t’s a career-recognizing first for Shakira…
The 46-year-old Colombian global superstar will be honored as Billboard’s Woman of the Year at the first-ever Mujeres Latinas en la Música gala.
The two-hour music special, hosted by Ivy Queen and Jacqueline Bracamontes and honoring Latin women in music, will be taped at the Watsco Center in Miami on May 6 and will air exclusively on Telemundo on May 7 at 9:00 pm ET/8:00 pm CT.
A first of its kind for Latin music, Mujeres Latinas en la Música celebrates Latin female artists, executives and creatives who are proactively working for positive change, inclusion and gender parity in the music industry.
Superstars Ana Gabriel, Emilia, Evaluna, Goyo and Thalia will also receive special awards at the inaugural event presented by Billboard with Telemundo.
Shakira’s honor comes in the wake of an extraordinary year that has seen the superstar break records with the biggest Spanish-language debut of 2022 (“Monotonía” featuring Ozuna). Then, in January 2023, her “Shakira: BZRP Music Sessions #53” debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making her the first woman to reach the top 10 on the chart with a song in Spanish.
“Shakira: BZRP Music Sessions #53” 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 over 63 million views, and it broke 14 Guinness World Records.
“Shakira is the ultimate Woman in Music. Thanks to her, Latin women all over the world have been empowered to write and perform deeply personal music. She created a movement all on her own, and continues to be more relevant than ever today, with grace, a deep tradition of giving back, and enormous talent. She is the definition of a Woman in Music,” said Leila Cobo, Billboard’s chief content officer for Latin/Español.
“Shakira has been pivotal in shaping the vibrant and diverse landscape of Latin music and music in general throughout her career. Her passion, talent and creativity have broken barriers and empowered generations to embrace our identity through music, and we are incredibly proud to recognize her as Woman of the Year in the industry,” said Ronald Day, president of entertainment and content strategy for Telemundo.
Shakira has sold more than 95 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time and the top-selling female Latin artist of all time. Her global success as a crossover artist opened doors for other Latin artists to enter international markets. She is the most-viewed Latin female artist, and one of the top 10 artists overall of all time on YouTube with over 20 billion cumulative views, and the most-streamed female Latin artist of all time on Spotify.
Aside from her stellar industry accolades, 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 in construction. The foundation has raised over 40 million dollars since inception and impacted more than 150,000 children and nearly 900,000 families.