Karol G Is Billboard’s Woman of the Year
Billboard recognized Latin pop artist Karol G for her outstanding accomplishments by making her 2024 Woman of the Year.
On March 6, the Colombian singer was honored at Billboard’s Woman in Music Awards, an event dedicated to celebrating influential women who have made significant contributions to the music industry.
Karol G is used to making history with her incredible achievements. With her record, Mañana Será Bonito, she became the first woman to win a Grammy for Best Música Urbana Album and to top the Billboard 200 with an all-Spanish-language album.
karol g is making history as the 2024 billboard woman of the YEAR my latina QUEEN pic.twitter.com/QAakRJYsAw
— ale ♡ (@mandocosmo) March 7, 2024
Now, the Medellín native continues to trailblaze for Latina artists with her recognition as Woman of the Year. The “QLONA” singer is the first artist to be awarded the title who hails from Latin America and whose discography primarily consists of Spanish-language music.
KAROL G WOMAN OF THE YEAR IKTR !!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/5KZXqiKU2O
— kim namjoon baby mama (@ssolsunz) March 7, 2024
This award marks the achievement of a dream for Karol G, as she previously revealed, “If you asked me, ‘Karol, what would be your dream?’ That your name be recognized worldwide. That would be amazing.”
The Latina star now joins fellow recipients, SZA, Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Cardi B, and more. To have an artist who performs in Spanish win this award is a major accomplishment.
Hoy los Billboard homenajean a mi reina Karol G como “Woman of the year “ pic.twitter.com/uYt3CCsS2X
— RMAYTEB (@RMAYTEB_) March 6, 2024
“It’s easy to talk about Karol as a leader in Latin music, but based on the success she has had, especially this year, she should be spoken about in the same breath as Taylor or Beyoncé,” the artist’s touring agent previously told Billboard. Now, she has achieved exactly that.
“It shows that music and artistry are not bound by language or borders, and Billboard recognizes that. This is truly a historic moment for the brand and for Latin music,” Leila Cobo, Billboard’s Chief Content Officer for Latin and Español, explained.
buenos días, hoy es bonito, hoy billboard le entrega a karol g el reconocimiento a mujer del año pic.twitter.com/IMmLf8rYlp
— marti| PINK FRIDAY GIRL (@minajxnimri) March 6, 2024
Prior to receiving the award, the singer took to the stage to perform a salsa version of her hit song “Amargura.”
KAROL G U WERE INCREDIBLE TONIGHT AT BILLBOARD @karolg pic.twitter.com/coHomcMThs
— carlos (@feelineedy) March 7, 2024
Karol G’s billboard performance was everything
— Wendy Trevizo (@AlmuinaWendy) March 8, 2024
To make the moment even more meaningful, Colombian actress Sofía Vergara presented the award. Karol G acknowledged how special it was to have her Griselda co-star be the one to introduce her at the beginning of her speech.
WHAT A MOMENT! Sofia Vergara presents the Woman of the Year award to Karol G. pic.twitter.com/59IZ1viqVt
— Karol G Access (@accesskarolg) March 7, 2024
Her speech, which she gave in Spanish, acknowledged the struggles the artist faced as a woman in the music industry. “For years and years, I lived very disappointed with the fact of being a woman. I found myself on the road with so many rejections and so many lost opportunities,” Karol G explained.
“I decided that if my environment did not change, I was the one who had to change and I was the one who was going to do it. And that I wasn’t going to let being a woman be an obstacle or define my capabilities, but that it was going to be my strength,” she continued.
Karol G also addressed her fellow women who work hard to pave the way for a brighter future. “This is not only for me. I want to thank all the people, all the women who also work every day, who also open a path that we are not aware of… And to the women who are coming in the future, who are also working very hard already,” she remarked.
The singer considers this the “most significant and important recognition of all [her] career.” She hopes to inspire others, sharing, “I’m really just standing here to say that just like I did, all of you can do it too.”
Karol g’s billboard speech was sooo good
— Kassandra Machado (@Kaassaannddra) March 8, 2024
When asked about her future plans, the artist revealed, “I feel a huge responsibility to make the year on par with the title.”
Fans can support Karol G by streaming her music and watching her acceptance speech below.
