Selena Gomez received the Billboard Women in Latin Music Woman of the Year award on Thursday (April 24). The Texas-born star was not present at the ceremony to accept the honor, but she expressed her gratitude in an emotional speech delivered through a video.
The Woman of the Year recognition is given to a female artist who has demonstrated exceptional success, leadership, and cultural influence in the music industry and beyond. In previous editions of Women in Latin Music, the recipients of this award were Shakira and Karol G.
Below is Selena Gomez’s full speech:
Thank you so much to everyone at Billboard. I wish I could be there with all of you, but I am filming in New York. This means so much to me as a Latina. I have been working almost my entire life and being seen, supported, and celebrated by women who share our roots is truly powerful.
As a child, I was extremely proud of my Mexican heritage. I didn’t see many women who looked like me at the center of the story or on stage, and it was just unusual. Our stories, our voices, and our cultures deserve to be celebrated.
Releasing my EP Revelación was one of the proudest moments of my career, simply because I felt like I was creating music for something that I had always wanted to convey about my heritage and my family, and for myself. Not only did it give me another opportunity to highlight my culture, but I also knew that my grandmother would be very proud.
And lastly, to my fans, I can never say it enough: it is because of you that I can do what I love. And thank you all for supporting me throughout all these years. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I love you all. I love you.
The third annual Billboard Women in Latin Music special, hosted by 2024 honoree Ana Bárbara, was broadcast live exclusively on Telemundo, Universo, Peacock, and the Telemundo app, and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean on Telemundo Internacional.
The 2025 honorees also included Selena Gomez as Woman of the Year, Celia Cruz (Legend Award), Belinda (Evolution Award), Natti Natasha (Unstoppable Artist Award), Anitta (Vanguard Award), Chiquis (Impact Award), and Ha*Ash (Unbreakable Award).
For the 2025 Women in Latin Music Executives and Entrepreneurs list, click here.