Billboard’s Women in Music Gala spotlights trailblazing women who revolutionized the music industry in 2023.
We celebrated Women’s History Month with the women who changed the music landscape with Billboard Women in Music.
Women are integral parts of the music industry, especially in 2023. They pushed the boundaries of it, broke through it, and evolved their respective genres and aspects in the process. This year, Billboard honors several women around the world who are receiving recognition as global forces in the industry.
Each woman is spotlighted at the Women in Music ceremony, presented by Marriott Bonvoy. The iconic Tracee Ellis Ross hosts the event at the YouTube Theatre in Los Angeles. These visionaries are singers, songwriters, instrumentalists, and producers making groundbreaking contributions to the music industry.
Honoring Women in Music
The event’s billing includes Karol G Billboard’s 2024 Woman of the Year. Next is this year’s Powerhouse honoree, Charli XCX, and Icon titleholder Kylie Minogue. Maren Morris accepts the Visionary Award. Then NewJeans is honored with Group of the Year, presented by Coke Studio. While PinkPantheress is Producer of the Year presented by Bose, and Tems is 2024’s Breakthrough star.
In addition, Victoria Monet was honored with the Rising Star title presented by Honda.
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Katy Perry presents Executive of the Year
A surprise appearance from Katy Perry happened as she presented the Executive of the Year Award to her longtime label boss, Michelle Jubelirer.
She has been a beacon for artists, nurturing their talents and supporting their personal growth
Perry then said of the former Capitol Music Group CEO/chair
She heard me, she saw me, she created space for me, even supported me through my journey of motherhood.
Victoria Monet accepts Rising Star Award
Fresh from her three Grammy wins, including Best New Artist, after her “On My Mama” performance was introduced by JoJo. Another surprise presenter hit the stage to present Victoria Monét with her Rising Star Award: Her Mama.
Hi, I’m L’Tanya Chestang-Cubit, also known as Mommy Monét and tonight is a testament to your remarkable abilities,
L’Tanya then told her beaming daughter, who marveled in her speech:
It’s one thing to receive an award, but to receive it from someone you’ve known your whole life is really awesome.
New Jeans Accepts Group of the Year
The loudest fanbase in the crowd of the ceremony is NewJeans’ Bunnies, who made themselves known throughout the night. They accepted the Group of the Year award, making an acceptance speech with Danielle saying,
Reflecting back on the past two years, we’ve been so incredibly blessed,
Danielle then said on behalf of NewJeans
PinkPantheress accepts Producer of the Year
Hitting the stage to accept her Producer of the Year Award. PinkPantheress climbed the stairs opposite where presenter Coco Jones waited with the prize. The U.K. artist then had to sprint like a video game character.
There was no hesitation as she sprinted across the stage, leaving her almost breathless for her acceptance speech. She then said, pun unintended,
I was at university in a dorm room – oh, my heart’s beating really quickly! – when I decided there was no way graduating university was going to make me happy in the long run
Marren Morris accepts the Visionary Award
Maren Morris made sure to thank the inner circle of women who helped her through a roller coaster of a year. Breaking ties with the country music community. She went through a divorce from fellow artist Ryan Hurd, her husband of more than five years.
In her acceptance speech, she said:
I would not have been able to survive this past year of my life
She then said,
Not to get too serious, but this year has been a lot, and the women in my life have truly banded around me and held me upright.
Charli XCX accepts the Powerhouse Award
Charli XCX live-debuted a new song on the Women in Music stage. XCX announced ahead of the performance.
This song is about a person who’s really, really special to me who’s no longer with us it’s called ‘So I.’
The song is dedicated to the late producer SOPHIE, who passed away in January 2021 and with whom Charli is credited for creating the hyper-pop genre, along with producer A.G. Cook. She showed the reason why she is indeed a powerhouse. Her accepting the award is a bonus for shaping the hyper-pop genre as we know it.
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Luísa Sonza accepts the Global Force Award
Before Luísa Sonza accepted her Global Force Award, Demi Lovato made an unannounced appearance during her performance. The pop star popped up to join Sonza for their “Penhasco2” duet.
First of all, thank you Demi Lovato for [joining] me,
Sonza then said following the performance, which also included an English/Portuguese version of her song “Chico.”
I’m a Brazilian singer, I mostly sing in Portuguese, so this is so crazy, and I’m so nervous right now.
Tems accepts the Breakthrough Award
Tems accepts the Breakthrough Award saying in her acceptance speech:
I really want to use this opportunity to say to all the women in the room, in the world, that no matter what you’re going through, you should know you’re not alone
She then followed it up saying:
So even when you’re sad, even when you’re angry, there’s someone that’s angry, too. So uplift everybody around you because they need that like you and somebody’s there for you. It’s the women that got the women, trust me.
Kyle Minogue accepts the Icon Award
Icon Award recipient Kylie Minogue during her acceptance speech said:
All the times that were not peak moments. They were no fun. But those challenges, the lows, the stuff we’ve gotta get through sometimes, I wanted to give a big shout-out to all the terrible times.
She then followed it up with
Thank you for teaching us. They were horrendous in the moment, but they happen, and it’s how we navigate them and what we do with them. I’m not looking forward to the next one, but it will come.
Her career spanned as long as Madonna and her accepting the award is the cherry on top of that.
Karol G accepts Billboard’s 2024 Woman of the Year
The final performance of the night is Billboard’s 2024 Woman of the Year, Karol G. She performed with an all-female band of dancers, singers, and instrumentalists for a salsa rendition of her 2023 hit “Amargura.” There were 13 performers in total onstage, including Emily Estefan, Gloria, and Emilio Estefan’s daughter, on drums.
Accepting her award, she spoke in Spanish during her acceptance speech, saying:
I’m really just standing here to say that just like I did, all of you can do it too. And never, never give someone else the authority to decide on your own decisions, to say whether something you are doing is bad or good, has value or has no value. No one can put value on you as a person, not as a woman, not as a professional. It is you yourself who works for it, sweats for it, gets it and earns it.
Billboard Women in Music Overall
Since 2007, Billboard has been awarding Women in Music. From Taylor Swift to Selena Gomez, Beyoncé to Lady Gaga, Pink to Olivia Rodrigo. Women in Music span multiple genres and are empowered to do what they do to make their dreams a reality.
From innovators to icons, legends to powerhouses, game changers to global forces, women will continue to redefine music for decades to come, and that is for certain.
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Sourc: Billboard
