It’s almost Thanksgiving and while the first thing on my mind is usually that hot plate of turkey and three full days of vacation, this year I’m pumped for the American Music Awards and you should be too! Below are all of the female nominees of the 2017 AMA’s who, as women, each have something unique and inspiring to share with the feminist community.
1. Alessia Cara
It seems like just yesterday that this 21-year-old singer-songwriter made her debut with the smashing album “Know-It-All.” The record featured popular singles like “Scars To Your Beautiful”, a song she dedicated to all those who have gone through the long, and sometimes painful, road of learning to love their bodies without changing themselves to please the world. Now, two years later, she’s being nominated for a second time in the category of Favorite Female Pop/Rock Artist! It’s no surprise that Alessia is pro-feminism. Her entire platform is based on promoting self-love, acceptance and bringing awareness to the unfair standards that women are constantly subjected to. In a recent interview with Newsweek, Alessia was asked for her opinion on the word “feminism” and she responded beautifully:
“I definitely embrace that word. The definition of “feminism” is equality for all genders. It’s not saying women are superior, it’s not anti-men … it’s equality for women. That word has become tainted for many reasons and I don’t understand it. We need to fight for equality right now because of who was just elected … clearly it’s not getting through to people and it’s not an equal world. I am a feminist and if you’re not at this point, you’re dated and your mindset needs to change.” -Alessia Cara
2. Lady Gaga
From her daring music to her wild looks, Lady Gaga has always been one step ahead of the game. The 31-year-old singer-songwriter has made incredible strides in her career. Her recent single “The Cure” succeeds bringing about positive vibes in such frustrating times. She’s another nominee for Favorite Female Pop/Rock Artist! It’s been noted and highly agreed upon that Lady Gaga serves as a unique and refreshing symbol of feminism. She’s taken advantage of speaking up against body shaming and the double standards she faces as a female performer. In a 2016 interview with Harper’s Bazaar, she revealed what she believes being a woman means today.
“Being a lady today means being a fighter. It means being a survivor. It means letting yourself be vulnerable and acknowledging your shame or that you’re sad or you’re angry. It takes great strength to do that.” -Lady Gaga
3. Rihanna
Rihanna AKA Robyn Rihanna Fenty has always been in the spotlight, and this year is no exception. With the worldwide release of her all-inclusive makeup line “Fenty Beauty,” the 29-year-old singer-songwriter broke beauty boundaries by providing a diverse range of makeup products catering to all skin types. This year at the AMAs, Rihanna is being nominated for not one but two categories: Favorite Female Pop/Rock Artist and Favorite Female Artist Soul/R&B! Aside from slaying the music industry game, Rihanna is also famous for being unapologetically herself no matter what stage of her career she’s in. Rihanna knows that her power lies in staying true to herself and loving herself, and she inspires other young women to do so as well. She acknowledges that she is not always seen as a role model under the stringent standards of Hollywood, but I think we can all agree that her message to young women is one that should be put on a pedestal.
“I think I can inspire a lot of young women to be themselves and that is half the battle. The thing that’s kept me successful is being myself. I only know how to do that. And the minute you learn to love yourself you would not want to be anybody else.”-Rihanna
4. Miranda Lambert
This accomplished 34-year-old country musician has never been one to back down. She just recently took home the trophy for Female Vocalist of the Year at the 2017 Country Music Awards and now she’s a contender to win Favorite Female Country Artist at this years AMAs. But Lambert’s confidence in herself goes beyond the stage. Being a female in a largely male-dominated genre of music, she has faced her share of sexist remarks. A recent incident resulted in her now-famous clapback against country radio executive Keith Hill back in 2015. Hill made some shocking statements on his show when he said, “If you want to make ratings in country radio, take females out … if you play more than 15 percent female on [country] radio, your rating will go down.” Miranda was among many musicians and fans who outright disagreed with the executive’s harsh opinions. She responded on Twitter with “This is the biggest bunch of BULLSHIT I have ever heard.” Miranda certainly stood up for not only herself, but also for other females in the country genre.
“I am gonna do everything in my power to support and promote female singer/songwriters in country music. Always.” -Miranda Lambert
5. Maren Morris
Maren Morris is among one of three nominees for Favorite Female Country Artist at the AMAs this year. The 27-year-old singer-songwriter recently smashed the charts when her hit album “Hero” peaked at number 5 on the Billboard top 200 chart. Her album was also nominated for Best Country Album at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards. Not only does she exude self-confidence in her craft, but Morris is also making it known that she is a strong feminist who supports the strength that comes with being vulnerable. In a July 2017 Xpose article, the country singer made it clear that there is a stark need for more female representation in country radio and festivals. Morris also voices her own frustration at the double standards that come with the sexist questions some journalist ask her. Through her music, Maren Morris displays her own version of feminism that shows the strong yet vulnerable side of women.
“I’m not always strong, but I think what my fans have realized is that there’s strength in vulnerability. -Maren Morris
6. Carrie Underwood
Famous for her top hits “Before He Cheats” and “Jesus, Take The Wheel” and for having the best-selling solo female debut album in country music history, it’s no surprise that this queen of country is being nominated for the Favorite Female Country artist award at this year’s AMAs. The singer made her first debut as the winner of season 4 of American Idol back in 2005. Since then, she’s only made larger strides in her successful career and to this date she has sold over 65 million records. Underwood is a powerhouse musician in the music industry and with such a large following she uses her platform to address the significant issue of the lack of female country artists. In this 2014 Billboard interview, Underwood acknowledges that without the boost in popularity from wining American Idol she may have spend the rest of her life trying to achieve the success that she currently has. She also acknowledges the double standards that come with being a female in the male-dominated genre of country music.
“It seems women are expected to be so much more than men, which means we have to work that much harder. We’re the ones under the microscope. We’re expected to sound perfect. We’re expected to look perfect all the time. We’re expected to be style-setters, whereas the boys roll onto the stage in their jeans, T-shirts and baseball caps. I don’t know what we all can do to change this. But I do hope it does change. I would love to see more women making their mark in the music that I love so much … there are so many more out there just waiting for their shot. I hope they get it!” -Carrie Underwood
7. Beyonce
There is no other artist like Queen B. The 36-year-old singer-songwriter has achieved greatness as one of the best selling music artists in history. Beyonce has amassed a total of 22 Grammy Awards and was listed not once but twice on Time’s 100 Most Influential People of the World. As a black artist, Beyonce has inspired and continues to inspires both her fans and a myriad of other performers like Jessie J, Selena Gomez, and Nicki Minaj, to name a few. With such an influential position in the music industry and one of the biggest followings in the world, Beyonce uses every opportunity to speak up on the critical social issues affecting the world today. She used her 2016 Super Bowl Performance to address and protest police brutality in support of Black Lives Matter by paying homage to the Black Panther Party. Beyonce’s 56-minute long visual album, Lemonade, served its purpose of portraying the true strength of the black woman and successfully opened up the conversation of black feminism, because you can’t talk about feminism without also discussing race relations. Beyonce is another contender for the Favorite Female Artist Soul/R&B award at the AMAs.
“Your self-worth is determined by you. You don’t have to depend on someone telling you who you are.” – Beyonce
8) Kehlani
This young 22-year-old singer-songwriter went through a long journey to get to where she is right now. Kehlani first began her career as the lead vocalist for the group called PopLyfe but eventually left to pursue a solo career. For two years the singer was homeless, until 2013 when she released her first solo track named “ANTISUMMERLUV” on Soundcloud and received the attention of Nick Cannon. He eventually called her in and set her up with a studio and an apartment. Over the years, the singer has grown as a performer in the industry. In 2015, Kehlani managed to land the opening act for G-Eazy on his From the Bay to the Universe tour. Later on in 2015, Kehlani released her second ever mixtape “You Should Be Here,” which broke the charts and landed at number 5 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums! In 2016, things took a turn as Kehlani became a victim of abhorrently negative people on social media who have wrongly accused her of cheating on her partner. This mass amount of negative attention caused the singer to attempt suicide. Thankfully the singer has spent this year recuperating and continues to use her platform on media to share love for all people regardless their personal backgrounds. Kehlani also understands the importance of her platform and uses her position as a performer and artist to encourage young women everywhere. She is one of the picks to possibly win the AMA for Favorite Female Artist Soul/R&B at this year’s award ceremony!
“I just want to maximize it and reach more people, more countries. There are girls that grew up like me and even worse, and they need to know that there is someone out there that can give them hope with my music. It’s about inspiring people and helping people.”-Kehlani
Whether or not they win awards, these amazingly passionate women should be winners in all of our books! Don’t forget to tune into the award ceremony this Sunday, November 19 to catch all the action!
GIFS couretesy of Giphy