On Saturday night, Billboard Women In Music returned to YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California, to celebrate some of the biggest, brightest names in the industry, including high-profile executives and superstar artists across genres.
This year, Gracie Abrams was honored with the inaugural Songwriter of the Year award, which was presented to her by Victoria Monét. “This incredible artist is, at a minimum, a quadruple threat,” Abrams said about her presenter, who was honored at last year’s Women in Music event as the Rising Star. “She’s an insane writer, unparalleled vocalist, inventive producer and amazing dancer. I’m just in awe of you every day.”
Prior to being presented with the honor, Abrams performed her emotive hit “I Love, I’m Sorry,” off her second album, The Secret of Us. Abrams wrote the album with her best friend, Audrey Hobert, who was in attendance seated at a table alongside Abrams’ mom and her manager (and fellow Women in Music honoree) Alex DePersia.
“To my best friend and the most clever Audrey Hobert — for every single reason, I am me because of you,” said Abrams. “And our album is what it is because of you. Having never written a song prior to The Secret of Us, you helped me translate every single feeling I was itching to articulate on this album.”
Abrams also thanked songwriter Sarah Aarons and, of course, “the incomparable Miss Taylor Swift,” with whom she earned a Grammy nomination for their collaboration “Us.” from the same album. “I will never stop thanking her for the gift of her pen,” said Abrams, “which very much raised me.”
