Shania Twain will receive the 2016 Women in Music ‘Icon’ award, which celebrates an artist whose historic contributions to the music industry establish them among the highest class of performers. It will take place during Billboard’s 11th annual Women in Music event, held December 9th in New York City and airing nationally on Lifetime on December 12th.
“Shania Twain is a groundbreaking artist whose successful country-pop crossover blazed the trail for a new generation of country stars like Taylor Swift, Billboard’s 2014 Woman of the Year, and Carrie Underwood,” said Janice Min, president and chief creative officer of The Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group. “She’s fearless in her career, following her own path and pushing the boundaries of the country music genre as she creates music that has proven to be timeless. She is revered in the industry and we are honored to present the Icon award to her.”
Over the course of her almost three-decade career, Twain has earned four No. 1 albums on Top Country Albums, with 2002’s Up! also topping the Billboard 200. Her smash hit album Come On Over is the No. 1 country album of all time, and the second best-selling album overall since Nielsen Music began tracking sales in 1991 — it’s moved a staggering 15.7 million units in the U.S. Come On Over also holds the record for the most weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart at 50 weeks. During her 2012-2014 residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Twain performed her catalog of immortal classics such as “You’re Still the One,” “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” “Any Man of Mine” and “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” to rave reviews. When the five-time Grammy winner returned to touring after 11 years with the 2015 Rock This Country Tour, she grossed more than $65 million.
The 11th annual Women in Music event is held December 9th in New York City and airs nationally on Lifetime on December 12th. The star-studded event is held in conjunction with the publication of Billboard’s Women in Music list, which identifies the 50 most powerful female executives in the industry each year.
