Shakira to Receive Woman of the Year Award at Billboard Latin Women in Music

Billboard and Telemundo announced that Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Shakira will be honored with the 2023 Woman of the Year Award at Billboard Mujeres Latinas en la Música.

Hosted by Ivy Queen and Jacqueline Bracamontes, the first-ever Latin Women in Music event will take place at Watsco Center in Miami, FL, to be taped on Saturday, May 6, 2023 and air on Sunday, May 7, 2023 at 9 PM/8 CT on Telemundo and Universo. The show will also stream simultaneously on the Telemundo app and on Peacock.

The two-hour music special will feature powerhouse performances, impactful historic moments, and can't-miss surprises celebrating Latin female artists, executives and creatives who are proactively working for positive change, inclusion and gender parity in the music industry.

"Shakira is the ultimate Woman In Music. Thanks to her, Latin women all over the world were 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 Women of the Year in the industry," said Ronald Day, President of Entertainment and Content Strategy for Telemundo.

Shakira has sold over 95 million records worldwide, making the Colombian superstar 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.

Her single "Monotonía," featuring Ozuna, broke records becoming the biggest Spanish language debut of 2022, the biggest solo female debut on YouTube and the biggest debut of her career. In 24 hours, Shakira's latest release, "SHAKIRA || BZRP Music Sessions #53" made history both on Spotify with over 14 million streams, making it the most streamed Latin track in 24 hours in the history of the platform, and the most viewed Latin track on YouTube in 24 hours with over 63 million views.

The song debuted at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 is another historic moment for Shakira as she is the first solo woman to reach the Top 10 on the chart with a song recorded in Spanish. With the release of this song, Shakira broke a whopping 14 Guinness World Records, bringing her total to 17 overall.

Named Billboard's Top Female Latin Artist of the Decade twice (2000 and 2010), Shakira has received numerous accolades, including seven (7) Billboard Music Awards, thirty-nine (39) Billboard Latin Music Awards, three (3) Grammy Awards, twelve (12) Latin Grammy Awards, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She served as a coach on two seasons of the American singing competition television series The Voice (2013-2014), and took a global stage performing alongside Jennifer Lopez at the 2020 Super Bowl halftime show.

Aside from her stellar industry accolades, at the age of 18, Shakira created the Pies Descalzos Foundation, who have built and adapted 9 public schools in Cartagena, Barranquilla, Guajira and Quibdó, with 6 in construction. The foundation has raised over 40 million dollars since inception and impacted over 150,000 children and nearly 900,000 families.

She has also served as an advocate for early childhood education, giving speeches in prestigious universities such as Oxford and Harvard. In October 2011, Shakira was named a member of President Obama's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, and in January 2017 she was awarded the Crystal Award for her work in the field of education.

The inaugural Latin Women in Music event was announced earlier this year as an expansion of Billboard's Women in Music franchise. Billboard and Telemundo aim to further elevate Latin music globally and celebrate the women who have made a concrete impact on Latin music through their artistic achievements, or through tangible, noteworthy actions that have brought measurable recognition and opportunity to women, effecting positive change to the industry as a whole.

Shakira will join the previously announced lineup of powerhouse women shaping the music industry. Honorees include Ana Gabriel, who will receive the Living Legend Award; Emilia will receive the Rising Star Award; Evaluna will receive the Tradition and Future Award; Goyo will receive the Agent of Change Award; Thalia will receive the Global Powerhouse Award. Additional information about Billboard Mujeres Latinas en la Música, including performers and presenters, will be announced in the coming weeks.

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