Monáe & Lauper to Receive Trailblazer & Icon Awards Respectively, Joining Previously Announced “Woman of the Year” Recipient Ariana Grande as Honorees
NEW YORK, Nov. 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Billboard, the leading destination for charts, news, trends and innovations in music, announced today that it will honor Janelle Monáe and Cyndi Lauper at its 13th annual Women in Music event on December 6 in New York City. Monáe will accept the Trailblazer Award while Lauper will accept the Icon Award at the same ceremony as previously announced “Woman of the Year” recipient Ariana Grande. The highly regarded event, held in conjunction with the release of Billboard’s Women in Music issue, will also honor the most powerful female executives in the industry.
“The entire world recognizes the power of Cyndi Lauper’s pop music, and just as crucially, she has used her undeniable talent to soar beyond music, create positive change in modern society and become a true Icon,” says Billboard’s Editorial Director, Jason Lipshutz. “And Janelle Monáe’s insatiable drive to incorporate new, untold stories into her artistic projects — while synthesizing classic funk, soul, R&B, jazz, hip-hop and rock — makes her a truly unique voice. Popular music is more interesting today because Janelle Monáe is part of it.”
The Icon Award recognizes a female artist of extraordinary accomplishment whose historic contributions to the industry and artistry of music establish her among the highest class of all-time performers. Over the course of her four-decade career, Cyndi Lauper has contributed timeless hits to the pop canon (including eight top 10 hits on the Hot 100 chart). She has been lauded for her work in film, TV and theater, and is a GRAMMY, TONY and EMMY winner. Cyndi’s groundbreaking sound and style continue to influence generations of musicians and fans, and she is also a celebrated humanitarian and advocate. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the True Colors Fund, which Lauper co-founded to end youth homelessness among the LGBTQ community.
The Trailblazer Award recognizes a female artist who acts as a pioneer within the music industry by using her platform to amplify unheard voices and break ground for future generations of performers. Janelle Monáe has helped redefine how a black woman can be represented in popular culture over the past decade, and with her No. 6-peaking album Dirty Computer — along with its sci-fi-inflected accompanying film project of the same name — she has continued unleashing her creativity in striking new ways.
The 13th annual Women in Music event and red-carpet pre-show will be broadcast live on Twitter, 7pm-10pm EST on December 6. Additional honorees of Billboard’s 2018 Women in Music event will be announced in the coming weeks. The 2018 event is sponsored by American Airlines, American Express, Fiji, Honda Stage and Nielsen Music.
ABOUT AMERICAN EXPRESS:
American Express is a globally integrated payments company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. Learn more at americanexpress.com and connect with us on facebook.com/americanexpress, instagram.com/americanexpress, linkedin.com/company/american-express, twitter.com/americanexpress, and youtube.com/americanexpress.
ABOUT FIJI WATER:
FIJI® Water, natural artesian water bottled at the source in Viti Levu (Fiji islands), is the No. 1 imported premium bottled water in the United States. FIJI Water, known for its iconic square bottle, soft mouth feel and unique mineral profile, is the water of choice among discerning consumers and top chefs. Widely available at fine restaurants and hotels, all major retail channels and through a convenient home/business delivery service, FIJI Water has expanded globally to more than 80 countries. To discover Earth’s Finest Water, please visit www.fijiwater.com, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Instagram and Twitter.
ABOUT HONDA STAGE:
Building on its deep foundation of bringing music to fans, Honda has brought together an unprecedented group of entertainment and technology leaders, including iHeartMedia, UPROXX, Vevo, Billboard and Universal Music Group to produce and distribute some of the best original, high-quality music content available. Honda Stage is a unique combination of live events including the Honda Civic Tour and premier music festival partnerships with Austin City Limits and Governor’s Ball; and, exclusive online content offering music fans access to custom live and online music programming and performances, artist interviews and more.
For more go to:
http://www.youtube.com/HondaStage
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ABOUT HONDA:
Honda offers a full line of reliable, fuel-efficient and fun-to-drive vehicles with advanced safety technologies sold through over 1,000 independent U.S. Honda dealers. The Honda lineup includes the Fit, Civic, Accord and Clarity series passenger cars, along with the HR-V, CR-V and Pilot sport/utility vehicles, the Ridgeline pickup and the Odyssey minivan.
Honda has been producing automobiles in America for more than 35 years and currently operates 19 major manufacturing facilities in North America. In 2017, nearly 93% of all Honda and Acura vehicles sold in the U.S. were made in North America, using domestic and globally sourced parts.
ABOUT NIELSEN MUSIC:
Nielsen Holdings plc (NYSE: NLSN) is a global performance management company that provides a comprehensive understanding of what consumers Watch and Buy. Nielsen’s Watch segment provides media and advertising clients with Total Audience measurement services across all devices where content — video, audio and text — is consumed. The Buy segment offers consumer packaged goods manufacturers and retailers the industry’s only global view of retail performance measurement. By integrating information from its Watch and Buy segments and other data sources, Nielsen provides its clients with both world-class measurement as well as analytics that help improve performance. Nielsen, an S&P 500 company, has operations in over 100 countries that cover more than 90 percent of the world’s population. For more information, visit www.nielsen.com.
ABOUT BILLBOARD MEDIA GROUP:
Billboard is the world’s largest voice in music, built on the most complete and well-respected database of charts across all music genres. The Billboard charts define success in music. From the iconic Billboard magazine to Billboard.com, the ultimate consumer-facing destination for millions of passionate music fans, to the industry’s most elite conference series and influencer events including the Power 100 and Women in Music – the Billboard brand has unmatched authority among fans, artists and the industry alike. Billboard has a social media footprint of 25.5M+ million social followers across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, and creates more than 160M+ cross-platform video views per month. Billboard magazine has published major news-generating covers recently including Travis Scott, Zayn, Janet Jackson, Lil Wayne, Demi Lovato, Cardi B, Christina Aguilera, Eminem, DJ Khaled, Shakira, BTS, and an open letter to Congress signed by 180+ of the music industry’s biggest stars and executives. In December 2017, the Billboard Women in Music ceremony, which honored Selena Gomez as Woman of the Year, was live-streamed globally on Twitter.
In 2016, The Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group acquired Spin Media’s storied music assets Spin, Vibe, and Stereogum, establishing the world’s largest music brand by digital traffic, social reach, and audience share. The combined entity of music and entertainment properties now reaches 41 Million + unique visitors and more than 20% of U.S. millennials.
Media Contact: billboard@42west.net
SOURCE Billboard
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