Canadian electropop musician Lights is set to receive the Billboard Visionary Award next month.
She joins previous recipients Lana Del Rey (2023) and Maren Morris (2024), and is the first Canadian artist to receive the honour.
She will receive her award at the Billboard Canada Women in Music gala on Oct. 1 in Toronto.
Lights has had quite the impact across her almost 20-year career, one in which she has redefined “what it means to be an artist,” according to Billboard Canada.
From her genre-jumping musical output to her companion comic books, Lights has remained innovative and refreshing ever since she emerged on the Canadian music scene with her 2008 single Drive My Soul.
WATCH | Lights performs her album Skin&Earth Acoustic for CBC Music:
“It’s rare for an artist, Canadian or otherwise, to capture such longevity and acclaim over such a prolonged period,” Billboard Canada’s national editor, Richard Trapunski, said in a statement. “Lights has done it without ever relying on reputation or nostalgia, always pushing forward and doing things her own way.”
Lights has had 10 songs chart on the Billboard Canada Hot 100 since 2009, and eight albums appear on the Canadian Albums chart, including Siberia, Little Machines and Skin & Earth.
Her catalogue spans many genres including pop, EDM, metalcore and darkwave, which is also reflected in her choice of collaborators: deadmau5, Bring Me the Horizon, Kaskade, Steve Aoki, Felix Cartal and more.
WATCH | The official music video for Lights’ song Alive Again:
On top of her artistic output, Lights has also been an advocate for music education and mental health awareness.
In May, she released her latest album, A6, featuring singles Damage and Alive Again.
It was previously announced that television host, singer and actress Keshia Chanté will host the Oct. 1 Billboard Canada Women in Music ceremony, and that Toronto band the Beaches will receive the Women of the Year Award.