Rapper-singer Nicki Minaj will be honoured with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards, where she is also set to perform. After 2019 recipient Missy Elliott, a woman is again set to receive this prestigious award. Rappers who have earlier won the Video Vanguard Award include LL Cool J, Kanye West, and Beastie Boys.

Since 2010, a total of seven (out of a possible nine) honourees have been women, namely, Britney Spears, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Pink, Jennifer Lopez, Elliott and now Minaj. The 39-year-old star has herself posted a video on Instagram, conveying her happiness at being bestowed with this honour. Check out the video here:

Regarding the decision to honour the Anaconda hitmaker, Paramount executive Bruce Gillmer said, “Nicki has broken barriers for women in hip-hop with her versatility and creative artistry”. Gillmer also credited Minaj’s “crossover appeal”, “genre-defying style”, and the fact that she continues to be “unapologetically ‘Nicki’” as other reasons for bestowing the honour upon her.

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On the work front, Minaj has recently brought to light the artwork for her soon-to-be-released single, Super Freaky Girl, which is scheduled for an August 12 release. Fans of the artist will also get to take a closer look at her life and career in the six-part docuseries, Nicki. Sharing the trailer of the series on Twitter, the rapper said, “Coming SOON!!!! The #NickiDocumentary you didn’t know you needed. Love you so much”. Have a look at the trailer right here:

Notably, Minaj is also one of the nominees for this year’s Hip-Hop video with her song Do We Have A Problem? featuring Lil Baby. Minaj is a three-time winner in this category, a record she shares with Drake. She had earlier won in this category for her songs Super Bass (2011), Anaconda (2015), and Chun-Li (2018).