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Recently, Billboard has named singer, songwriter, actress, and activist Ariana Grande as “Woman of the Year” for 2018, which she will formally receive at the Billboard’s 13th annual Women in Music gala on December 6 at New York City.
Some of the past recipients of the honorable award were Taylor Swift, Madonna, Lady Gaga, and Selena Gomez – who are all considered as female icons of this generation. This year, Ariana Grande joins them being one of the inspirational and influential women in the music industry.
“Ariana Grande is a star on her own terms, never bending to any particular musical trend or path in the industry,” Ross Scarano, Billboard’s Vice President of content, shared, “Certain in her convictions, she consistently stands up for herself and her decisions in a world that often isn’t hospitable to that sort of strength in young women. She’s got guts, she’s making some of the best music of her career, and she’s absolutely deserving of Woman of the Year.”
It is undeniable that Ariana is one of the most successful artists of this generation as she claimed the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 albums chart three times and has won numerous awards over the course of her career. Moreover, Ariana uses her platform to create a voice for the causes she believes in. She has supported numerous charities which includes the One Love Manchester — which she helped organize and raised more than $ 23 million as aid to the victims and their families.
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2018 was such a successful year for Ariana Grande as she released her fourth studio album “Sweetner” which scored the largest streaming week ever for a pop album by a female artist upon its release. She also received numerous awards such as Best Pop music video at the VMAs. But despite her overwhelming success this year, it was no easy year for Ariana Grande as she also faced a lot challenges.
She went through the sudden death of her ex-boyfriend Mac Miller who died of overdose. This made her to be more vocal about the importance of mental health awareness along with issues about the LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, and smarter gun control. This year Ariana also went through a break-up with her supposedly fiancé Pete Davidson, yet she remains to be strong despite all of these.
With her latest album “Sweetner” and single “thank u, next”, Ariana Grande continues to conquer the music industry. Even more, she continues to inspire many young girls to embrace their capabilities and how women are as powerful as men as promoted by her single “God is a Woman”. Ariana Grande, despite all the challenges and convictions, has always been resilient and strong – which makes her a good role model for this generation.
She truly deserves the title “Woman of the Year” as she has proven that she is more than a talented beautiful artist as she is also a woman with a heart and a purpose.
