Mariah Carey, awarded as Person of the Year at the Grammys

Los Ángeles (EE.UU.).- The iconic American singer Mariah Carey was honored this Friday with the Person of the Year award granted by the Recording Academy of the Grammy, in recognition of her career and her 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 People of the Year award winners from other years is made up of legends, icons, and heroes," indicated the artist while receiving the award, at an event in which stars like Ke$ha or Maggie Rogers performed.

The singer received the award at a ceremony held this Friday in the context of the 68th edition of the Grammy Awards, whose gala will be held this Sunday in Los Angeles.

Carey thus joins a list of honorees including artists such as Joni Mitchell, Jon Bon Jovi or Grateful Dead. The Academy highlighted Carey's influence, which goes beyond her artistic talent, as one of the reasons for giving her this recognition. Carey's philanthropy is notable "whether through disaster relief, youth empowerment, or programs that help those facing barriers to accessing opportunities," said Theresa Wolters, executive director of MusiCares, organizer of these awards.

Mariah Carey 5-time winner and nominated up to 34 times for Grammy Awards

Winner of five Grammy Awards and nominated 34 times for these awards, which recognize the best of the music industry, Mariah Carey debuted in 1990 with a self-titled album that was number 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, where it remained for eleven weeks.

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The voice behind hits like the famous Christmas song 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' (1994) - which stayed at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for more than 20 weeks this year!, a milestone that no one had achieved until then - has also championed numerous social causes. Donated more than a million dollars to the Fresh Air Fund, an organization that provides free summer experiences to children from underprivileged neighborhoods in low-income communities; in addition to providing support to communities affected by the destructive Hurricane Katrina of 2005 and the covid-19 pandemic in 2020. The Person of the Year gala had its first edition in 1991 and is in charge of raising funds to support MusiCares programs, including health and wellness services, addiction recovery, preventive care, disaster relief, and emergency support for music professionals.