Rihanna will officially be honoured at the upcoming NAACP Image Awards for her culturally influential contributions to music, fashion, beauty, and more.
The musician will receive the President’s Award, whose previous recipients include Jay-Z, Lauryn Hill, Spike Lee, John Legend, and Muhammad Ali. The award is presented “in recognition of a special achievement and distinguished public service”.
“Rihanna has not only enjoyed a groundbreaking career as an artist and musician,” Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, said in a press release, “but has also distinguished herself as a stellar public servant. From her business achievements through Fenty to her tremendous record as an activist and philanthropist, Rihanna epitomises the type of character, grace, and devotion to justice that we seek to highlight in our President’s Award.”
As well as being a pop superstar, Rihanna has established herself as a businesswoman in recent years, launching Fenty Beauty in 2017, Savage x Fenty the following year, and the LVMH-backed Fenty label in May 2019. The multi-talented artist is also renowned for her philanthropy, previously raising over $2 billion for global education, and calling on political leaders to do their part for charities and those in need. Rihanna also founded the Clara Lionel Foundation – named after her grandparents – in 2012, to support and fund global education and emergency response programmes, and received the Humanitarian of the Year award in 2017.
Rihanna will be presented with the President’s Award on February 22 – it’s safe to say we’re all looking forward to another iconic speech.