The global superstar Laura Pausini will be recognized this year with the Billboard Icon Award. The Italian born artist will also perform at the 2025 Billboard Latin Music Awards, cementing her place as one of the most influential artists of all time.
With over 75 million albums sold, six billion digital streams, and a career spanning over 30 years, Laura Pausini is the most universal Italian voice and an undisputed icon of global pop. Some of her recent achievements include her first and only Billboard Hot 100 chart entry in November 2024 with her hit single "Se Fue" featuring Rauw Alejandro. Additionally, in 2023 she was honored by the Latin Recording Academy as "Person of the Year," the first Italian singer to receive such an honor. Pausini recently released her new single, "Mi Historia Entre Tus Dedos," from her upcoming album Yo Canto 2, and announced her world tour for 2026.
"What excites me most is that this recognition comes just in the year in which, before knowing I would receive it, I had already decided to release a tribute album to the great singer-songwriters of Spain and Latin America. For the first time, I'm singing and arranging songs that aren't my own or in my style, but that I interpret with my own stamp, as a tribute to that emblematic repertoire of our music. And then this news comes, just when I think: all my voice and all my heart are for Latin music. It's like love at first sight, like love at first sight... a true gift," said Laura Pausini.
Throughout her career, Pausini has collaborated with such luminaries as Luciano Pavarotti, Andrea Bocelli, Michael Bublé, Shakira, Marc Anthony, Ricky Martin, Celine Dion, and Michael Jackson, with whom she performed "Todo para ti" to benefit the families of the victims of September 11th. She has also received a Golden Globe, Oscar and Emmy nominations, and has taken her music to the world's most prestigious stages, becoming the first Italian artist to perform at Radio City Music Hall and Madison Square Garden in New York, as well as at the Royal Albert Hall in London and the Olympia in Paris.
“Laura’s incomparable voice, grace, and ability to transcend cultures and languages for decades make her a unique icon. We are thrilled to her in a year when the global appeal of Latin music is stronger than ever,” said Leila Cobo, director of Latin/Spanish content for Billboard.
Francisco “Cisco” Suarez, EVP, Primetime Unscripted & Specials, Telemundo, added, “At Telemundo, we are honored to recognize an artist like Laura Pausini, whose music has impacted millions of people around the world. Her legacy and connection with the public reflect the spirit of the Billboard Latin Music Awards, which celebrate music and artists that transcend generations.”
The Billboard Icon Award honors artists whose careers have not only remained relevant over time, but have also become the most distinguished artists in their genre: role models, the pinnacle of both commercial and musical success.
The Billboard Latin Music Awards will broadcast live on Telemundo Thursday, October 23 at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT from the James L. Knight Center in Miami, Florida. The event can also be viewed on the Telemundo app, the Peacock streaming service, and across 22 countries throughout Latin America and the Caribbean on Telemundo Internacional.
Source Billboard/Telemundo
