Image Source: Zphysician, Flipboard

Variety’s fifth annual Hitmakers Brunch was held on Saturday, i.e., December 4, 2021, at the open-air City Market Social venue in downtown Los Angeles. Peacock and "Girls5eva".

At the 2021 Variety Hitmakers Brunch, songwriter-singer Avril Lavigne presented the artist Olivia Rodrigo with the ‘Songwriter of the Year’ award in Los Angeles.

While accepting the honor, Olivia Rodrigo said, "First, I want to thank Avril for coming here today. I am such a massive fan of you. I look up to you so much. So, this is so surreal for me. Thank you for the love and support. I've been writing songs since I was like five years old, and my favorite part about all of this is that feeling of writing a song that perfectly captures how you feel... so accepting an award for songwriting is really meaningful to me. When I put out "driver's license" about this really hard time in my life, I watched it affect so many people, regardless of sexual orientation, gender, or age. And to me, it's a really beautiful thing about art, and it was so special for me to not only see how universal all those feelings were, but how music can bring us all together and make us feel less alone. Thank you so much, Variety, for this honor, and thank you for the opportunity to be in a room with all these people I just adore. Thank you to everyone on my team and to my manager at Interscope. I love you guys so much. And thank you, especially, to all the amazing, supportive women in my life. I appreciate it. Thanks again. "

Avril Lavigne, while introducing Olivia Rodrigo, said, "This year we were introduced to a new artist whose debut album marked a major return for rock-and-roll on the charts. From "Driver’s License" to "Good 4 You" to "Deja Vu," Olivia’s singles from her album "Sour" are part of the collective psyche of 2021, and she wrote every single one of them. Her songs are personal, her songs are raw, and her songs are relatable. Please welcome to the stage Variety’s songwriter of the year, Olivia Rodrigo. "

During Variety’s interview in August’s cover story on Olivia Rodrigo, Avril Lavigne shared that she admires Olivia Rodrigo for her honesty and real songs. Avril said, "Her songs are her truth, and you can really feel that. You can tell it’s real by the way all of her fans grab onto every single word. " Olivia Rodrigo has shared that songwriters including Alanis Morissette and Gwen Stefani inspire her music, and she added, "I think it was so cool for me to write this snarky, angry rock song and put it out and have it be received so well. I’ve always looked up to girls who rock out and write these songs that are so brutally honest, so I was really proud of the fact that I could maybe be that person for girls growing up today. "

Olivia lastly added, "I go on TikTok sometimes and just look at all the girls writing gorgeous songs on their acoustic guitars on their bedroom floor. I’m just so inspired by my generation of girls who are being so vulnerable and honest — even when it’s scary. "

At the same event, Lana Del Rey was honored with the "Decade of the Year" award, while Lil Nas X was presented with the "Innovator of the Year" by Chloe Bailey. Chloe said while introducing Lil Nas X, "There could not be a more appropriate honor for Lil Nas X. He has embodied the spirit of courage while also representing the culture authentically and beautifully. Maybe once in a generation an artist comes along and literally changes the world for the better. By being exactly who he is and commanding attention, by creating a universe that is both undeniable and exceptionally entertaining, he’s kicked in the door.”

While accepting the honor, Lil Nas X said, "It's been like a pretty crazy year. It's been a pretty fun year. I had a lot of fun piling people off. I'm kidding. It took a lot of mental strength for me to keep pushing this year after my debut reached such a high level so quickly, and it's very scary to try to follow up and keep it going. But I came out. I was myself. I did what I needed to do. I put effort into every single part of my career. And I'm super thankful for this award. "

Lil Nas X shared that working on his album has helped him to change in so many ways, and further mentioned that he has handled a lot of situations the way he managed his sadness and anger and just understood that he does not have to react to emotions in certain ways. He added, "I can't choose how I feel, but I can choose how I react. I've learned to let people's comments roll off my back. The only person that really has to believe in me is myself. There have been a lot of self-affirmations this year that I probably would not have been able to do two years ago. "

Congratulations!