From ending her 14-month marriage to Russell Brand, to blazing charts with her angst-filled break-up ballads and selling out arenas across the globe on her California Dream Tour Katy Perry has had quite the year.
Now, the sky-rocketing success of her past 12 months has earned the pop star Billboard‘s Woman of the Year honor.
“Katy Perry broke into the industry not even five years ago, and has already accomplished more than most artists can hope for in an entire career,” Billboard‘s editorial director Bill Werde said in a statement. “We are thrilled to celebrate these incredible achievements and her amazing past 12 months by presenting her with the Billboard Woman of the Year Award.”
What catapulted Perry to the crown?
With her Teenage Dream album — which she repackaged with new tracks “Part of Me” and “Wide Awake” into another release, Complete Confection — Perry set music industry records; thanks to chart-topping hits like “Firework” and “California Gurls,” the singer became the only woman in history to score five Hot 100 No. 1s from a single album.
After a year that also landed her at No. 8 on Forbes‘s Celebrity 100 list and earned her several MTV VMA nods, Perry will be honored at the Billboard Women in the Music ceremony in November.
The Woman of the Year title pays tribute the achievements of a trailblazing female artist, acknowledging both her musical triumphs and her leadership in an ever-changing industry. So what other women have earned this mark of distinction?
Perry is following in the footsteps of past honorees like Taylor Swift, Fergie and Beyonce. Celebuzz is looking back at these women and the success that landed them Billboard’s honorary title.
Peek at the gallery and weigh in below: Which musician most deserved the title?
