Ariana Grande To Receive First-Ever Honorary Citizenship Of Manchester

By Shakiel Mahjouri. Published: 12 Jul 2017 1:15 PM Last updated: 13 Jul 2017 7:44 AM

After Ariana Grande’s support in the aftermath of the Manchester attacks, the songstress will be officially honoured by the city.

Grande, 23, will receive the first-ever honorary citizenship of Manchester after there was a unanimous vote in a council meeting held on Wednesday.

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I don't know what to say. Words don't suffice. I'm moved and honored. My heart is very much still there. I love you. Thank you. 🐝

A post shared by Ariana Grande (@arianagrande) on Jul 13, 2017 at 12:58am PDT

The honour will be one that council hopes to use in the future to recognize people outside of the city who have made generous contributions to Manchester.

Council leader Sir Richard Leese first proposed the idea in June shortly after the singer’s One Love Manchester benefit concert, which included performances by Justin Bieber, Coldplay, Miley Cyrus, and many more. Leese said many people would already consider Grande to be “an honorary Mancunian,” in a report from BBC. “This seems a fitting moment to update the way we recognize those who make noteworthy contributions to the life and success of our city,” he explained.

Leese also said in a Guardian article that Grande, “as an artist, a performer, was determined that she would not perform again until she had returned to Manchester to perform.”

The singer stayed true to her word. With approximately 50,000 in attendance, the benefit concert raised roughly C$5 million for the 22 victims of the Manchester Arena attack on May 22.

Grande continued her fundraising efforts, releasing an album and two singles. The “One Last Time” singer also remembers victims during her performances in the final leg of her “Dangerous Woman” tour.