Gomez named Billboard’s 2017 Woman of the Year

The 25-year-old star is set to be honored at the annual Women in Music dinner and awards gala on November 30, when Selena will join a starstudded cast of previous Woman of the Year honorees, which includes the likes of Lady Gaga, Beyonce and Madonna. Reflecting on the announcement, John Amato, president of The Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group, said: “Not only is Selena soaring on the charts, but she continuously inspires young women everywhere to be authentic, give back and to not be afraid to use their voice. “She is never afraid to speak her mind and has used her platform to advocate for the needs of others. We are thrilled to be able to honor her as our Woman of the Year.” The former Disney star has enjoyed another memorable 12-month spell that has included releasing a string of hit singles, such as ‘Bad Liar’, ‘Fetish’ and ‘It Ain’t Me’. Selena has also had considerable success outside of music, serving as an executive-producer on the hit Netflix drama ‘13 Reasons Why’. What’s more, she has launched partnerships with the likes of Coach and Puma, while Selena has also continued to invest time in her numerous philanthropic efforts. For instance, she helped to raise more than $500,000 for the Lupus Research Alliance, an organization that is working towards finding better treatments and, ultimately, a cure for the inflammatory disease. Selena underwent a kidney transplant earlier this year as part of her ongoing fight against lupus.