Shakira has been named Billboard's inaugural "Latin Woman of the Year"

Billboard has announced that Shakira will be the first-ever recipient of the Mujeres Latinas en la Música "Latin Woman of the Year" award. The ceremony, which celebrates Latin women in music, will air on Spanish-language TV channel Telemundo on May 7. Shakira will accept the award during the event. Leila Cobo, Billboard's chief content officer for Latin/Español, praised Shakira for empowering Latin women worldwide to write and perform deeply personal music.

Shakira's recent song "Monotonía" featuring Ozuna had the biggest Spanish-language debut of 2022. In January 2023, her song "Shakira: BZRP Music Sessions #53" debuted at No. 9 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, making her the first woman to reach the top 10 with a Spanish song. The song currently holds the record for the most-streamed Latin track in 24 hours in Spotify history and the record for the most-viewed Latin track on YouTube in 24 hours, with over 63 million views. It broke 14 Guinness World Records, according to Billboard. Shakira has sold over 95 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling musicians of all time.

Ronald Day, president of entertainment and content strategy for Telemundo, noted that Shakira has been a pivotal figure in shaping the diverse landscape of Latin music throughout her career. The Mujeres Latinas en la Música event will be hosted by Ivy Queen and Jacqueline Bracamontes and will last for two hours. The event will celebrate Latin female artists, executives, and creatives who are working towards positive change, inclusion, and gender parity in the music industry. Other Latin superstars who will receive awards at the ceremony include Evaluna, Ana Gabriel, Emilia, Goyo, and Thalia. This event marks the first of its kind for Latin music, according to Billboard.