Awards
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Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” won a Grammy for best music video on Feb. 2, but can it also win a Webby Award? The visual was nominated in the music video, general video & film category, along with Dua Lipa’s “Illusion,” Megan Thee Stallion’s ‘Mamushi,” Charli XCX’s “Von Dutch” and Lady Gaga‘s “Abracadabra.”
The nominees for the 29th annual Webby Awards, celebrating excellence on the Internet, were announced Tuesday (April 1) by The International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences.
This year’s nominees include such companies as Apple, Fenty Beauty, Hulu and Netflix and such influential stars as Sabrina Carpenter, Bruno Mars, Jason and Travis Kelce, Cynthia Erivo, Kerry Washington, Selena Gomez, Gracie Abrams, A$AP Rocky, Rosé, Bowen Yang and Oprah Winfrey.
All nominees are eligible to win two awards: The Webby Award, selected by members of the Academy, and The Webby People’s Voice Award, voted on by the online community. Voting for The Webby People’s Voice Awards is open now at vote.webbyawards.com through April 17 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
This year, The Webby Awards introduced a new suite of creator categories. These categories highlight the role individual creators play in transforming our digital experiences and interactions. Nominees include Kai Cenat, Laufey, Trixie Mattel and Mark Rober.
The Webby Awards continues to reflect the growing influence and impact of AI, with nominees that showcase how AI can be used to enhance creativity and transform digital experiences. This year’s nominees include Notion AI Assistant, Google Notebook LM, Ebb by Headspace, Following Wildfire, See The Eye, Surveillance Watch, Animal Alerts, Vocable, Tone Proud, Adobe Premiere Pro, Typeface.ai, Goldee, Shiffbot and ChatJuneteenth: AI With Soul.
The Webby Podcast Company of the Year achievement recognizes the organization with the most overall nominations and wins across the podcast categories. Organizations in contention include Audible (14), SiriusXM (10), Wondery (9) and iHeartMedia (8).
The Webby Media Company of the Year achievement honors the media company that performs best across all Webby Awards categories. Nominees include NBCUniversal (24), MTV Entertainment Studios (18), CNN (16), National Geographic (16), PBS (14), The Walt Disney Company (14) and The Washington Post (14).
This year, the Webby Awards introduced the first-ever Brand of the Year achievement, with Google (38), Apple (38), Samsung (12), YouTube (9), Nike (9), and McDonald’s (7) all in the running.
The Webby Awards received nearly 13,000 entries from over 70 countries. Winners will be announced on Tuesday, April 22. Comedian, actor and writer Ilana Glazer will host the awards show on Monday, May 12, in New York City. Fans will be able to watch special moments and the signature five-word acceptance speeches from all the winners on that date by following @TheWebbyAwards across Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Twitter/X, and Facebook.
Here are highlights of the 2025 Webby Award nominations, with an emphasis on music and entertainment categories. For a complete list of nominees and to vote for the People’s Voice Awards, visit vote.webbyawards.com.
Music Video, General Video & Film (Video & Film)
Dua Lipa, “Illusion” – UnderWonder Content
Megan Thee Stallion, ‘Mamushi’ – Church Edit
Charli XCX, “Von Dutch” – Modern Post
Lady Gaga, “Abracadabra” – Modern Post
Kendrick Lamar, “Not Like Us” music video – pgLang
Art, Culture & Music, Individual Creator (Creator)
Laufey – AWAL
Lachi – Recording Artist – Whalar Group
CZsWorld – CZsWorld
Maris Jones – Bedrooms through the decades – Deep Feel Talent Co.
Heidi Wong – WME (Agency)
Music, General Video & Film (Video & Film)
AMP Cypher 2024 – AMP
The 25th Anniversary of Christina Aguilera | Spotify Anniversaries LIVE – Spotify
Jorts with Will Ferrell & Nick Jonas – The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Gracie Abrams – The Secret of Us (Short Film) | Vevo Extended Play – Vevo
How ‘Oppenheimer’ Oscar Winning Composer Ludwig Göransson Created ‘Can You Hear The Music?’ – Variety
Comedy, Individual Creator (Creators)
Jake Shane – Align PR
Boman Martinez-Reid – R&CPMK
BOY ROOM – Gymnasium
Chris Klemens – Middle Kid Productions Inc
Sock Puppet Master – Sock Puppet Master, Inc.
Best Use of AI, Performance & Craft (Video & Film)
Reid Hoffman meets his AI Twin – Reid Hoffman
Unfinished Legacies – Barkley
La Fenêtre – an AI short film – Creativ Strategies
Shrimpdaddy AI – Shrimpdaddy
Michael Jackson ‘Smooth Criminal’ Lego Edition – Www.robbiereddy.com
Comedy, General Video & Film (Video & Film)
Jim Gaffigan: The Skinny – MPRM
Kai Cenat x Kevin Hart x Druski ‘Thanksgiving’ – Church Edit
Onion News Network – The Onion
Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman Perform a Song About Deadpool & Wolverine – The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Very Important People – Dropout
Long Form, Branded Entertainment (Video & Film)
Cynthia Erivo Teaches Storytelling – Celebrity Substitute – Amazon
La Causa del Accidente que Provoco el Incendio – CANADA
Shot on iPhone – Midnight – TBWA Media Arts Lab
Rising Voices – Fireline – Indeed
Late Checkout: A Ritz-Carlton Story – Marriott International
Interview or Talk Show, Branded Entertainment (Video & Film)
RuPaul’s Drag Race – The Pit Stop with Trixie Mattel – MTV Entertainment Studios
Quest for Craft, Season 4 – Quaker City Mercantile
Donald Duck Tries to Keep His Cool While Eating Spicy Wings | Hot Ones – Disney
Countdown to Beautifully Broken: Jelly Roll in conversation w/ mgk | Spotify
32 Questions With Virgin Galactic Pilot Jameel Janjua – Virgin Galactic
Fashion, Beauty & Lifestyle, Branded Entertainment (Video & Film)
The Director – Happy Place
Loewe – Partizan Entertainment LLC
Burberry ‘It’s Always Burberry Weather’ – Church Edit
Puma x A$AP ROCKY – Dreambearr
HEADPEACE – Freelance film director – Izrayl Brinsdo
Best Individual Performance, Performance & Craft (Video & Film)
“What a Girl Wants” (ft. Sabrina Carpenter – Live – Spotify Anniversaries Version) Spotify
“Assume That I Can” – INDIANA PRODUCTION
“The Runner” – Tempomedia Filmproduktion GmbH
“Todd Almond’s I’m Almost There” (In-Studio Preview) – Audible
“Music video” – Stand Clear Entertainment, LLC
Health, Wellness & Lifestyle, Individual Episode (Podcasts)
Paging Dr. Chanda: “Keke Palmer Talks About Her New Book, Master of Me (PART 1)” – REVOLT
The Mel Robbins Podcast with Dr. Mary Claire Haver, MD – 143 Studios, Inc.
Are You Remembering the Good Times? – Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley
SHE MD Podcast: A Women’s Health Advocacy Platform – SHE MD Podcast
The Spillover: How the Texas Abortion Ban Shook Up Eastern New Mexico – The Futuro Media Group
Best Co-Hosts, Features (Podcasts)
Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard – Wondery
The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast – Rabbit Grin Productions
We Can Do Hard Things – Audacy Podcasts and Paper Kite Podcasts
The Pivot Podcast – Pivot Podcast LLC
SmartLess – SiriusXM
Comedy, Shows (Podcasts)
Office Ladies – Audacy Podcasts and Paper Kite Podcasts
Lovett or Leave It – Crooked Media
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang -iHeartPodcasts
SmartLess – SiriusXM
Office Hours Live with Tim Heidecker – The Podglomerate
Comedy, Individual Episode (Podcasts)
The Bald and the Beautiful with Trixie and Katya – Studio71
Petty Crimes – Bobby – Metro Public Relations
Halfway to Horse Town with Luke Null – Almost Friday Media
My Momma Told Me: New Year, New Black-Eyed Peas (with Monét X Change) – Big Money Players Network
Toni and Ryan – Toni and Ryan
Interview/Talk Show, Shows (Podcasts)
The Oprah Podcast – Harpo
Baby, This Is Keke Palmer – Wondery
The Assignment with Audie Cornish – CNN
Why Is This Happening? With Chris Hayes – MSNBC
The Weekly Show – Jon Stewart – MTV Entertainment Studios
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging, Shows (Podcasts)
The Pink House with Sam Smith – Lemonada Media
National Immigration Law Center: Freedom to Thrive – National Immigration Law Center
Accessibility Accelerator: The Podcast – Accessibility Accelerator
Uncivil Liberties with Goldie Taylor – Audible
ADHD Aha! – Understood.org
Comedy, Shows (Podcasts)
Office Ladies – Audacy Podcasts and Paper Kite Podcasts
Lovett or Leave It – Crooked Media
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang – iHeartPodcasts
SmartLess – SiriusXM
Office Hours Live with Tim Heidecker – The Podglomerate
Interview/Talk Show, Individual Episode (Podcasts)
Possible | Kara Swisher on AI, media, and accountability – Wonder Media Network
Skip Intro – Zoe Saldaña – Netflix
Ep. 556 — Obama 15-Year Anniversary Special – Institute of Politics/CNN
On the Ground in Gaza — With Arwa Damon – New Lines Magazine
The Bert Show Interviews Usher – The Bert Show
Best Video Series, Features (Podcasts)
New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce – Wondery
Nightcap Best Video Series – Hirsch Leatherwood
My First Million – HubSpot
The Pivot Podcast – Pivot Podcast LLC
Oprah Reveals All – Life-Changing Lessons on Weight, Shame & Worthiness – The Jamie Kern Lima Show
Fashion & Beauty, General Social (Social)
Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez – Best Social, Fashion & Beauty – Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez
Alexis Bittar: The Bittarverse – Alexis Bittar
Byrdie – Dotdash Meredith
Retrofête – Retrofête
theSkimm’s Fashion You’ll Actually Wear Week – theSkimm
Best Use of Filters/Lenses, Features (Social)
Fenty Beauty ” Which Riri Are You?” Lip Looks TikTok Filter – Fenty Beauty
Zach Woods Joins Social Media – Block Party
LEGO BRICKTACULAR – Arcadia
Indiana Pacers – Best Use of Filter – Indiana Pacers & Indiana Fever
Harry Potter Snapchat Lenses and Landmarkers – Warner Brothers Discovery
Celebrity/Fan, General Social (Social)
Deuxmoi World – L+R
Kyle MacLachlan’s Social Media – Full Picture Productions
Mariah Carey’s It’s Time!!! Partnership with KAY Jewelers – RhythmInfluence
Zach Woods – Block Party
Andrew Zimmern – Intuitive Content
Arts & Entertainment, Social Video Short Form (Social)
“Apt.” by Rose ft. Bruno Mars YouTube Shorts Challenge – We Are Social U.S.
“The Storm: KÀ by Cirque du Soleil” – Cirque du Soleil
“Paris 1874” – National Gallery
“I Just Told My Therapist I Love Him” – QuillBot
“Meet the Auctioneer: Sotheby’s Phyllis Kao” – Sotheby’s
The Wonder of Stevie, a podcast about music legend Stevie Wonder, won best entertainment podcast at the fifth annual Awards for Excellence in Audio (The Ambies). The awards were presented on Monday (March 31) at McCormick Convention Center in Chicago, with comedian Tig Notaro serving as host. The awards are voted on by members of The Podcast Academy.
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Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang won best comedy podcast. Bowen Yang has received four Primetime Emmy nominations for his work on Saturday Night Live.
Hysterical, which explores a mass psychogenic illness that occurred in 2011 to some cheerleaders in Le Roy, N.Y., won podcast of the year and best reporting (for Dan Taberski).
Ira Glass was honored with the Governors Award, which recognizes a podcast or individual for the influence they’ve had on the industry; and Sam Sanders received the Impact Award, which recognizes an individual or podcast that has made a significant, positive effect on its listeners.
Ronan Farrow, Jon Cryer, Matt Rogers, and Meena Harris were among presenters and guests at the event.
Here are the nominees for The 2025 Ambies in categories most relevant to the music and entertainment industry, with winners marked.
Podcast of the year
99% Invisible: Not Built for This
Beyond All Repair
Cement City
Dragon Age: Vows & Vengeance
Empire City: The Untold Origin Story of the NYPD
Faraway
Fire Escape
Hot White Heist 2
WINNER: Hysterical, Wondery, Audacy’s Pineapple Street Studios
Throughline
Best entertainment podcast
Infamous
Lemme Say This
Rattled & Shook
Scamfluencers
Split Screen: Kid Nation
The Road to Joni
WINNER: The Wonder of Stevie, Audible, Higher Ground, and Pineapple Street Studios
Best podcast host or hosts
Diallo Riddle and Blake ‘LUXXURY’ Robin – One Song
Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach and Amanda Doyle – We Can Do Hard Things
Jon Stewart – The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart
Rainn Wilson – Radio Rental
WINNER: Ronald Young Jr. – Weight for It, ohitsBigRon studios LLC
Sam Sanders – The Sam Sanders Show
Wesley Morris – The Wonder of Stevie
Best original score and music supervision
WINNER: Dan Leone – Ripple, Western Sound, APM Studios
Daniel Lloyd-Evans, Louis Nanke-Mannell and Toby Matimong – Extrasensory
Deron Johnson – Dungeon Masters
Jonathan Pfarr, Carson Graham and Bobby Mota – Celebrity Pets
Peter Nashel, Ross Hopman, Gio Lobato, Dana Hom, Brad Fischer, Jordan Lieb, Lucas Villemur and Lindsay Dievert – Hammerless: A True Crime Podcast in a Fantasy World
Skyler Gerdeman, Martin Lynabel, Nicholas Alexander, Max O’Brien and Caroline Thornham – Kill List
Stro Elliot and Eric Gersen – Historical Records
Best production and sound design
Casandra Tinajero and Andrés Bahena – Nocturno: Tales From the Shadows
Jeremy S. Bloom – Hot White Heist 2
Kenny Kusiak and George Drabing Hicks – The Confessions of Anthony Raimondi
WINNER: Michelle Macklem – Girl v. Horse, ESPN Podcasts, 30 for 30 Podcasts
Realm – Narcosis
Sagafilm and Skybound Entertainment – Impact Winter Season 3
Ted Bonnitt – Hindsight: The Day Before
Best society and culture podcast
Hysterical
In Retrospect with Susie Banikarim and Jessica Bennett
WINNER: Inheriting, LAist Studios
Mind Your Own with Lupita Nyong’o
My Divo
Sixteenth Minute (of Fame)
Weight For It
Best podcast for kids
Culture Kids
Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest
Historical Records
Mysteries About True Histories
PJ Library Presents: Beyond the Bookcase
Skylar & Bones – Funny Stories for Kids!
WINNER: Wow in the World Wondery, Tinkercast
Best Spanish language narrative podcast – fiction or nonfiction
¡No Vengan!
Greal: El Secreto de las Ocho Llaves
Hechos Reales
WINNER: HUMO: Murder and Silence in El Salvador, Sonoro
No quieren que sepas
Pantallas & Mentiras [Screens & Lies]
Pétrea
Best sports podcast
30 for 30 Podcasts
WINNER: Broomgate: A Curling Scandal, Kelly&Kelly, CBC Podcasts, USG Audio, and Pacific Electric
Good Game with Sarah Spain
Pablo Torre Finds Out
Shadowball: The Rise of the Black Athlete
The Raven
The Rich Eisen Show
Best comedy podcast
Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend
Hot White Heist 2
WINNER: Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, iHeartPodcasts, Big Money Player
Scam Goddess
SmartLess
We’re Here to Help
Who Replaced Avril Lavigne? Joanne McNally Investigates
Best indie podcast
Sightings
The Insurgence: Sheriffs
The Man Who Calculated Death
The Nightingale of Iran
The People’s Recorder
The TMI Project Story Hour
WINNER: What Happened in Skinner, Mazama Entertainment
Best indie podcast host or hosts
WINNER: Dallas Taylor – Twenty Thousand Hertz, Defacto Sound
Deja Perkins and Purbita Saha – Bring Birds Back
Jill Jonassen – The Cost of Extremism
Kate McCoy and Kevin Corbett – Horrorwood: True Crime in Tinseltown
Lisa Phillips – From Now On
Lisa Woolfork – STITCH PLEASE
Susan Lambert Hatem and Sharon Johnson – 80s TV Ladies
Best interview podcast
American Masters: Creative Spark
Apple News in Conversation
Overlooked: Women’s Health Can’t Wait
WINNER: Thanks Dad with Ego Nwodim, Headgum
The Assignment with Audie Cornish
The Integrated Schools Podcast
Tomorrow’s Cure
Best performance in audio fiction
Bowen Yang, Cynthia Nixon, Shannon Woodward, Jane Lynch, Jesse James Keitel, Sarah Steele, Ian McKellen, Raul Esparza, Sara Ramírez, Joel Kim Booster, Bianca Del Rio, Cheyenne Jackson, Abbi Jacobson, Stephanie Beatriz, Katya Zamolodchikova, Trixie Mattel, Yvie Oddly, Jane Krakowski, Sandra Oh, and Tony Kushner – Hot White Heist 2
WINNER: Caitlin Stasey, Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts, David Yow, Caroline Morahan, Guinevere Turner, Elizabeth Halpern, Travis Harmon, Brad Griffith, James Bacon, Jameson Cush, Jonathan Shockley, Ayla Glass and Chris Goodwin – The Skies Are Watching, Goldhawk Productions
Fredi Bernstein, Cody Wilkins and Dana Domenick – The Box
Mikki Hernandez, Toby Meuli, Geri-Nikol Love, Rachel Kylian – Ominous Thrill
Ruth Righi – Winnie Taylor’s 4th & Inches
Sanaa Lathan – The Justice
Tisha Campbell – Snoriezzz
Following aespa‘s biggest year yet — in which they became the first K-pop girl group to have six projects reach the Billboard 200 top 50 and won song of the year at the MAMA Awards for their single “Supernova” — the quartet accepted Group of the Year honor at the 2025 Billboard Women in Music […]
On Saturday night, Billboard Women In Music returned to YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California, to celebrate some of the biggest, brightest names in the industry, including high-profile executives and superstar artists across genres.
This year, Gracie Abrams was honored with the inaugural Songwriter of the Year award, which was presented to her by Victoria Monét. “This incredible artist is, at a minimum, a quadruple threat,” Abrams said about her presenter, who was honored at last year’s Women in Music event as the Rising Star. “She’s an insane writer, unparalleled vocalist, inventive producer and amazing dancer. I’m just in awe of you every day.”
Prior to being presented with the honor, Abrams performed her emotive hit “I Love, I’m Sorry,” off her second album, The Secret of Us. Abrams wrote the album with her best friend, Audrey Hobert, who was in attendance seated at a table alongside Abrams’ mom and her manager (and fellow Women in Music honoree) Alex DePersia.
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“To my best friend and the most clever Audrey Hobert — for every single reason, I am me because of you,” said Abrams. “And our album is what it is because of you. Having never written a song prior to The Secret of Us, you helped me translate every single feeling I was itching to articulate on this album.”
Abrams also thanked songwriter Sarah Aarons and, of course, “the incomparable Miss Taylor Swift,” with whom she earned a Grammy nomination for their collaboration “Us.” from the same album. “I will never stop thanking her for the gift of her pen,” said Abrams, “which very much raised me.”
Megan Moroney brought a decidedly upbeat vibe to her usual “emo-cowgirl” candidness, performing her love song “Am I Okay?” at the 2025 Billboard Women in Music event held Saturday night at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California.
Clad in a silver dress covered in fringe and sparkle and confidently commanding the stage, Moroney offered up a peppy rendition of the title track to her second studio album, which was released in July 2024, debuting at No. 9 on the all-genre Billboard 200 and at No. 3 on the Top Country Albums chart.
During the ceremony, Moroney was honored with the Billboard Women in Music Rulebreaker award.
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Taking the stage to accept her honor, Moroney said, “Thank you, Billboard, for this. This is so cool. And I’m just really grateful to be here. When I found out I was getting the Rulebreaker award, I thought it was kind of funny, because if you know me in real life, I’m like an avid rule follower. I stole a piece of gum when I was 10 from a ballpark, and I still think about it sometimes. So it’s just ironic that I get the Rulebreaker award, but I’m just so grateful for it.
She continued, “I’m grateful to be here in a room with such talented, confident, amazing women in music. And I wouldn’t be up here if it wasn’t for my team. Thank you to my managers [Punchbowl Entertainment’s] Julie Griffith and Hayley Corbett, my [UTA] agent Elisa Vazzana, Stephanie Self. I’ve just got like so many bad bi—es [on my] team, I could go on and on. But my record label, Columbia Records and Sony Nashville, I’m just really grateful to be here and it’s awesome to see so many amazing women all in the same room tonight. So cheers. Let’s have margaritas. Thank you. Thanks, Billboard.”
Moroney was honored with a recent Women in Music feature, in which she opened up about her approach to her music and career, branding, working on her upcoming album, staying connected with her fanbase and more.
Upon being presented with this year’s Icon award at Billboard Women in Music 2025 by next-gen R&B star Summer Walker, Erykah Badu didn’t waste any time drilling down to the heart of the occasion.
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“Sisters, how y’all feel?” drawled the Dallas native as she scanned the YouTube Theater audience. Then to resounding applause, she declared, “This night is for us! It’s a night to celebrate the womb of the world, the womb of life, the womb reverse of all things. The smartest creature on planet Earth. The wisest, the most invincible, sexiest, purest, finest. The woman. I want to thank God for giving me the opportunity to be born a woman!”
The five-time Grammy Award winner had just delivered an exuberant performance of her funky 2007 non-album track “Annie Don’t Wear No Panties” to the delighted audience of fellow music stars, industry executives and music fans. And she did so in keeping with the inimitable and eclectic style that’s made her such an influential singer-songwriter, performer and musical visionary for multiple generations since breaking through in 1997 with her debut album, Baduizm.
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Badu wore a black-hooded capelet atop a tan-colored oversize pants outfit (think Teletubbies) featuring exaggerated breasts, feet and booty — the latter of which she shook to full effect at one point during the song, eliciting rowdy audience laughter. That was just one of several memorable moments during Badu’s award presentation segment.
Saluting Badu’s “fearless artistry,” Walker shared that her idol and mentor has been her “fave artist” since she was 12. And that it was also the multifaceted Badu, in her role as a doula, who delivered Walker’s twin sons.
During the remainder of her acceptance speech, Badu went on to thank all mothers. “I want to thank my mother and all the mothers,” she continued. “Miss Tina [Knowles], you said it well. I see Doechii’s mama out there, all the mothers. Thank you so much for giving us so much inspiration and examples of what it means to be resilient, what it means to take charge, what it means to be courageous, what it means to be authentically ourselves. And that’s all we gonna be. That’s all I want to be.”
Then she concluded with an anecdote involving her youngest daughter. “I don’t really have a lot of things to say,” said Badu, “but I want to end with this story. My daughter is out here. Her name is Puma … My sister Joy is out there. This is for both of y’all … I was bathing my youngest daughter Mars, and Mars was about four. I was washing her up. You know, you teach them while you’re washing them up. And I said, ‘This is the vagina.’ And she said, ‘Oh, vagina.’ I said, ‘Yes, it’s the vagina. It’s the most important thing on the planet.’ And Mars said, ‘Really?’ Then she looked at me with those big brown eyes and she said, ‘Where is the planet’s vagina?’”
After noting that she may have paused too long between the setup and the punchline, Badu repeated the final part of her anecdote. And on the second go-round, the Billboard Women in Music icon had the whole theater laughing.
Muni Long had an incredible 2024. The Florida singer’s fourth solo album, Revenge, not only ranked high on the Billboard staff’s Best R&B Albums of 2024 list, it was also nominated for four Grammys, with her single “Made for Me” winning for best R&B performance. And for her breakthrough efforts, Billboard presented her with the Rising Star award at Saturday night’s Billboard Women in Music event.
During her speech, she touched on her journey and the importance of Black women in popular culture. “I stand before you tonight in awe of the incredible journey that has brought me to this moment,” she began. “It is a testament to the power of perseverance, dedication and the unwavering belief in the artistry that courses through my veins. But as I stand here, I know this moment is not just about me. It’s about the shoulders. I stand on the culture that shaped me and the people who continue to push the boundaries of what is possible.”
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She added: “I want to acknowledge Black women … the bedrock of not only the music industry, but the very heart of the culture itself. Black women have always been the architects of innovation, resilience and power. From the soulful tones of Patti LaBelle and Aretha Franklin to the boldness of Beyoncé and Miss Lauryn Hill, we have seen our brilliance shape the world in ways that transcend music and art. To the artists before me, those who dared to dream, to break barriers, to challenge the status quo, the Tina Turners, the Sister Rosetta Tharpes, and Janet Jacksons, Mariah Careys and Whitney Houstons, their influence echoes through every note I sing.”
Muni then acknowledged the community of Gifford, Florida, where she grew up and fell in love with singing, as she thanked “the aunties with four rings on every finger and a mouth full of slugs. The unpaved, unincorporated Florida streets, the communities that birthed the soul of modern music, the hood which is the genesis of pop culture. A place where the creativity of the people screams back into the mainstream.”
She also blessed the Women in Music attendees with a soulful performance of her song “Superpowers.”
Video of Muni Long’s performance and speech will be live here at 7 p.m. ET on Monday night (March 31).
It’s no surprise that Tyla was honored with the Impact Award presented by Bose at the 2025 Billboard Women in Music ceremony on Saturday (March 29), as the 23-year-old South African star has quickly become a powerful music mainstay on a global level.
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The “Water” singer took the stage at the Los Angeles event to accept her award, following in the footsteps of previous Impact Award recipients Solange Knowles, Alicia Keys, Jessie Reyez, H.E.R., Becky G and Young Miko.
“When my career took off, I realized that God has his own plans,” the superstar told the crowd, and was met with cheers of agreement. “I just feel very lucky for my fans who have given me such an exciting life, allowing me to grow in front of the world into all the different versions of myself as an artist and as a woman.”
She continued, “I appreciate the way music has been able to impact us through time and how I’m just a manifestation of that. In life, we all have a chance to pour into one another, whether it be something you say, a performance, a dance move — literally anything. We all have that chance, and you never know what might ignite into somebody and what that person will pass onto another.”
Tyla added that she’s “really grateful,” noting that she will “forever appreciate the people that have poured into me.”
During the ceremony, she also performed her most recent hit, “Push 2 Start,” which was featured on the deluxe edition of her self-titled studio album. The track has topped Billboard’s US Afrobeats songs chart for a whopping 14 weeks, and hit No. 2 on World Digital Song Sales.
You can watch the 2025 Billboard Women in Music ceremony here starting at 7 p.m. ET on Monday (March 31) and on VIZIO TVs and the VIZIO app. Watch Tyla’s acceptance speech above.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Thanks to a decade-plus career racking up four Billboard Hot 100 top 10s — including the eight-week No. 1 “All About That Bass” — Meghan Trainor was honored at Saturday night’s 2025 Billboard Women in Music event with our Hitmaker award. But as she told the crowd during her hilarious and touching acceptance speech, she needs the uplifting messages of those upbeat hits just as much as her fans do.
“Everyone asks me: How are you so positive and how you do so much and smile all the time?” Trainor said after accepting the award from friend and fellow pop star Madison Beer. “But the truth is that I write these songs for myself, because I am so insecure and I have therapy a lot. I have a lot of therapy. I’m on medicine. Thank you!” she said as the crowd cheered on her efforts for better mental health. “I I love my medicine! I love my therapist so much! She’s probably watching!”
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Trainor added: “I write these songs because I need these positive affirmations for myself. And if it helps anyone else, that’d be amazing too.”
After thanking her husband, actor Daryl Sabara, and her parents — who were all on hand at a table on the floor of the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California — Trainor also called on the support system of all the women entertainers and music executives in the room to help each other feel less alone.
“I feel very alone — I really do — being a woman, putting on these heels, I shaved my face and my nose for this,” she said to big laughs. “I’m a mom and I’m a pop star, and I have no one who truly understands me — except for all the superwomen in this room tonight. So thank you. If anyone wants to do a sleepover at my house, because I don’t leave my house, we can talk about this. Just DM me, and I love you so much. Thank you, Billboard. We should help each other and we should talk about it.”
Other honorees on Saturday night included Woman of the Year recipient Doechii, as well as aespa (Group of the Year), Ángela Aguilar (Breakthrough), ANNA (Billboard Italy Woman of the Year), Charlotte Cardin (Billboard Canada Woman of the Year), Erykah Badu (Icon), GloRilla (Powerhouse), Gracie Abrams (Songwriter of the Year), JENNIE (Global Force), Megan Moroney (Rulebreaker), Muni Long (Rising Star), Tina Knowles (Mother of the Year) and Tyla (Impact).
Video of Trainor’s full speech will be available at 7 p.m. ET Monday night (March 31).
As her eldest daughter prepares for what’s sure to be one of the defining tours of the year, Tina Knowles graced the 2025 Billboard Women in Music stage to accept the inaugural Mother of the Year honor at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California, on Saturday (March 29).
After beginning her acceptance speech praising all the other awardees — like Woman of the Year honoree Doechii, who gushed over Cowboy Carter on the red carpet before the show — Knowles took some time to reflect on her evolution as a mother, stressing that “there is no formal training class to prepare you for the most important job you’ll ever have in your life.” For Knowles, motherhood is all about committing to being the best you can be for your children each day.
“I want to thank my daughters, Solange, Beyoncé, Kelly [Rowland], [niece] Angie [Beyincé], and also Michelle [Williams], LaTavia [Roberson] and LeToya [Luckett],” she said to close her speech, name-dropping her “bonus” children in addition to her two daughters. “I got to mother you all in some way, and you believed in me early on to dress you and give love [and] creative input. Thank you, Mathew Knowles, who always fought for me, and I thank God Almighty for the privilege to be a mother. I’ll always say it’s the best job I’ve ever had. I dedicate this award to my amazing mother, Agnes, and all the mothers out there who have supported their kids in their dreams. Thank you.”
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Presented by Billboard editor-in-chief Hannah Karp during the final weekend of Women’s History Month, this year’s Mother of the Year award honors the ultimate 21st-century music matriarch. Tina Knowles, the mother of Grammy-winning, Billboard 200-topping music and cultural forces Beyoncé and Solange has been a key player behind the scenes of both of her daughters’ careers. In the early days of Destiny’s Child — and throughout their tenure as a group — Tina Knowles designed and crafted costumes for the R&B divas, cementing their singular Houston-indebted style. Her costume design also appeared in a slew of Beyoncé-led films, including Dreamgirls, Obsessed, Cadillac Records and Austin Powers in Goldmember.
In 2004, she and Beyoncé teamed up to launch House of Deréon, a clothing line named after Knowles’ own mother, Agnes Deréon. Twenty years later, the iconic mother-daughter duo would once again join forces for Cécred, an award-winning haircare line that brings Tina Knowles back to where it all started: the hair salon. Of course, she is also the grandmother of Grammy winner Blue Ivy, who recently starred in Disney’s box-office-topping Mufasa movie; rising fashion model Julez Smith; and twin siblings Rumi and Sir Carter.
Tina Knowles’ full Mother of the Year acceptance speech will be available here at 7 p.m. ET on Monday night (March 31).