Laura Pausini will have the incredible honor of receiving recognition from the Latin Grammys as Person of the Year. It’s presented by the Latin Recording Academy, and Pausini is the third woman to ever receive it after Shakira (2011) and Gloria Estefan, (1994). She’s also the first person without Ibero-American roots.

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The artist was born in Faenza, Italy. She sings in Italian and Spanish and has gained popularity in the Latin American countries. At the press conference Tuesday November 14, in the Palace of Congresses and Exhibitions (FIBES) of Seville, Puasini quipped that she was the “proudest Italian to be Latina.”

The 49-year-old said it would also be a special moment for her family. “I’m going to enjoy it a lot. Tomorrow will be a special night for my whole family.” “Finally, my parents will see that everything I told them about adopting the Latin culture is going to come true legitimately” she continued.

Pausini has said in the past that she thought it was a joke when the Latin Recording Academy called her. “I thought it was a joke at first because I’m Italian, and I thought I couldn’t be nominated,” Pausini told Pollstar.

But Pausini was adopted by Latinos and has made great strides in the industry. She’s also excited to join the “trinity” with Shakira and Estefan, who she called, “two incredible colleagues.”

The artist also hoped for a future where more women would be recognized. “It seems to me that there are few of us, but I also think that we are beginning to be more and more women, many Latinas, who are becoming recognized in the world like Rosalía or Karol G,” she said.