Olivia Rodrigo Named Billboard's 2022 Woman of the Year

The 18-year-old singer's achievement comes on the heels of her successful debut album, 'Sour.'

Olivia Rodrigo's stardom knows no bounds. The 18-year-old singer has been named Billboard's 2022 "Woman of the Year."

The Sour singer will be honored with the award at the 2022 Billboard Women in Music Awards on March 2 at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles. Ciara, who took home the same honor back in 2008, will play host to the annual event that "recognizes music's rising and A-list artists, creators, producers and executives for their contributions to the industry and community." Some past honorees have also included Gabby Barrett, Phoebe Bridgers, Doja Cat, Karol G, Bonnie Raitt and Saweetie, among others.

"Olivia’s trajectory to superstardom is the stuff of pop music legend," said Hannah Karp, Billboard’s Editorial Director. "Her talents as a storyteller and songwriter have made Olivia one of the most authentic and exciting new artists to explode onto the scene in years. Connecting with audiences across generations through emotionally charged songs about heartbreak, jealousy and growing up, she’s achieved absolutely incredible chart success for a debut artist. We are thrilled to celebrate her unique voice and the enormous impact she’s had on fans around the globe in such a short time."

Rodrigo's latest achievement comes a little over two months after she earned seven GRAMMY nominations in her first eligible GRAMMYs since the release of her debut album, Sour. She's nominated in many of the top categories, including Best New Artist, Album of the Year for Sour, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Solo Performance for "Drivers License," as well as Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Music Video for "Good 4 U." 

It's been a breakout year for Rodrigo, who prior to her debut album was best known for playing Nini on the Disney+ series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Her single, "Drivers License," which she performed at an actual California DMV, was released in January, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts and breaking Spotify streaming records. 

Following the release of "Drivers License" and her Sour album, Billboard proclaims the singer "revealed the tremendous power of her raw self-expression and ultimately cemented her status as the most promising young artist."

Some of the other top accolades in Rodrigo's banner year include the 2021 AMAs New Artist of the Year award, earning Apple Music Awards' Breakthrough Artist of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year honors. Her seven GRAMMY nominations also make her the second youngest artist in GRAMMYs history to score those nominations in each of the "Big Four" categories in the same year.

Rodrigo is also set to embark on her sold-out 2022 SOUR Tour later this year across more than 40 cities in North America and Europe. 

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