Selena Gomez has been selected as Billboard’s 2017 Woman of the Year. The Revival hitmaker will be honored during the annual Women in Music dinner and awards gala on November 30 for her achievements in the music industry and for her status as an inspiration to her millions of fans.
“Not only is Selena soaring on the charts, but she continuously inspires young women everywhere to be authentic, give back and to not be afraid to use their voices,” John Amato, president of the Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group, said of the pop star. He added that he was “thrilled” to honor the 25-year-old, who will join the ranks of previous honorees including Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Pink, Katy Perry, Fergie and Madonna.
While accepting her award last year, the “Living For Love” icon delivered a stirring speech about sexism and ageism in the industry. “There are no rules, if you’re a boy. If you’re a girl you have to play the game,” she admitted. “What is that game? You’re allowed to be pretty and cute and sexy. But don’t act too smart. Don’t have an opinion. Don’t have an opinion that is out of line with the status quo, at least.”
It seems safe to assume that Selena will have something equally important to say this year. Last month she was one of 46 women to land a cover on Time magazine and was recognized for her ability to change the world by speaking to her more than one hundred million follows on Instagram. She has used that platform to inform her fans about important events across the globe and will likely do the same at this event.
The recognition will come just two weeks after her first televised performance of the year at the American Music Awards. There she will perform her latest single, “Wolves.”The club collaboration with Marshmello has been burning up the charts since it dropped last week. It is currently sitting in the top 10 on the US iTunes chart and shows signs of improving as promo ramps up.
After abandoning promo plans her summer singles “Bad Liar” and “Fetish” to undergo a kidney transplant, Selena is clearly ready to make a splash in 2017. Yesterday (October 30), she sat down for an in-depth interview about her battle with lupus and the kidney transplant that saved her life. Amidst headlines about her rekindled friendship with Justin Bieber, she was steadfast in discussing an issue that is very important to her. This is just more evidence of why she is worthy for Billboard’s honor. Check out the announcement below.
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This article was originally published by: Idolator
