billboard women in music
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.
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.
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).
Winning Global Force at the 2025 Women in Music event? That’s just like JENNIE. Surrounded by some of the industry’s most acclaimed female artists and executives, the BLACKPINK star accepted this year’s international honor on stage at Los Angeles’ YouTube Theater Saturday (March 29), giving special shoutouts to her bandmates, Woman of the Year Doechii and more.
Confessing that she was feeling “really nervous right now,” the Idol star — looking glamorous in a sparkling deep red gown — breathlessly gave her acceptance speech as passionate fans in the crowd screamed with excitement for her. “This is so special,” she said. “I’m inspired by all the women in this room and around the globe who continue to break barriers and make their mark on the world stage. This award is a tribute to every woman who dares to dream, create and shape the world with her vision,” JENNIE continued. “Women are such a powerful force, and when we come together, we uplift each other every step of the way.
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“I’m so lucky and fortunate to work with so many talented people in my career—singers, songwriters, producers,” she added. “Doechii, I love you, and Kali (Uchis), I love you. I had these amazing women be on my album, and words cannot express how thankful I am.”
JENNIE also gave shoutouts to her team, label, and of course, “my BLACKPINK girls — without them, this journey would’ve never happened.”
Several other women were also honored at Saturday’s show, including Songwriter of the Year Gracie Abrams, Group of the Year aespa and Impact Award-winner Tyla. Of her prize, JENNIE told Billboard on the red carpet before the ceremony that “to be honored as Global Force is just so special.”
She also spoke about how meaningful it’s been to step into her solo era while her BLACKPINK bandmates also pursue their own independent projects. JENNIE’s debut album, Ruby — featuring the Doechii-assisted “ExtraL” and “Damn Right” with Uchis and Donald Glover — arrived March 7 and debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200. ROSÉ, LISA and JISOO have also dropped solo music in the past year-plus since the girl group has been on break.
“We talk about this all the time,” said the “Mantra” singer. “It’s amazing how we’re all doing our own thing. We have each other’s backs no matter what, and that’s such a special feeling. I miss them.”
JENNIE won’t have to miss her bandmates for long, though, as the foursome is set to reunite this summer for a global tour and is currently working on new music.
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.
GloRilla absolutely dominated 2024 as she cemented her status as one of the premier rappers in the game today. Following her massive year, Glo was honored with the Powerhouse Award at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 ceremony in Los Angeles on Saturday (March 29). Draped in a sleek black tux, the Memphis native was […]
Ángela Aguilar truly shined Saturday (March 29) night at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 gala in Inglewood, California, when she accepted the Breakthrough Award with an emotional speech that was met with a roaring standing ovation at the YouTube Theater.
After performing a sublime version of the Mexican classic “Cielito Lindo” accompanied by the Harmony Project — a community chorus composed of individuals from diverse backgrounds, including immigrant children — she spoke candidly about a year that “almost broke” her — with constant headlines and online scrutiny over her marriage to Mexican singer Christian Nodal, who was in attendance to support her.
“I have had to cry the weights of judgement and speculation of a story that I have note even told,” Aguilar said. “And yet, here I am. I’m still singing, I’m still standing. Because music is who I am.”
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To a roaring ovation from her peers at the venue, she advised young girls to “sing your truth and when they tell you to be quiet […] sing even louder.” Fighting back tears, she dedicated her award to immigrant women who cross the border to the United States “with nothing but hope in their hearts, only to find themselves living in uncertainty and fear […] You deserve safety, dignity, the right to dream.”
The youngest of the Aguilar dynasty — her father is música mexicana icon Pepe Aguilar, her grandparents legendary Mexican entertainers Antonio Aguilar and Flor Silvestre — Ángela Aguilar made her stage debut as a toddler when she joined her famous dad at one of his concerts. Five years later, at age 8, she released her first album, a joint set with her older brother Leonardo Aguilar. The two later joined Pepe on back-to-back arena tours when he launched Jaripeo Sin Fronteras in 2018, honoring the jaripeo-style show — singing while riding horses — that their grandparents pioneered. Along the way, Ángela landed three No. 1 songs on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart and four top 10 hits on Latin Airplay, including her first No. 1 on that chart, “Por el Contrario,” with Leonardo and Becky G, last year.
Ángela Aguilar at the Billboard Women in Music 2025 held at the YouTube Theater on March 29, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Gilbert Flores
Hosted by Laverne Cox, Billboard‘s Women in Music honored influential women in music spanning artists and industry leaders, with performances, awards and tributes. Doechii was recognized as Woman of the Year, while honorees also included aespa, Erykah Badu, Gracie Abrams, Meghan Trainor, and Tyla, among others.
Read Ángela Aguilar’s full speech and watch her performance below:
This Breakthrough Award means a lot to me, because this year almost broke me. And honestly, I have had to stand on stage and sing through the tears and I have had to cry the weights of judgement and speculation of a story that I have note even told, and of a story that has never hit my voice. And yet, here I am. I’m still singing, I’m still standing.
Because music is who I am. It’s the thread that connects me to every woman that came before me, like my grandmother Flor Silvestre, and it’s taught me that these women here today are not my competition because we are each other’s legacy. And she taught me that you can fight in silence and the music speaks way louder than what other people say.
To every young girl that’s watching this and is wondering if she should make herself smaller to fit in to someone’s ideas about who they are, don’t. In this world they’ll try to write your story for you; don’t let them. Sing your truth and when they tell you to be quite, if it’s what you want, if it’s truly what you want, sing even louder.
Lastly, I wanna take this moment to raise my voice for the women whose voices are not always given a stage, for the women who leave behind everything they know crossing borders with nothing but hope in their hearts, only to find themselves living in uncertainty and fear. For the immigrant women in the country who work tirelessly building and nurturing, sacrificing, yet still remain unseen, unheard and unprotected, this one is for you. I see you. I honor you. You deserve safety, dignity, the right to dream. And if my voice and my music and my presence on this stage can remind you are not invisible, then I will sing for you every single time.
So tonight I accept this award for every women who has ever had to break through. For my grandmother. For my mother, who’s honored tonight. And to every women who has paved the way for every young girl to be able to dream. We are not breaking down. We are breaking through. Gracias, ¡y que viva México!
Billboard’s Women in Music event took over the YouTube Theater at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, Calif., on Saturday (March 29). Airing for free on VIZIO TVs and in the VIZIO mobile app, the annual event honors influential women in music, from artists to industry power players.
The 2025 Billboard Women in Music event was hosted by Laverne Cox and honored: Doechii, 2025 Woman of the Year Award; aespa, Group of the Year Award; Ángela Aguilar, Breakthrough Award; ANNA, Billboard Italy Woman of the Year; Charlotte Cardin, Billboard Canada Woman of the Year; Erykah Badu, Icon Award; GloRilla, Powerhouse Award; Gracie Abrams, Songwriter of the Year Award; JENNIE, Global Force Award; Megan Moroney, Rulebreaker Award presented by Crown Royal Whisky; Meghan Trainor, Hitmaker Award; Muni Long, Rising Star Award presented by Honda Stage; Tina Knowles, Mother of the Year Award; and Tyla, Impact Award presented by Bose.
Additionally, dozens of music industry moves and shakers were honored at the event for their remarkable contributions to the business. Five of those women – agents from some of the top booking agencies in the industry – were honored as the 2025 Executives of the Year: Jenna Adler, Lucy Dickins, Samantha Kirby Yoh, Cara Lewis and Marsha Vlasic.
From distinctive performances (honorees aespa, Ángela Aguilar, Erykah Badu, Gracie Abrams, Megan Moroney, Muni Long and Tyla all rocked the stage) to meaningful speeches, here are some of the best moments from Billboard’s Women in Music 2025 event.
VIZIO TV owners can watch Billboard Women in Music 2025 and the live event by opening the WatchFree+ app on their TV. For those who do not have a VIZIO TV, anyone can download the free VIZIO mobile app to their mobile device, click on the WatchFree+ button in the bottom row menu, and tune in to the Billboard Women in Music 2025 channel.
Megan Moroney
Hot off a Grammy win for best rap album for her 2024 LP Alligator Bites Never Heal and the news that her single “Anxiety” had hit top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, Doechii took the stage at Billboard’s Women in Music 2025 event on Saturday (March 29) night to accept the honor for 2025 Woman of the Year.
“Where’s the swamp? Do I have any fans in the house?” Doechii asked the audience inside YouTube Theater in Inglewood, Calif., to laughs and applause after an introduction from two of her collaborators, Jayda Love and DJ Miss Milan.
“I cannot believe it was just two years ago I stood on this stage right here and accepted the Billboard Rising Star Award. I had literally performed so hard I danced my shoes off and had to hop up to the mic,” she recalled of her performances of “Persuasive” and “Crazy,” smiling. “And here I am. That moment reflects how I approach my career – always go full out, always go hard and always be fab.”
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Thanking her family, God and the many women on her team and at her label, Doechii noted the Woman of the Year honor was “a full-circle moment.”
She also talked about the importance of Billboard Women in Music as an annual industry event. “I stand here as a fierce ally,” the Grammy-winning rapper said. “That word is a key reason there is a Billboard Women in Music.” The event, which began in 2007, came about because “women in the music business were tired of not getting their seats at the table or the credit they deserved,” she said. “This event was created out of a necessity. That word, necessity, is important. My mixtape, Alligator Bites Never Heal, was a space I created out of necessity. A space where I could feel seen, heard and connect with other people through experiences.”
The Swamp Princess noted that nearly two decades after Billboard Women in Music first started, a “lack of inclusion and sexism are still issues in this industry. And that’s a problem. Which is why I’m grateful we have Billboard Women in Music.
“This is our motherf–king night to rightfully come together to acknowledge each other, support each other and to celebrate,” she said. “We are the creators, we are the executives, we are the innovators who are just as central to this industry as the men. Clock it.”
Doechii is set to receive the 2025 Woman of the Year award at the annual Billboard Women in Music event. The star-studded event is taking place Saturday, March 29, at YouTube Theater at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, California.
Doechii won the Rising Star award at the 2023 Billboard Women in Music event. She is just the third woman to progress from the Rising Star award to Woman of the Year, following Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande.
“After receiving the Billboard Women in Music Rising Star Award in 2023, Doechii has quickly gained recognition in the music industry for her bold creativity and impressive talent,” Hannah Karp, editorial director of Billboard, said in a statement. “With her genre-blending sound, Doechii is redefining what it means to be a trailblazer in the music industry. We are honored to celebrate Doechii and cheer on her continued success!”
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Billboard’s Woman of the Year award has become one of the music industry’s highest honors. Past recipients include Karol G, SZA, Olivia Rodrigo, Cardi B, Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez, Madonna, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift.
Doechii is the second rap artist to win the award, following Cardi B in 2020. Doechii, who was born in Tampa, Florida, is the second artist from the Sunshine State to be named Woman of the Year. Grande, the 2018 recipient, was born in Boca Raton.
On Feb. 2, Doechii became the second solo woman to win the Grammy for best rap album, again following the lead of Cardi B. Doechii won for her acclaimed mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal. Her performance of “Denial Is a River” and “Catfish” on the Grammy telecast was rated as the night’s best by Billboard‘s Jason Lipshutz.
Less than three weeks later, Doechii was named outstanding new artist at the 2025 NAACP Image Awards.
Alligator Bites Never Heal has climbed as high as No. 14 on the all-genre Billboard 200. Two of Doechii’s songs have made the top 30 on the Billboard Hot 100: “What It Is (Block Boy)” and “Denial Is a River.”
Hosted by Laverne Cox, who received four Primetime Emmy nods for Orange Is the New Black, the event will air live on VIZIO WatchFree+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
The 2025 event will also honor aespa (Group of the Year), Ángela Aguilar (Breakthrough Award), Erykah Badu (Icon Award), GloRilla (Powerhouse Award), Gracie Abrams (Songwriter of the Year), JENNIE (Global Force Award), Megan Moroney (Rulebreaker Award presented by Crown Royal Whisky), Meghan Trainor (Hitmaker Award), Muni Long (Rising Star Award Presented by Honda Stage) and Tyla (Impact Award presented by Bose).
As previously announced, honorees aespa, Aguilar, GloRilla, Abrams, Moroney, Long and Tyla will also perform at the event. Becky G, Julia Michaels, Kali Uchis, Madison Beer, Mickey Guyton, Suki Waterhouse, Summer Walker, Tanner Adell and Zara Larsson are set as presenters. Additional performers and presenters will be announced in the coming weeks.
Billboard’s global partners have expanded Women in Music with new events launched around the world. ANNA, named Woman of the Year by Billboard Italy at its inaugural ceremony, and Charlotte Cardin, honored as the latest Woman of the Year by Billboard Canada, will also be celebrated as Global Women of the Year.
VIZIO WatchFree+ will be the exclusive home to the Billboard Women in Music 2025 live channel and on-demand collection from March 17 through April 5, with the live show airing free on March 29 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on VIZIO TVs and in the VIZIO mobile app. The channel and on-demand collection will give viewers an inside look at the inspiring women artists shaping the music industry, featuring interviews, in-studio sessions with artists, episodic series and more.
VIZIO TV owners can watch Billboard Women in Music 2025 and the live event by opening the WatchFree+ app on their TV. For those who do not have a VIZIO TV, anyone can download the free VIZIO mobile app to their mobile device, click on the WatchFree+ button in the bottom row menu, and tune into the Billboard Women in Music 2025 channel.
Tickets are on sale now via Ticketmaster here. Prices start at $89. (Tables are also available to purchase; contact joe.maimone@billboard.com for additional information.)
Sponsors for the 2025 Billboard Women in Music event include Official Whisky Partner Crown Royal, HarbourView Equity Partners, Bose (presenter of the Impact Award), Sol De Janeiro and Honda Stage (presenter of the Rising Star Award).
This event is not affiliated with Women in Music, a nonprofit organization committed to advancing equality, visibility and opportunities for women in the musical arts through education, support, empowerment and recognition. To support the work of Women in Music, visit WomenInMusic.org.
Billboard‘s Women in Music event wouldn’t be complete without a lineup of powerhouse musical performances, nor would the awards be nearly as meaningful without a slate of accomplished women on hand to present them. And on Wednesday (Feb. 26), the list of names for both were announced ahead of the 2025 ceremony. Among the performers […]