Rihanna accepts the AMA's first icon award from her mother Monica Braithwaite at the 41st annual American Music Awards held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles on November 24, 2013. UPI/Jim Ruymen | License Photo
Rihanna accepts the AMA's first icon award from her mother Monica Braithwaite at the 41st annual American Music Awards held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles on November 24, 2013. UPI/Jim Ruymen | License Photo
Rihanna (C) accepts first AMA Icon award from Bill Maher and mother Monica Braithwaite at the 41st annual American Music Awards held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles on November 24, 2013. UPI/Jim Ruymen | License Photo
Favorite Female Artist-Soul/R&B winner Rihanna sings "Diamond" at the 41st annual American Music Awards held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles on November 24, 2013. UPI/Jim Ruymen | License Photo
Nov. 25 (UPI) -- Rihanna won the AMAs first-ever Icon Award Sunday night, for being what Bill Maher called "the voice of our time." Though Real Time host Maher seemed like a bizarre choice to introduce the 25-year-old "Diamonds" singer, they couldn't have picked a better person to present her with the award.
"I'm so proud of you tonight," Monica Braithwaite, Rihanna's mom, told her daughter before handing off the trophy. "I know the journey and your career has not always been an easy one. But tonight I applaud and admire you for being so strong and so positive and so humble and so focused."
"I'm so blessed to be part of this historic moment," she added.
[Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, Us Weekly]
