Billboard just named LGBTQ+ rapper Doechii as its Woman of the Year
Doechii won the Grammy for Best Rap Artist earlier this year. (Getty)
Music publication Billboard have named insanely talented rapper – and bisexual icon – Doechii as its Woman of the Year.
Doechii will receive the award at the annual Billboard Women in Music event later this month, hosted by trans actress Laverne Cox.
She previously won the Rising Star award from Billboard, becoming the third woman to progress from Rising Star to Woman of the Year, after Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande, she’s also the second rap artist to win the award after Cardi B in 2020.
This comes just one month after Doechii won the Grammy for best rap album. She is only the third woman to win in that category.
In a statement, Billboard’s editorial director Hannah Karp said: “After receiving the Billboard Women in Music Rising Star Award in 2023, Doechii has quickly gained recognition in the music industry for her bold creativity and impressive talent.”
“With her genre-blending sound, Doechii is redefining what it means to be a trailblazer in the music industry. We are honored to celebrate Doechii and cheer on her continued success!”
Billboard name Doechii their 2025 Woman of the Year. pic.twitter.com/IWawQEB2y1
— Pop Base (@PopBase) March 10, 2025
Billboard’s Woman of the Year award is one of the music industry’s highest honours, with past recipients including Karol G, SZA, Olivia Rodrigo, Cardi B, Billie Eilish, Selena Gomez, Madonna, and Taylor Swift.
Doechii is the artist’s stage name, previously explaining that she decided “to become someone new” after being bullied in school.
She identifies as bisexual, having coming out publicly in 2022 during an interview with GQ.
Doechii said she wasn’t always comfortable being out or talking about her sexuality: “I started becoming comfortable with it when I started getting more gay friends. I always knew that I was queer, bisexual. But I didn’t really feel comfortable talking about it because nobody around me was gay. So, it’s not like I was hiding it but I also wasn’t fully embracing it.”
How did this story make you feel?
