Mexican pop legend Thalía named as Billboard’s 2026 ‘Icon’

Mexican pop powerhouse Thalía is set to receive the Icon Award at the 2026 Billboard Women in Music ceremony, cementing her status as one of Latin music’s most enduring stars.

Announced this week, the April 29 gala at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles will honor women who have made some of the biggest strides in the industry over the past year, with American actress and singer Keke Palmer hosting.

Thalía’s recognition caps more than three decades in music and television, during which she helped take Latin pop to wider international audiences and became a household name across the Spanish-speaking world.

The Icon Award isn’t given for a single hit, but for a career that has defined an era while transcending generations and borders.

Born Ariadna Thalía Sodi Miranda in Mexico City in 1971, Thalía rose to fame first as a teen performer and then as a telenovela star before consolidating a long solo career.

She is best known on screen for leading roles in hit melodramas such as “Marimar,” “María la del Barrio” and “María Mercedes,” which expanded her reach throughout Latin America and beyond. In the United States, the “María” telenovelas aired on the Spanish-language TV network Univision and its affiliates.

Offscreen, the now 54-year-old built a catalog of Latin pop hits, toured internationally, and developed a multimedia brand that now includes fashion and other ventures.

Her career-defining hit is widely regarded as the 1997 release “Amor a la Mexicana,” considered one of the biggest classics in Mexican pop and a signature song of her career.

Her first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart was “Entre el Mar y una Estrella” in 2000, with later Latin chart-toppers including “Tú y Yo” and “No Me Enseñaste.”

Thalía is the latest Mexican artist to join the Women in Music honor roll. In 2025, regional Mexican singer Ángela Aguilar received the Breakthrough Award at the event.

This year’s ceremony also will spotlight R&B singer Teyana Taylor (Visionary Award), country star Ella Langley (Powerhouse Award), R&B and pop artist Kehlani (Impact Award), alternative R&B artist Mariah the Scientist (Rising Star Award), pop singer Tate McRae (Hitmaker Award), jazz pop artist Laufey (Innovator Award) and electropop star Zara Larsson (Breakthrough Award).

The Woman of the Year honoree will be announced in the coming weeks. Last year’s winner was U.S. rapper-singer Doechii, who mixes styles within and beyond hip-hop.

There is also a separate but related franchise called the Billboard Latin Women in Music, which has awarded Woman of the Year to Colombian pop star Shakira (2023), Colombian reggaeton star Karol G (2024) and American-born Latina Selena Gomez (2025). The ceremony last year was held in Miami; the 2026 event venue has yet to be announced.

With reports from El Universal, Billboard and Milenio