Janelle Monae will be honored with the coveted Trailblazer Award at Billboard‘s upcoming Women In Music ceremony. The 13th annual event will take place on Dec. 6 in New York City.
“Janelle Monáe’s insatiable drive to incorporate new, untold stories into her artistic projects — while synthesizing classic funk, soul, R&B, jazz, hip-hop and rock — makes her a truly unique voice,” said Billboard’s editorial director Jason Lipshutz in a statement. “Popular music is more interesting today because Janelle Monáe is part of it.”
Per Billboard, “The Trailblazer Award is awarded to a female artist who acts as a music industry pioneer by using her platform to spotlight unheard voices and break ground for future generations of performers.” Throughout her time in the spotlight, the Wondaland Records musician has continued to redefine what it means to be a black woman in music, and her devotion to bringing awareness to social causes has also aided in bringing attention to her ground-breaking work.
Monae, whose recent opus Dirty Computer was released earlier this year to critical acclaim, joins Ariana Grande and Cyndi Lauper as a few of this year’s honorees. Grande will be awarded the night’s highest honor, Woman Of The Year, while Lauper will be honored with the Icon Award.
More honorees will be announced in the coming weeks.
READ MORE: Janelle Monáe’s Female-Directed ‘Beautiful Future’ Series Seeks To Inspire Us All