As for me and my house, SZA has been THAT GIRL in this household since she released her debut album, ‘Ctrl.’ So it’s really dope seeing her consistently getting love and being recognized for what she brings to the table.
Billboard’s annual Women in Music Awards honors the top female artists, producers and executives who’ve made huge strides in the music industry that year. Though the event has expanded since its inception, each year, one woman is awarded the highest honor of ‘Woman of the Year.’ Reba McEntire was the first to be awarded in 2007, with names like Cardi B, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Ciara, Taylor Swift, and Beyoncé receiving the honor in following years. Now, Billboard has announced it’s latest honoree for 2023… SZA.
In a statement shared via email, Billboard Editorial Director Hannah Karp pointed to SZA’s genre-defying consistency over the past five years, all of which led up to last year’s acclaimed SOS release.
“Since she burst onto the scene in 2017, SZA has defied genres and continually released raw, powerful songs which have landed her music on the Billboard charts,” Karp said. “The release of her latest album, SOS has solidified her as a distinct force in contemporary R&B, and catapulted her into superstardom. We can’t wait to honor her as Woman of the Year.”
The ceremony itself, tickets for which are on sale now, is hosted by Quinta Brunson and will take place on March 1 at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood. Additional 2023 honorees include Lana Del Rey (the Visionary Award), Doechii (Honda’s Rising Star Award), Latto (the Powerhouse Award), Kim Petras (the Chartbreaker Award), Ivy Queen (the Icon Award), Lainey Wilson (the Rulebreaker Award), and TWICE (the Breakthrough Award).
While sometimes recipients of these types of honors always see some sort of argument from somewhere, I don’t see any room that this isn’t well deserved for SZA especially with the way she’s been dominating Billboard (and my playlists) as of late.
Congratulations SZA! Do you guys agree with this choice?
