Alessia Cara is slated to be honored with the “Rule Breaker” Award at Billboard’s 2016 Women in Music event. The “Here” singer will be awarded at the New York City gala on Dec. 9, and the awards ceremony will be aired to the public on Lifetime Dec. 12. The award is typically given to a female artist who is known for pushing boundaries, and not taking the conventional musical approach.
According to Billboard, Cara first appeared in the Top 40 chart with “Here” back in 2015, which went on to reach No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 2016. The song also reached the top of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs as well as Pop Songs. She also reached the Top 40 with her pop songs “Wild Things,” “Scars to Your Beautiful,” and her duet with Troye Sivan, “Wild.”
The singer was also featured on the magazine’s Grammy preview issue this past October with Maren Morris and Chance the Rapper, who were touted as representing the “Class of 2017.”
Other women nominated for awards this year include Madonna, who is slated to receive “Woman of the Year,” and “Icon” winner Shania Twain. Halsey will also be honored as a “Rising Star,” Andra Day as a “Powerhouse,” Meghan Trainor as a “Chart Topper,” Maren Morris as a “Breakthrough Artist” and Kesha as a “Trailblazer.” Day, Halsey, Morris and Trainor are also slated to perform at the event.
But Kesha is definitely the breakout star this year with her “Trailblazer” award, following a bitter legal battle with former producer Dr. Luke which has stretched through most of 2016.
“By combining artistic fearlessness with unbounded creative energy, Kesha has continually pushed the limits of what was once thought possible in pop music,” Janice Min, the co-president and chief creative officer of The Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group said in a statement when the news was first announced.
