Colombian singer-songwriter Karol G has won Billboard’s 2024 Woman of the Year award, joining Taylor Swift, SZA, and Lady Gaga.
On Sunday, Karol G won her first Grammy and became the first woman to win in best música urbana, perhaps shifting notions of reggaetón and Latin hip-hop as primarily “men’s music.”
“You know, I take a lot of responsibility for that. As a woman, I have to explain that in my experience, it was difficult, among other things, to be a girl in this industry, in the music that I make, in urban music,” she told The Associated Press.
She will be honoured as Woman of the Year at the Billboard Women in Music Awards on March 6. Previous recipients include Madonna, Cardi B, Billie Eilish, Selena Gomez, and Ariana Grande.
In 2023, her album “Mañana Será Bonito” (one of AP’s picks for best of the year) broke streaming records and reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200, becoming the first woman to accomplish so with a Spanish-language release.
“With her immense talent, Karol G has created a movement for women across the globe due to her empowering lyrics and shameless confidence,” stated Hannah Karp, Billboard’s Editorial Director, in a statement. “Mañana Será Bonito, her revolutionary record, has established her as a formidable force in both English and Spanish charts. We are thrilled to recognize her as Woman of the Year.”
Other Billboard Women in Music Award winners include Ice Spice, NewJeans, Victoria Monét, Maren Morris, Kylie Minogue, Young Miko, and more.
Tracee Ellis Ross, an actor and producer, will host the awards presentation at the YouTube Theater in Hollywood Park, Los Angeles.
