Career Timeline of Avril Lavigne: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Avril Lavigne made an impact.

Avril Lavigne is a Canadian singer-songwriter who significantly shaped pop-punk music. She pioneered female-driven, punk-influenced pop in the early 2000s. Lavigne's contributions to music have garnered her eight Grammy Award nominations.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

December 1999: Discovery by Cliff Fabri

In December 1999, Avril Lavigne was discovered by her first professional manager, Cliff Fabri, while singing country covers at a Chapters bookstore in Kingston.

1999: Performance with Shania Twain and Collaboration with Stephen Medd

In 1999, Avril Lavigne won a radio contest to perform with Shania Twain at the Corel Centre in Ottawa, singing "What Made You Say That". Also in 1999, she was spotted by Stephen Medd and invited to sing on his song "Touch the Sky" for his album, Quinte Spirit.

November 2000: Signing with Arista Records

In November 2000, Avril Lavigne's audition at Peter Zizzo's Manhattan studio impressed Antonio "L.A." Reid of Arista Records, leading to her signing a deal worth $1.25 million for two albums and an additional $900,000 for a publishing advance.

2000: Collaboration with Stephen Medd and Work with Peter Zizzo

In 2000, Avril Lavigne sang on "Temple of Life" and "Two Rivers" for Stephen Medd's album, My Window to You. During the summer of 2000, she worked with producer Peter Zizzo in New York, writing the song "Why".

2000: Work with Peter Zizzo

In 2000, Mark Jowett arranged for Avril Lavigne to work with producer Peter Zizzo during the summer in New York, where she wrote the song "Why".

May 2001: Collaboration with The Matrix Production Team

In May 2001, Avril Lavigne traveled to Los Angeles and created two songs, including "Complicated", with the Matrix production team, marking a major breakthrough in finding her individual sound.

January 2002: Completion of Recording "Let Go" Album

In January 2002, the recording of Avril Lavigne's debut album, Let Go, was completed.

June 2002: Release of "Let Go" Album

In June 2002, Avril Lavigne released her debut album, Let Go, in the US. It reached number two on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

2002: Television Debut on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch

In 2002, Avril Lavigne made her first television appearance on an episode of "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch", performing "Sk8er Boi" with her band.

2002: Release of "Let Go" album

In 2002, Avril Lavigne released her debut album, Let Go, which became the best-selling album of the 21st century by a Canadian artist.

2002: Success of "Complicated" and Other Singles

In 2002, Avril Lavigne's debut single, "Complicated," peaked at number one in Australia and number two in the US. It was a bestselling Canadian single of 2002. She also had successful singles with "Sk8er Boi" and "I'm With You".

January 11, 2003: Guinness World Record

On January 11, 2003, Avril Lavigne achieved a Guinness World Record as the youngest female solo artist to top the UK album chart at 18 years and 106 days old with her album "Let Go".

April 2003: Juno Award Win and Comments on Iraq War

In April 2003, after winning her fourth Juno Award, Avril Lavigne expressed her disapproval of the Iraq War, stating that war is not a way to solve problems and that she did not respect U.S. President George Bush. She also voiced her pride in then-Prime Minister of Canada Jean Chrétien for keeping Canada out of the war.

2003: Featured in The Sims: Superstar

In 2003, Avril Lavigne was featured in the game "The Sims: Superstar" as a non-playable celebrity.

May 2004: Release of "Under My Skin" Album

In May 2004, Avril Lavigne's second studio album, Under My Skin, was released and debuted at number one in Australia, Canada, Japan, the UK, and the US.

September 2004: Start of the Bonez Tour

In September 2004, Avril Lavigne embarked on her first world tour, the year-long Bonez Tour.

November 2004: Theme Song for "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie"

In November 2004, Avril Lavigne recorded the theme song for The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie with producer Butch Walker.

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2004: Cameo in Going the Distance

In 2004, Avril Lavigne made a cameo appearance in the film "Going the Distance" after performing "Losing Grip" at the MuchMusic Video Awards.

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2004: Release of "Under My Skin" album

In 2004, Avril Lavigne's second album, Under My Skin, was released and became her first to reach the top of the Billboard 200 chart in the United States.

November 2005: Filming The Flock

In November 2005, Avril Lavigne filmed a scene for the 2007 film "The Flock" in New Mexico, playing Beatrice Bell alongside Claire Danes and Richard Gere.

December 2005: Signs for Fast Food Nation

In December 2005, Avril Lavigne signed to appear in "Fast Food Nation", based on the book of the same name.

Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal

Check it on Amazon

2005: Reverb East Coast Tour

In 2005, Avril Lavigne worked with Reverb, a non-profit environmental organization, for her east coast tour.

May 19, 2006: Over the Hedge Opens

On May 19, 2006, "Over the Hedge", featuring Avril Lavigne as the voice of Heather, opened and made $38 million over its opening weekend.

August 2006: Ranked in Canadian Business Magazine

In August 2006, Canadian Business magazine ranked Avril Lavigne as the seventh top Canadian actor in Hollywood.

November 17, 2006: Fast Food Nation Opens

On November 17, 2006, "Fast Food Nation", featuring Avril Lavigne, opened in theaters.

2006: Performance at Torino Winter Olympics

In 2006, Avril Lavigne performed at the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games in Torino.

April 2007: Release of "The Best Damn Thing" Album

In April 2007, Avril Lavigne's third album, The Best Damn Thing, was released and debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200.

April 2007: Release of Avril Lavigne's Make 5 Wishes Volume 1

In April 2007, the first volume of the graphic novel "Avril Lavigne's Make 5 Wishes", co-created by Lavigne, Camilla d'Errico, and Joshua Dysart, was released, featuring a shy girl inspired by Lavigne.

June 12, 2007: Instant Karma Album Release

On June 12, 2007, the compilation album "Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur", featuring Avril Lavigne's cover of John Lennon's "Imagine", was released.

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July 2007: Release of Avril Lavigne's Make 5 Wishes Volume 2

In July 2007, the second volume of the graphic novel "Avril Lavigne's Make 5 Wishes", co-created by Lavigne, Camilla d'Errico, and Joshua Dysart, was released.

November 28, 2007: Unite Against AIDS Concert

On November 28, 2007, Avril Lavigne participated in the Unite Against AIDS concert presented by ALDO in support of UNICEF at the Bell Centre in Montréal, Québec, Canada.

2007: Release of "The Best Damn Thing" album

In 2007, Avril Lavigne released her third album, The Best Damn Thing, which reached number one in seven countries worldwide and featured the hit single "Girlfriend".

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2007: 100 Million Views on Youtube

In 2007, Avril Lavigne was the first to reach 100 million views on a YouTube video, with her single "Girlfriend".

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2007: Release of The Flock in Foreign Markets

The film "The Flock", filmed in 2005, was released in foreign markets in 2007.

March 2008: The Best Damn World Tour and Maxim Cover

In March 2008, Avril Lavigne undertook a world tour, The Best Damn World Tour, and appeared on the cover of Maxim for the second time.

July 2008: Abbey Dawn Clothing Line Launch

In July 2008, Avril Lavigne launched her clothing line, Abbey Dawn, featuring a back-to-school collection, produced by Kohl's.

2008: The Best Damn Tour in China

In 2008, Avril Lavigne was the first western artist to do a full tour in China, with The Best Damn Tour.

March 7, 2009: Announcement of Black Star Fragrance

On March 7, 2009, Avril Lavigne announced the release of her first fragrance, Black Star, created by Procter & Gamble Prestige Products, on her official website.

September 14, 2009: New York Fashion Week

On September 14, 2009, Avril Lavigne presented her clothing line's latest collection at New York Fashion Week.

December 5, 2009: Teleton Performance

On December 5, 2009, Avril Lavigne performed acoustic versions of "Complicated" and "Girlfriend" at the "Teleton" charity event in Mexico City.

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2009: "Let Go" Sales Reach 16 Million Units Worldwide

By 2009, Avril Lavigne's album Let Go had sold over 16 million units worldwide, showcasing its international success.

January 2010: Alice in Wonderland-Inspired Designs

In January 2010, Avril Lavigne began working with Disney to incorporate Alice in Wonderland-inspired designs into her Abbey Dawn clothing line.

July 2010: Release of Forbidden Rose Fragrance

In July 2010, Avril Lavigne released her second fragrance, Forbidden Rose, which had been in development for two years.

September 14, 2010: Launch of The Avril Lavigne Foundation

On September 14, 2010, Avril Lavigne introduced "The Avril Lavigne Foundation", a charity to help young people with serious illnesses and disabilities.

November 2010: Attendance at Clinton Global Initiative

In November 2010, Avril Lavigne attended the Clinton Global Initiative.

December 2010: Abbey Dawn Online Availability

In December 2010, Avril Lavigne's clothing line, Abbey Dawn, became available in over 50 countries through its official website.

2010: Contribution to Wavin' Flag Cover

In 2010, Avril Lavigne contributed to a cover of K'naan's "Wavin' Flag" as a benefit single for Haiti earthquake relief.

2010: Performance at Vancouver Winter Olympics

In 2010, Avril Lavigne performed at the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.

August 2011: Launch of Wild Rose Fragrance

In August 2011, Avril Lavigne launched her third fragrance, Wild Rose, and filmed the commercial for it in late 2010.

September 2011: Guest Mentor on Majors & Minors

In September 2011, Avril Lavigne appeared on the Hub Network's televised singing competition "Majors & Minors" as a guest mentor.

2011: Release of "Goodbye Lullaby" album

In 2011, Avril Lavigne released her fourth album, Goodbye Lullaby, which saw continued commercial success.

2011: New York Fashion Week return

In 2011, Avril Lavigne returned to New York Fashion Week

March 2012: Collaboration with Chad Kroeger

In March 2012, Avril Lavigne and Chad Kroeger began working together to write and record music for Lavigne's fifth album, leading to their relationship.

2013: Release of "Avril Lavigne" album

In 2013, Avril Lavigne released her fifth album, Avril Lavigne, which achieved commercial success.

September 2014: Fundraising Campaign for Special Olympics

In September 2014, Avril Lavigne launched a personal fundraising campaign for the Special Olympics as part of her birthday celebration. The proceeds from her "Team Rockstar" event helped sponsor athletes from around the world competing in the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Los Angeles.

2015: Performance at the Special Olympics World Summer Games

In 2015, Avril Lavigne performed at the opening ceremony of the Special Olympics World Summer Games.

2019: Release of "Head Above Water" album

In 2019, Avril Lavigne released her sixth album, Head Above Water.

September 2020: Livestream Concert to Fight Lyme Disease

In September 2020, Avril Lavigne announced a special livestream concert called #FightLyme to raise awareness and funds in the fight against Lyme disease. Proceeds from all tickets and merchandise went to the Global Lyme Alliance and the Avril Lavigne Foundation.