Mariah Carey Reflects On Her Struggles To Sing As She Receives Global Impact Award From Recording Academy

Mariah Carey has been nominated for 34 Grammys and has won five of them. It had almost been 20 years since the singer last won the Grammy. Reacting to this win, the 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' singer brought out her trademark humour and said, “Is this a real Grammy? I haven’t seen one in soooooo long. It’s weird. I don’t know. We’ll figure out what this is later.”

The singer received the honour at the Fairmont Century Plaza on Thursday night. The audience cheered for her win. As she stepped on the stage to receive the award, she spoke about how she had to fight to sing and write the kind of music that she wanted to. She said, “When I first started in the music business, I was often told to conform to certain expectations. I was not encouraged to focus on my love for Black music. It took countless arguments, endless tantrums... and mostly unwavering determination but, eventually, I was able to reveal my authentic self.”

Mariah Carey received the honour from the Black Music Collective. She was honoured for being a Black music creator who has influenced the music industry and “whose legacy of service inspires countless individuals worldwide.”

She added, “I accept this award on behalf of every person who has ever felt silenced or marginalized, who has ever been told their voice doesn’t matter. Your truth matters.” Mariah Carey has a wide range of songs under her belt, but she gained worldwide recognition for her Christmas songs.