American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman Madonna has reached heights rarely seen among female celebrities.
According to Guinness World Records, she has sold more than 300 million records globally, making her the best-selling female recording artist of all time. Among the 68 times, she was nominated, Madonna has won 20 Video Music Awards, making her the second artist with the most VMA wins in the award’s history.
She is one of the most prominent and influential women in pop culture, and she has maintained complete creative control over her image and her career, including writing and producing the vast majority of her own songs.
Madonna is the best-selling female recording artist of all time, according to Guinness World Records, with more than 330 million albums and singles sold worldwide.
Madonna has donated to many different causes, such as the American Foundation for AIDS Research and her own Raising Malawi charity, which helps provide food, clothes, shelter, education, and medical treatment to orphans and other disadvantaged children and their caretakers in Malawi.
FACTS
- Her first marriage was to actor Sean Penn, which lasted from 1985 to 1989. Her second was to British film director Guy Ritchie, which lasted from 2000 to 2008.
- She is the proud mother of six little ones: two biological kids and four adopted kids, all from Malawi.
- The English Roses, her first book for kids, was the fastest-selling children’s picture book in history after its initial release and quickly rose to the top of The New York Times Best Seller list.
Madonna’s Complete List of Honors and Nominations
Los Angeles HIV/AIDS Project
The AIDS Project Los Angeles is a non-profit organization with the goals of enhancing the quality of life for those living with HIV/AIDS, decreasing the number of new HIV infections, and promoting the equitable and efficient application of public policy concerning HIV/AIDS. In recognition of her efforts, Madonna was given the Commitment to Life Award.
| Year | Nominee/work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Madonna | APLA Commitment to Life Award | Won |
The American Association for the Study of HIV/AIDS
The American Foundation for AIDS Research is a global nonprofit that works to end the HIV/AIDS pandemic through funding research, raising awareness, educating the public about prevention and treatment, and advocating for effective public policy. In 1991, Madonna was recognized for her efforts to combat AIDS via charity with the foundation’s Award of Courage.
| Year | Nominee/work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Madonna | Award of Courage | Won |
American Music Awards
| Year | Nominee/work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Madonna | Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist | Nominated |
| 1986 | Madonna | Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist | Nominated |
| Favorite Pop/Rock Female Video Artist | Nominated | ||
| Like a Virgin | Favorite Pop/Rock Album | Nominated | |
| 1987 | Madonna | Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist | Nominated |
| Favorite Pop/Rock Female Video Artist | Won | ||
| “Live to Tell” | Favorite Pop/Rock Single | Nominated | |
| 1988 | Madonna | Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist | Nominated |
| 1990 | Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist | Nominated | |
| “Like a Prayer” | Favorite Dance Single | Nominated | |
| 1991 | Madonna | Favorite Dance Artist | Nominated |
| Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist | Nominated | ||
| “Vogue” | Favorite Dance Single | Won | |
| Favorite Pop/Rock Single | Nominated | ||
| 1992 | Madonna | Favorite Dance Artist | Nominated |
| 1998 | Evita | Favorite Soundtrack | Nominated |
| 2003 | Madonna | International Artist of the Year Award | Won |
| 2016 | Rebel Heart Tour | Tour of the Year | Nominated |
ASCAP Pop Awards
| Year | Nominee/work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | “This Used to Be My Playground” | Most Performed Song | Won |
| 1996 | “You’ll See” | Most Performed Song | Won |
| 1999 | “Frozen” | Most Performed Song | Won |
| “Ray of Light” | Most Performed Song | Won | |
| 2000 | “Beautiful Stranger” | Most Performed Song | Won |
| 2002 | “Music” | Most Performed Song | Won |
