Ariana Grande is Billboard‘s Woman of the Year, with the “Thank U, Next” singer making it official by accepting this year’s award at a Thursday-night ceremony in New York City.
Grande, 25, was presented with the honour by legendary singer Patti LaBelle, reports Billboard, who offered high praise by describing Grande as “all that and a bag of chips.”
“Thank you so much for coming to my Quinceanera, I appreciate it,” joked Grande, admitting she felt “completely undeserving” of the Woman of the Year title.
“This is really special. I want to say that I find it interesting that this has been one of the best years in my career and one of like the worst years in my life,” she said, fighting back tears.
“I’m just saying that because I feel like a lot of people would look at someone in my position right now I guess; Woman of the Year, an artist that could be at her peak, reaching her you know, whatever, and think, you know, ‘She’s really got her s**t together; she’s really on it; she has got it all’. I do, but as far as my personal life goes I really have no idea what the f**k I am doing,” she added.
“So yeah, it’s been a very conflicting one. I just want to say if you’re someone out there who has no idea what this next chapter is going to bring, you’re not alone in that,” she continued.
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She concluded her speech by sharing her hopes for the new year, and putting the drama of of her whirlwind engagement-breakup behind her. “I look forward to hopefully learning to give some of the love and forgiveness that I have given away so frivolously and easily to men in the past to myself this year,” she said.
Grande also performed her latest hit, “Thank U, Next” at the gala. Watch: