This morning, Feb. 4, the NAACP announced that it will honor nine-time GRAMMY-winning artist, style icon, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Robyn "Rihanna" Fenty as the recipient of its 2020 President’s Award. The prestigious award is presented to new talents each year in an effort to recognize "special achievement and distinguished public service." With the achievement, Rihanna joins the company of previous President’s Award recipients including Lauryn Hill, Muhammad Ali, Condoleezza Rice, last year’s winner Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter and others.
"Rihanna has not only enjoyed a groundbreaking career as an artist and musician, but has also distinguished herself as a stellar public servant," said NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson in a Tuesday press release. "From her business achievements through Fenty, to her tremendous record as an activist and philanthropist, Rihanna epitomizes the type of character, grace, and devotion to justice that we seek to highlight in our President’s Award."
According to the Image Awards, Rihanna is the single best-selling digital artist of all time with more than 100 million RIAA Gold and Platinum song certifications as well as having sold more than 54 million albums and 215 million tracks within her decade-long career. Beyond topping the charts, the "Work" and "Umbrella" singer's beloved cosmetics and lingerie brands, Fenty Beauty and Savage x FENTY, both helped prove the artist as a leading entrepreneurial force in the beauty and fashion businesses. Furthermore, the launch of her high-end fashion brand, Fenty, made her the first woman of color and the first woman ever to upstart an original brand within a house at LVMH, the world’s leading luxury conglomerate. The Barbadian singer-songwriter is also the founder of the Clara Lionel Foundation created in 2012 in honor of her grandparents to tangibly support a host of global health and education initiatives such as global scholarship, climate resilience and emergency response programs, to name a few.
Rihanna and other award recipients will be honored at the 51st NAACP Image Awards, which will air live from Pasadena, California on Saturday, Feb. 22 at 8pm/7c on BET.
