Alabama Shakes' Brittany Howard named 'Powerhouse' artist

Billboard names Brittany Howard, lead singer and guitarist of the Grammy-nominated rock band Alabama Shakes, as the 2015 Women in Music "Powerhouse" artist.

Howard will accept her honor, alongside already announced Woman of the Year Lady Gaga, on December 11 at Billboard's annual Women in Music ceremony. As the exclusive broadcast partner, Lifetime will air the ceremony on December 18, bringing Billboard's iconic event to a mass audience for the very first time. The program is held in conjunction with the publication of Billboard's Women in Music list, which selects the year's 50 most powerful female executives in the industry.

Alabama Shakes has charted two top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 chart, including the Athens, Alabama band's 2015 release, "Sound & Color," which debuted at No. 1 earlier this year. The group has also logged six entries on the Adult Alternative Songs chart, including No. 1 singles "Hold On" and "Don't Wanna Fight". Howard was featured on Billboard's March 30 cover alongside Coachella darlings Father John Misty and Hozier.

"Brittany Howard is the true definition of a powerhouse", from her unique and crushing vocals, to her meteoric rise in the last four years," said Janice Min, co-president and chief creative officer of Guggenheim Media's Entertainment Group, which consists of Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter. "She led Alabama Shakes to a massive year that included their Coachella debut, and is quite deserving of Billboard's recognition."

Preceding Howard as "Powerhouse" artist was 2014 honoree Jessie J. Billboard will be announcing additional Women in Music honorees in the coming weeks.