AP names Lady Gaga Entertainer of the Year
Posted December 19, 2011 12:06 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It takes an extraordinary artist to sell 1.1 million copies of an album in its first week. It also takes an extraordinary star to pull off a meat dress.
Lady Gaga’s avant-garde fashion, unusual approach to reaching mainstream America, youth empowerment efforts and, of course, her music prompted The Associated Press to name her Entertainer of the Year.
The 25-year-old singer faced some steep competition, including late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, Charlie Sheen, whose public downward spiral sparked a social media frenzy and live tour, and the hugely popular British singer Adele.
Gaga started the year in a predictably unusual way. She arrived on the red carpet at the Grammy Awards in February in a giant egg carried by shirtless male dancers. She accepted an award during the show in a dress made of layers of Argentinian beef. That dress is now housed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (It was preserved.)
She released her third album, Born This Way, in May and it sold 1.1 million copies in its first week — 60 per cent of those sales were digital downloads. Born This Way went on to sell eight million copies worldwide.
The singer, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, also helped to establish the Born This Way Foundation to combat bullying and promote youth empowerment. She’s also been a strong advocate for gay and lesbian rights.
Gaga’s Monster Ball tour stopped at the Air Canada Centre in March and last month the singer delivered a personal anti-bullying message via video to students at the Etobicoke School of the Arts.
