Billboard’s 2022 Women In Music event took over the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, Calif., on Wednesday (March 2) evening, honoring female power players in the music industry as well as chart-topping newcomer Olivia Rodrigo, who is Billboard’s 2022 Woman of the Year.
After opening the show with a searing performance of “Deja Vu,” Rodrigo closed it with her acceptance speech for the Woman of the Year honor after an all-smiles introduction from Sheryl Crow. Read Olivia’s full speech below.
This is so cool. First of all, I want to thank Sheryl for being here today. Sheryl, I am such a massive fan of you and your songwriting and I’m so grateful that you’re here, it really means the world. I want to congratulate all of the other amazing nominees tonight: your artistry and work is so amazing and I’m in complete awe of all of you and so, so inspired. Thank you Billboard, it’s such a huge honor to be named the Woman of the Year. So many surreal moments have happened over the course of this incredible past year and this is most definitely one of them, so thank you.
Not a day goes by where I don’t think about how lucky I am to get to call this my job. I’ve been writing songs since I was so young, and it’s absolutely my favorite thing to do and such an emotional outlet for me. What I love most about songwriting is its ability to perfectly capture how I feel better than anything I could have said in a conversation. Songwriting has always been everything to me, so for people to connect with my music is beyond a dream come true and thank you so much.
It’s not always easy being a young woman in the music industry but I found so much strength from the female songwriters and artists who have come before me and paved the way and opened doors for so many young women like me. And that’s what’s so amazing about this event: every woman here today is working to break down those barriers and change the narrative and support each other and I’m so inspired by all the incredible women in this room. And I want to thank you all for your support. I am supporting all of you.
And I want to say to all the young girls out there who are writing songs every day in their journals on their bedroom floors, I’m constantly moved by your vulnerability and your creativity and bravery and I promise everyone here today is working to make this world and this industry a better place for you. Lastly, I want to thank my team, my amazing team and my label Interscope and Geffen, and my amazing collaborator Dan Nigro. I could not have done it without you guys. And of course, thank you to all of the strong, smart, kind women I’m lucky to work with and call my friends. I look up to all of you so much. Thank you guys, I love you so much, have a great night.