Brittany Howard, the soulful frontwoman for the rock band Alabama Shakes, will be honored with the prestigious "Powerhouse" artist award during Billboard's 2015 Women in Music awards, Billboard reported. The awards ceremony, which will also name Lady Gaga as Billboard's 2015 "Woman of the Year," will be televised for the first time on Dec. 18 on the Lifetime network.
Janice Min, the co-president and chief creative officer of Guggenheim Media's Entertainment Group (the company that consists of Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter), released a statement explaining why Howard was chosen as the recipient of this year's "Powerhouse" artist award.
"Brittany Howard is the true definition of a powerhouse, from her unique and crushing vocals, to her meteoric rise in the last four years," Min said in a statement obtained by Billboard. "She led Alabama Shakes to a massive year that included their Coachella debut and is quite deserving of Billboard's recognition."
The Women in Music awards ceremony coincides with Billboard's Women in Music issue that highlights the top female music industry executives. English pop star Jessie J was named last's years "Powerhouse" artist.
Howard, 27, started singing as a young girl in Athens, Ala., local paper the Decatur Daily reported. She juggled performances at restaurant and music venue The Brick Deli and Tavern with her post office day job in her early 20s before hitting it big with Alabama Shakes. The group's second album "Sound & Color" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart this past April.
Watch the Alabama Shakes' performance on "Saturday Night Live" below.
