Italian icon Laura Pausini was honored with Billboard Italy’s prestigious Global Icon award on Wednesday (Nov. 12) during a historic Vatican ceremony with Pope Leo XIV. As part of Billboard Italia Women in Music 2025, the ceremony also emphasized the vital role of amplifying women’s voices in the music industry, with the Pope receiving a commemorative plaque underscoring this mission. Pausini’s remarkable career and humanitarian efforts continue to elevate Italian music on a global scale.
“I’m very excited and honored to have received the Global Icon award in the presence of the Pope,” Pausini tells Billboard Italy. “It was a moment and an encounter that I will remember forever. I wanted to offer Him what represents my very soul, my voice and my music.”
The superstar also presented Pope Leo XIV with a unique, unreleased song — her rendition of “Brother Sun, Sister Moon,” inspired by Saint Francis of Assisi’s “Canticle of the Creatures.” The song celebrates universal brotherhood and the praise of God through creation. “As his Holiness reminds us, [he] will become the patron saint of Italy next year,” Pausini adds. “I thank Billboard Italia for choosing me to represent the female voice as a universal language of peace and solidarity.”
Pausini has elevated Italian music to a global stage, serving as an ambassador for universal values such as inclusion, solidarity, and peace. She has consistently worked to support the most vulnerable, including children and populations affected by humanitarian crises. Her collaborations with organizations including UNICEF, Save the Children, Amnesty International and the World Food Programme — where she served as an ambassador — further highlight her commitment to humanitarian causes. Recognized as the most awarded Italian artist in the world, Pausini was honored with the “Icon” award at the 2025 Billboard Latin Music Awards in October, presented by Ozuna.
The second Italian edition of Billboard Women in Music will take place in Milan on Nov. 25, 26, and 28, coinciding with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Across the three days, eight additional awards will be presented to individuals shaping the Italian music scene, including leading artists and professionals working behind the scenes.
Laura Pausini has sold over 75 million records worldwide and garnered more than 6 billion streams, solidifying her status as the most listened-to Italian female artist internationally. She is also the first and only Italian female artist to win a Grammy Award and has entered the all-genre Billboard Hot 100.
Throughout her career, she has won four Latin Grammy Awards and was named Person of the Year 2023 by the Latin Recording Academy, becoming the first non-native Spanish-speaking artist to receive this honor. Her accolades also include a Golden Globe, an Emmy Award nomination, and an Oscar nomination.
She has collaborated with renowned artists such as Luciano Pavarotti, Andrea Bocelli, Michael Bublé, Ray Charles, Phil Collins, Shakira, Mariah Carey and Michael Jackson, among many others. Her recent collaborations include a live performance with Alanis Morissette and a duet with Robbie Williams for the first official FIFA anthem.
Her upcoming album, Io Canto 2, will be released by Warner Music in 2026, with a Spanish version titled Yo Canto 2. The album marks her return to both recording and live performances, accompanied by a new world tour in 2026 and 2027, kicking off on March 27 in Pamplona, Spain.
The post “Laura Pausini Receives Billboard Italy’s ‘Global Icon’ Award at Historic Vatican Ceremony with Pope Leo XIV” by Isabela Raygoza was published on 11/12/2025 by www.billboard.com