Today in Cannes, France, Shakira received the medal of “Chevalier De L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” from the French Minister of Culture Frédéric Mitterrand. Shakira is in Cannes to open the NRJ Music Awards tonight with her number 1 hit “Je L’Aime A Mourir”.
She was honored this afternoon by the French Minister of Culture Frédéric Mitterrand who presented Shakira with the medal, which recognizes significant contributions to the arts and literature. Shakira is the first Colombian ever to receive this honor, which has previously been awarded to TS Eliot, George Clooney, and Clint Eastwood.
Shakira commented: “I am so humbled to receive this honor in a country like France that has shared an important cultural legacy with the rest of the world.”
We are delighted to announce that Shakira won a Latin Grammy award in Las Vegas on Thursday night, receiving the Best Female Pop Vocal Album for "Sale el Sol".
At the ceremony held at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Shakira performed three songs: "Before Six", "Devotion" and "Crazy".
On Wednesday night, Shakira also received a tribute from the Latin Recording Academy, when she was recognized as Person of the Year 2011 for her outstanding artistic achievements and philanthropic work. The gala dinner and concert was attended by many Latin music artists who reinterpreted Shakira's best-known songs. It also included a surprise for Shakira when her father, William Mebarak, took the stage and sang a special song, "My Darling".
Shakira sent us the following message to accompany this video summary of this ceremony. "I want to share with you a video from one of the most special nights of my life. A night where peers, friends and family made me feel very loved. Thank you to all of them from the bottom of my heart. Shak"
Good morning
I'd like to thank you all for this honor.
I would like to share it with all of those in the US that have listened and understood my music and giving sense to everything I do.
Especially I would like to dedicate this to the latin community in the US that restlessly works and dreams and dreams and works every day, making this a better country.
We all have a star, we all come to this world with a talent and a gift and then, dreams are born, and no one has the authority to stop those dreams. When I was 7 years old I came to Los Angeles for the first time and we passed by the Walk of Fame with my mother and a friend of hers, who is actually here with us today. And I remember how my mother told me then "one day shaki, your name will be here". And, she was right. Maybe if someone would have overheard that conversation that day, they would have thought she was delirious but, here we are today.
So, I want to tell you all to dream as big as you can, and may your kids dream even bigger than you have, because in this country nothing is impossible. And if some day you happen to pass by this street, and if by coincidence you happen to look down to the ground and you see this star, remember that it belongs to each one of you, because it carries the name of a hispanic woman that, like you, dreams and works and works and dreams everyday.
We're
excited to report that, on November 8 at 11.30am, Shakira will be
honored with the 2,354th star on Hollywood Walk of Fame in the Category
of Recording.
The star will be located at 6270 Hollywood Boulevard in
front of W Hollywood Hotel, on the corner of Hollywood and
Vine. For more information on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, click here.
We're very pleased to report that - as well as being currently nominated for three Latin GRAMMY Awards, including Album Of The Year - Shakira will be the 2011 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year, honored for her renowned artistic and philanthropic contributions at a tribute dinner and star-studded concert on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.
Songs from Shakira's catalog will be performed by notable artists and friends. A major portion of the net proceeds from the gala will benefit Shakira's Pies Descalzos Foundation as well as The Latin Recording Academy's Latin GRAMMY in the Schools educational efforts. The celebration will precede the 12th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards, which will be held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas and will be broadcast live on the Univision Network on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011, at 8 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Central.
"It is truly an honor to be in the company of some of the greatest
artists and legends of Latin Music," said Shakira about this
one-of-a-kind distinction.
"I am elated on behalf of The Latin Recording Academy and its Board of Trustees that the much admired Shakira — whose incredible talent and artistic integrity are equaled only by her commitment and dedication to philanthropy and selflessly helping those in need — has been elected the 2011 Latin Recording Academy's Peron of the Year," said Gabriel Abaroa Jr., President/CEO of The Latin Recording Academy. "We are honored to pay homage to this dynamic, socially conscious woman whose illustrious career has touched so many people around the world, both musically and personally."
Shakira will have the distinction of becoming the youngest artist to receive the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year honoree. She joins a list of artists that includes Plácido Domingo, Carlos Santana Gloria Estefan, Gilberto Gil, Julio Iglesias, and Ricky Martin, among others.
Here's
some great news to start the week - Shakira was a double winner at last
night's Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas, picking up the prizes for
Top Latin Artist and Top Latin Song (for Waka Waka). Click here for more info about the winners and performers at Billboard's website.
On Saturday, Shakira was named Harvard's Artist of the Year, at a ceremony at the university. She was honored with the award for both her music and her work promoting universal access to education. Click here to read Shakira's full acceptance speech.
Great news! Shakira has been nominated for an amazing 13 awards at this year's Billboard Latin Music Awards, including Artist of the year, Latin Album of the year for
"Sale el Sol" and Hot Latin Songs Artist of the year,
female.
The ceremony will
air live on April 28 from the BankUnited Center at the University of Miami on the
Telemundo network and in more than 35 countries around the world. For the full list of nominations, click here.
