Iconic American singer Mariah Carey was honored Friday with the Grammy’s Recording Academy’s Person of the Year award in recognition of her lifetime achievement and commitment to communities and people in need.
“Receiving this honor is one of the most profound moments of my life and career. The list of other years’ People of the Year honorees is made up of legends, icons and heroes,” said the artist while accepting the award, at an event where stars such as Ke$ha and Maggie Rogers performed.
The singer received the award at a ceremony held on Friday in the context of the 68th edition of the Grammy Awards, whose gala will be held this Sunday in Los Angeles.
Carey joins a list of honorees that includes artists such as Joni Mitchell, Jon Bon Jovi and the Grateful Dead.
The Academy highlighted Carey’s influence, which goes beyond her artistic talent, as one of the reasons for awarding her this recognition.
Mariah Carey’s legacy
Carey’s philanthropy is notable “whether through disaster relief, youth empowerment or programs that help those who face barriers to opportunity,” said Theresa Wolters, executive director of MusiCares, organizer of the awards.
Winner of five Grammy Awards and nominated up to 34 times for these awards, which recognize the best of the music industry, Mariah Carey debuted in 1990 with an album of the same title that was number 1 on the Billboard 200, where it remained for eleven weeks.
The voice of hits such as the famous Christmas song ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ (1994) -which remained this year for more than 20 weeks at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100! chart, a milestone that no one had achieved until then- has also been a standard-bearer for numerous social causes.
Donated more than $1 million to the Fresh Air Fund, an organization that provides free summer experiences to inner-city children in low-income communities, as well as providing support to communities affected by the destructive Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
The Person of the Year gala was first held in 1991 and raises funds to support MusiCares programs, including health and wellness services, addiction recovery, preventive care, disaster relief and emergency support for music professionals, reported Agencia EFE.
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