineup of powerful women shaping the music industry.

Honorees include Mexican Ana Gabriel, who will receive the Living Legend Award; Emilia from Argentina, who will receive the Rising Star award; the Evaluna, which will receive the Tradition and Future Award; the Colombian Goyo, who will receive the Agent of Change award, and the Mexican Thalía, who will receive the Global Powerhouse award.

With information from EFE