Billboard Italy Women in Music
For the first time ever, Milan has been chosen as the European Capital of Music by the American entertainment magazine Billboard. With an exclusive event held at Teatro Manzoni, the Italian division of Billboard celebrated the remarkable achievements and contributions of Italian women in music. Thirteen prominent female figures, including musicians, managers and industry experts, were awarded during a special ceremony that we had the privilege of attending.
Right at the beginning of one of the most lavish and glossy periods of the year, namely the Fashion Week, Milan took a significant step forward, adding another important milestone to consecrate its cultural centrality. As a matter of fact, the worldwide operating entertainment magazine Billboard, mostly known for providing some of the most prestigious and renowned music charts as the Hot 100 and the Global 200, chose the Italian metropolis to hold the Women In Music event for the first time in Europe. In the style of iconic American award shows, such as the Billboard Music Award, the VMAs or the Grammy Awards, the ceremony celebrated Italian women who stood out in the industry over the past year.
Women in Music Billboard’s event, picture taken by Raandoom
The show was incredibly exclusive, allowing very limited access to the public. Only a few dozen seats were made available, and we were quick enough to secure our spots in the venue. The ceremony began with a red carpet where the night’s stars made their debut entrance, while other guests and VIPs were greeted by a welcome apéritif. The charming theatre's lounge was brimming with glamour and luxury. It was definitely electrifying to walk past true icons of Italian pop culture. One of the firsts stars we bumped into was Donatella Rettore, who left us starstruck with her vibrant presence.
After enjoying our glasses of wine, we were escorted downstairs, where the stars of the event posed in front of the cameras and gave interviews to the radio partner and the journalists from Billboard Italia. Flashing lights, runways and sumptuous gowns surrounded us as we stood among so many well-known figures that shaped, and still shape, the Italian music scene. It was a moment for us, and it underscored the prestige of the ceremony and the significance of the cause it supported. The theme of women’s rights and gender inequality was, indeed, the leitmotif of the event.
Italian hitmaker Gaia being interviewed, picture taken by Raandoom
Cristiana Capotondi, the Italian actress and host of the night alongside comedian Maurizio Lastrico, opened the ceremony with a monologue that guided the audience on a journey through the history of feminism in the Italian music scene. She started off the speech by quoting the verses of “Com'è bella la libertà” by Ria Rosa, a Neapolitan chanteuse from the early 1900s who was a pioneer for women’s rights during the fascist era. Capotondi then connected this to the empowering lyrics of contemporary Italian female singers, highlighting the social ladder that women had to climb through the years.
The audience was then greeted by a video message from Hannah Karp, editorial director of Billboard, followed by a speech from the city major Giuseppe Sala. He underlined the importance of the music business to Milan’s economy, highlighting its ambition to become the primary landmark for music in Europe. Sala also stressed the ongoing work still needed to ensure women have equal opportunities, both as musicians and in behind-the-scenes roles. The show then moved to the heart of the ceremony with the presentation of the Icon of the Year award, which was assigned to Laura Pausini. With a 30-years-long career, she’s the most internationally successful Italian singer of our times.
The second prize was introduced by Elena Lattuada, deputy for gender equality in the city of Milan, who awarded Big Mama as Breakthrough artist of the Year. The singer, who participated in the latest edition of the Sanremo Festival and got everyone dancing with her summer hit Mezzo Rotto, is a staunch advocate for body acceptance and the LGBTQ+ community, to which she belongs. She dedicated her award to all those who feel insecure and shared an encouraging message for women: to love freely and to live freely, without the fear of failure.
Laura Pausini, Icon of the Year award. Picture taken by Raandoom
The councillor for Culture of Milan, Tommaso Sacchi, then took the stage to introduce the Manager of the Year award, which was handed over to Marta Donà. She began her career in her twenties as the manager of Italian superstar Marco Mengoni. To this day, she has founded her own company and has guided Angelina Mango in her rise to success after winning Sanremo. In her acceptance speech, she thanked her parents for allowing her to pursue her dreams and shared the recognition with all her artists, for whom she plays a motherly role. She finally spent a few words to discuss about the disparities that characterize the music industry, where women are still underpaid compared to men, and manifested hope for the future, believing that talent can go beyond inequalities. Alongside Marta Donà, another prominent figure in the Italian music business who received recognition was Sara Potente, who won A&R of the Year. The award was given to her by a cornerstone of the industry, namely Mara Maionchi. Potente is one of the biggest talent scouts in today’s music scene in Italy and has been praised for bringing new life to the historic label Numero Uno.
Throughout the event, other women working behind the scenes also received their awards on stage. Ramona Tabita won Stylist of the Year, while Marta Salogni received the Producer of the Year award.
The Songwriter of the Year award was assigned to Federica Abbate who, despite her young age, has written dozens of hits for some of the biggest Italian singers. She also performed a beautiful medley of her greatest successes, including a song from her latest project “Canzoni per gli altri”. In addition to her performance, Gaia, who dominated the summer charts with her No. 1 hit “Sesso e Samba”, took the stage to sing some of her greatest hits. She was recognized with the Hitmaker of the Year award.
The Performer of the Year award was granted to Elodie, who is set to kick off her stadium tour.
However, neither she nor Rose Villain, who won the Impact award, could collect their prizes as they were unable to attend the event due to work commitments. Same goes for Clara, who won Rising Star of the year. The last and most prestigious award of the night was presented by Silvia Danielli, co-director of Billboard Italia. The winner of the Women of the Year award was the 21-years-old singer Anna, who, with her debut album “Vera Baddie”, became the first Italian woman trapper to stay in the top 3 positions on Spotify for 11 weeks. Despite her confident and sassy attitude, she confessed during her acceptance speech to have her own insecurities, which, however, did not prevent her from becoming one of the most successful emerging artist of 2024.
The event was wrapped up by Tommaso Toma, president of Billboard Italia, who emphasized the importance of men in the music industry taking a front-line role in the fight for equality and actively working to dismantle the systemic prejudices that suggest women cannot occupy leading positions in the workplace, including in music.
Despite the inspiring celebration of women in the Italian music industry during the Billboard Women in Music event, it is evident that women are still significantly underrepresented. In the Italian music charts, only around 10-20% of top positions are held by female artists, compared to the overwhelming majority of male musicians. Disparities persist behind the scenes as well - women in managerial, production, and songwriting roles earn, on average, 20-30% less than their male counterparts. However, progress is being made, and events like these not only highlight the achievements of talented women but also bring much-needed attention to the issue, encouraging the industry to move toward greater equality.
