Pop singer Pink named Billboard's Woman of the Year

U.S. singer Pink performs on main stage during Budapest's Sziget Music Festival on an island in the Danube River in this August 10, 2007 file photo. REUTERS/Laszlo Balogh/Files

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Pop singer Pink has been named Billboard's Woman of the Year after scoring her first ever No. 1 album this year, the music industry trade magazine said on Monday. Pink, 34, who emerged on the pop scene in 2000 as a self-styled antidote to the girl-next-door image presented by young pop singers Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, released her sixth album "The Truth About Love" last September. The Grammy-winning singer, whose real name is Alecia Moore, scored hits in the past year with "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)," "Try," and "Just Give Me a Reason," a duet with Nate Ruess of rock band Fun. that topped the Billboard Hot 100 song chart. "It's been an incredible year and I feel so grateful to radio for sticking by me, and to the fans and friends and all of the incredible talent that I was fortunate enough to work with for this album," Pink said in a statement. The singer has sold more than 40 million albums in her career and some 20 million digital songs, Billboard said. "When our 2013 mid-year numbers were released, she had the top-selling album and song for a woman, and a blockbuster, sold-out, international arena tour," the magazine's editorial director Bill Werde said in a statement. Pink will be honored with the award at Billboard's annual Women in Music event in New York in December. Pop singer Katy Perry was given the award last year and previous winners include country-pop singer Taylor Swift and R&B singer Beyonce. (Reporting by Eric Kelsey; Editing by Piya Sinha-Roy and Eric Walsh)