Luisa Sonza is a global force… And now she’ll have an award to prove it!
The 25-year-old Brazilian singer-songwriter will be among the honorees of this year’s Billboard Women in Music Awards.
Sonza will receive one of Billboard’s new Global Force Awards.
Sonza has released three studio albums, two EPs and two compilations. She has also collaborated with both Katy Perry and Demi Lovato. She and Pabllo Vittar cohost the HBO Max show Queen Stars.
But she’s not the only Latinx artist being feted…Young Miko will receive the Impact Award.
The Puerto Rican rapper and singer-songwriter cracked the Billboard Hot 100 last year with her reggaeton song, “Classy 101” (with Feid). She incorporates her identity and interests, including anime and urban music, into her music.
Ice Spice will receive the Hitmaker Award.
“Four” is the 24-year-old half-Dominican American rapper’s magic number at the moment. That’s the number of Grammy nominations she received this year, including best new artist. And it’s the number of top 10 hits on the Hot 100 she amassed last year – for collaborations with Taylor Swift (“Karma”), PinkPantheress (“Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2”) and a pair of collaborations with Nicki Minaj (“Princess Diana” and “Barbie World,” which also featured Aqua).
The latter song is nominated for two Grammys – best rap song and best song written for visual media. “Karma” is nominated for best pop duo/group performance.
Tracee Ellis Ross will host the 2024 Billboard Women in Music Awards, which will be held Wednesday, March 6, at YouTube Theater at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, Calif. – just outside of Los Angeles — and will stream on March 7. The annual event features musical performances and honors women powerhouses who are shaping the music landscape.
Presenters, performers and additional honorees, including the identity of the 2024 Billboard Woman of the Year, will be announced in the coming weeks.
“We could not be more excited to celebrate these inspiring and dynamic artists from around the world, as they move our culture forward and inspire women everywhere to push boundaries and pursue their own dreams,” Billboard’s editorial director, Hannah Karp, said in a statement. “With the talented Tracee Ellis Ross as our host, this year’s Billboard Women in Music Awards will be an unforgettable evening.”
Tickets to attend the Women in Music Awards are available to the public. American Express Card Members get early access to tickets from Wednesday, January 24 at 10:00 am PT/1:00 pm ET – Friday, January 26 at 10:00am PT/1:00 pm ET (terms apply), before the public on-sale Saturday, January 27, at 10:00 am PT/1:00 pm ET, at billboardwomeninmusic.com. Prices range from $89 – $279. Fans can watch the show on Thurs, March 7 at 5pm PT/8pm ET on billboardwomeninmusic.com; more details about the stream will be announced soon.
Here’s a list of the 2024 honorees that have been announced so far.
NewJeans: Group of the Year Award
The South Korean group made a big splash in August 2023 when their second EP, Get Up, entered the Billboard 200 at No. 1, displacing Taylor Swift’s Speak Now (Taylor’s Version). The group also had five Hot 100 hits, topped by “Super Shy,” which rode the chart for two months.
Ice Spice: Hitmaker Award
“Four” is Ice Spice’s magic number at the moment. That’s the number of Grammy nominations she received this year, including best new artist. And it’s the number of top 10 hits on the Hot 100 she amassed last year – for collabs with Taylor Swift (“Karma”), PinkPantheress (“Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2”) and a pair of collabs with Nicki Minaj (“Princess Diana” and “Barbie World,” which also featured Aqua).
The latter song is nominated for two Grammys – best rap song and best song written for visual media. “Karma” is nominated for best pop duo/group performance.
Victoria Monét: Rising Star Award
Monét was nominated for seven Grammys in 2024, for performance, songwriting and engineering. Her haul includes two of the Big Four awards – best new artist and record of the year for “On My Mama.” Monét’s album Jaguar II is nominated for two awards – best R&B album and best engineered album, non-classical.
Kylie Minogue: Icon Award
Minogue kicked off her Las Vegas residency on the heels of her 2023 Tension album, which featured the dance-floor smash “Padam Padam.” The track is nominated for a Grammy for best pop dance recording. Minogue won a Grammy for best dance recording 20 years ago for “Come Into My World.”
Minogue has a longer history on the Billboard Hot 100 than any of this year’s other nominees. She landed her first top 10 hit, a cover version of Little Eva’s “The Loco-Motion,” in 1988. She returned to the top 10 in 2002 with “Can’t Get You Out of My Head.” Her album Fever reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 in 2002.
Maren Morris: Visionary Award
Last year, Maren announced that she was taking a break from country music, the format in which she became a star. She has also been outspoken about aspects of country music culture where she would like to see change. She won a Grammy for best country solo performance for “My Church” seven years ago. She has landed two top 10 albums on the Billboard 200, Hero (No. 5 in 2016) and GIRL (No. 4 in 2019). She landed her biggest hit to date for a pop recording, “The Middle,” on which she teamed with Zedd and Grey. The smash reached No. 5 on the Hot 100 in 2018.
Charli XCX: Powerhouse Award
The pop star performed “Speed Drive” on Barbie: The Album. Her biggest unaccompanied hit on the Hot 100, “Boom Clap,” was also from a film, The Fault in Our Stars. That song made the top 10 in 2014. She has made the top 10 as a featured artist twice – on Icona Pop’s “I Love It” and Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy.” Charli XCX’s album Crash reached No. 7 on the Billboard 200 in 2022.
Tems: Breakthrough Award
The Nigerian singer-songwriter and record producer is nominated for a Grammy as a co-writer of Rhianna’s smash “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The smash, which entered the Hot 100 at No. 2 in late 2022, is nominated for best song written for visual media. A year ago, it brought Tems and her co-writers an Oscar nod for best original song.
Tems won a Grammy last year – best melodic rap performance for Future’s “Wait for U,” on which she was featured (along with Drake). That song topped the Hot 100 in 2022. Tems landed her first top 10 hit, as a featured artist on Wizkid’s “Essence,” in 2021. Justin Bieber was also featured on that smash.
Young Miko: Impact Award
The Puerto Rican rapper and singer-songwriter cracked the Hot 100 last year with her reggaeton song, “Classy 101” (with Feid). She incorporates her identity and interests, including anime and urban music, into her music. Young Miko’s birth name is María Victoria Ramírez de Arellano.
Luísa Sonza: Global Force Award
The Brazilian singer-songwriter will receive one of Billboard’s new Global Force Awards. Sonza has released three studio albums, two EPs and two compilations. She has also collaborated with both Katy Perry and Demi Lovato. She and Pabllo Vittar cohost the HBO Max show Queen Stars.
The adorable Pop! vinyl is wearing the same outfit from Ice Spice’s Y2K album cover — denim shorts, a white cropped tank top and green boots — and sports her signature red hair.
The Funko Pop! will be available for pre-order at Funko.com and Ice Spice’s official merch shop starting on Wednesday, July 31, at 9:30 a.m. PT through Thursday, Aug. 8, at 9:30 a.m. PT.
