American rapper Doechii has been named Billboard’s 2025 Woman of the Year and will be honoured at an event taking place later this month, the publication announced on Monday.
A newcomer in the rap genre, Doechii has skyrocketed in popularity with her viral hits “No Scrubs” and “Denial is a River,” which peaked at No. 21 on the Hot 100.
In January, she won her first-ever Grammy for her 2024 album “Alligator Bites Never Heal” in the best rap album category, becoming only the third woman in the award show’s history to win the honor. (She had also earned nominations for best new artist and best rap performance.) That same night, Doechii made her debut on the Grammys stage with an energetic performance of “Denial is a River” and “Catfish.”
The Tampa-bred artist has had five songs chart on the Billboard Hot 100, including “Balloon” and “ExtraL,” her collaborations with Tyler, the Creator and Jennie, respectively.
Doechii previously received recognition from Billboard in 2023 when she was named the publication’s Music Rising Star award. She is only the third woman to go on to earn the Women of the Year honour, following Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande.
In a statement, Billboard’s editor-in-chief Hannah Karp praised Doechii’s “ultra-candid lyrics and utterly unique sound, style and spirit.”
Past recipients of Billboard’s Woman of the Year honour include SZA, Billie Eilish, Madonna, and Taylor Swift, among others.
At Billboard’s 2025 Women in Music event, Doechii will be honoured, and other awards will also be handed out. Jennie is set to to receive the songwriter of the year honour, Erykah Badu will receive the breakthrough award and pop singer Meghan Trainor will receive this year’s hitmaker award. Ángela Aguilar, aespa, GloRilla, Gracie Abrams, Megan Moroney, Muni Long and Tyla are all set to perform.
The event will air live on VIZIO WatchFree+ on March 29 at 10 p.m. ET/at 7 p.m. PT.
Source: CNN
