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 and songwriter prominent in popularizing pop-punk music in the early 2000s. She paved the way for female-driven, punk-influenced pop music. She has received ten Juno Awards and eight Grammy Awards nominations.
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 Contribution to Stephen Medd's Album
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." She also contributed vocals to Stephen Medd's song, "Touch the Sky", for his 1999 album, Quinte Spirit.
November 2000: Signing with Arista Records
In November 2000, Avril Lavigne auditioned for Antonio "L.A." Reid, head of Arista Records, and was immediately signed to a deal worth $1.25 million for two albums, plus an extra $900,000 for a publishing advance. Lavigne left high school to focus on her music career and her band was chosen by Nettwerk.
2000: Collaboration with Peter Zizzo and Attention from Arista Records
During the summer of 2000, Avril Lavigne worked with producer Peter Zizzo in New York, where she wrote the song "Why." Lavigne's talent was noticed by Arista Records during a trip to New York.
2000: Collaboration with Stephen Medd on 'My Window to You'
In 2000, Avril Lavigne sang on "Temple of Life" and "Two Rivers" for Stephen Medd's follow-up album, My Window to You.
May 2001: Collaboration with The Matrix
In May 2001, Avril Lavigne went to Los Angeles and collaborated with the Matrix production team, creating two songs, including "Complicated", which was later released as her debut single. This collaboration was a major breakthrough in forging her individual sound.
January 2002: Completion of 'Let Go' Album Recording
In January 2002, Avril Lavigne finished the recording of her debut album, Let Go.
2002: Cameo in Treble Charger's Music Video
In 2002, Avril Lavigne made a cameo appearance in the music video for "Hundred Million" by the pop punk band Treble Charger.
2002: Television appearance on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
In 2002, Avril Lavigne made her first television appearance on an episode of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, where she performed "Sk8er Boi" with her band in a nightclub.
2002: Debut Album Release: Let Go
In 2002, Avril Lavigne released her debut album, Let Go, which became the best-selling album of the 21st century by a Canadian artist. The album featured successful singles such as "Complicated" and "Sk8er Boi".
2002: Success of 'Complicated' and MTV Video Music Award
In 2002, Avril Lavigne's debut single, "Complicated", peaked at number one in Australia and number two in the US. She was named Best New Artist (for "Complicated") at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards.
January 11, 2003: Guinness World Record for youngest female solo artist to top the UK album chart
On January 11, 2003, Avril Lavigne achieved a Guinness World Record as the youngest female solo artist to top the UK album chart at the age of 18 years and 106 days, with her album Let Go reaching number one.
March 2003: Rolling Stone Cover and MTV Icon Performance
In March 2003, Avril Lavigne posed for the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, and she performed "Fuel" during MTV's Icon tribute to Metallica.
April 2003: Juno Award and Iraq War statement
In April 2003, after winning her fourth Juno Award, Avril Lavigne voiced her opposition to the Iraq War and criticized then-U.S. President George W. Bush, while also expressing pride in Canada's decision to stay out of the conflict.
May 2003: 'Let Go' Achieves Diamond Certification in Canada
By May 2003, Avril Lavigne's debut album, Let Go, had accumulated over 1 million sales in Canada, receiving a diamond certification from the Canadian Recording Industry Association.
2003: Featured in The Sims: Superstar game
In 2003, Avril Lavigne was featured as a non-playable celebrity in the game The Sims: Superstar.
2003: Won International Achievement Award at the SOCAN Awards
In 2003, Avril Lavigne won an International Achievement Award for her song "Complicated" at the SOCAN Awards in Toronto.
2003: Juno Awards and World Music Award
In 2003, Avril Lavigne won four Juno Awards out of six nominations and received a World Music Award for "World's Bestselling Canadian Singer".
September 2004: Start of the Bonez Tour
In September 2004, Avril Lavigne embarked on her first world tour, the year-long Bonez Tour.
September 2004: Performance at Fashion Rocks
In September 2004, Avril Lavigne performed the Goo Goo Dolls song "Iris" with the band's lead singer John Rzeznik at Fashion Rocks.
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.
2004: Cameo appearance in the film Going the Distance
In 2004, Avril Lavigne made a cameo appearance in the film Going the Distance. The main characters bump into her backstage at the MuchMusic Video Awards after her performance of "Losing Grip".
2004: Release of 'Under My Skin'
In 2004, Avril Lavigne released her second album, Under My Skin, which reached the top of the Billboard 200 chart in the United States and sold 10 million copies worldwide.
November 2005: Filmed a scene in The Flock
In November 2005, Avril Lavigne traveled to New Mexico to film a single scene in the 2007 film, The Flock, where she played Beatrice Bell, the girlfriend of a crime suspect, alongside Claire Danes and Richard Gere.
December 2005: Signed to appear in Fast Food Nation
In December 2005, Avril Lavigne signed on to appear in the film Fast Food Nation, based on the book Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. In the film, Lavigne played Alice, a high school student intent on freeing the cows.
2005: Juno Awards and Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award
In 2005, Avril Lavigne won three Juno Awards from five nominations, including 'Artist of the Year'. She also won in the category of 'Favorite Female Singer' at the eighteenth annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards.
2005: Worked with Reverb for her east coast tour
In 2005, Avril Lavigne worked with Reverb, a non-profit environmental organization, for her east coast tour.
February 2006: Closing Ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympics and 'Keep Holding On' for 'Eragon'
In February 2006, Avril Lavigne represented Canada at the closing ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympics. Additionally, she wrote the song "Keep Holding On" for the soundtrack to the 2006 film Eragon.
May 19, 2006: Release of Over the Hedge
On May 19, 2006, the film Over the Hedge, in which Avril Lavigne voiced the character Heather, opened in theaters and made $38 million over its opening weekend.
August 2006: Ranked seventh top Canadian actor in Hollywood
In August 2006, Canadian Business magazine ranked Avril Lavigne as the seventh top Canadian actor in Hollywood in their second annual Celebrity Power List ranking.
November 17, 2006: Release of Fast Food Nation
On November 17, 2006, the film Fast Food Nation, in which Avril Lavigne played Alice, was released in theaters.
2006: Performance at the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympic Games
Avril Lavigne performed at the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympic Games in Torino 2006.
April 2007: Release of 'The Best Damn Thing'
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. Its lead single, "Girlfriend", became her first number-one single on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
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, was released. Lavigne collaborated with artist Camilla d'Errico and writer Joshua Dysart on the manga, which tells the story of a shy girl named Hana who overcomes her fears after meeting Lavigne.
June 12, 2007: Release of Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur
On June 12, 2007, the compilation album Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur, which included Avril Lavigne's cover of John Lennon's song "Imagine," was released to benefit Amnesty International's campaign to alleviate the crisis in Darfur.
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 was released. The manga series follows the story of a shy girl named Hana who overcomes her fears after meeting Lavigne. Avril Lavigne collaborated with artist Camilla d'Errico and writer Joshua Dysart on the manga.
November 28, 2007: Took part in Unite Against AIDS concert
On November 28, 2007, Avril Lavigne took part 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'
In 2007, Avril Lavigne released her third album, The Best Damn Thing, which reached number one in seven countries and featured the hit single "Girlfriend," which became her first single to reach the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States.
2007: First to reach 100 million views on a YouTube video
In 2007, Avril Lavigne was the first artist to reach 100 million views on a YouTube video, with her single "Girlfriend".
2007: Release of The Flock
The film The Flock in which Avril Lavigne played Beatrice Bell, the girlfriend of a crime suspect, was released in foreign markets in late 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: Launched clothing line Abbey Dawn
In July 2008, Avril Lavigne launched her clothing line Abbey Dawn, featuring a back-to-school collection produced by Kohl's. The line, named after Lavigne's childhood nickname, features skull, zebra, and star patterns, purples and "hot pinks and blacks".
August 21, 2008: Approval for Kuala Lumpur Concert
On August 21, 2008, MTV reported that Avril Lavigne's concert in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia had been approved by the Malaysian government after concerns were raised by the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party.
2008: First Western artist to do a full 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's official website announced the release of her first fragrance, Black Star, created by Procter & Gamble Prestige Products. The fragrance features notes of pink hibiscus, black plum, and dark chocolate.
September 14, 2009: Showcased Abbey Dawn at New York Fashion Week
On September 14, 2009, Avril Lavigne presented the latest collection of her clothing line, Abbey Dawn, at New York Fashion Week.
December 5, 2009: Performed at Teleton in Mexico City
On December 5, 2009, Avril Lavigne performed acoustic versions of her hits "Complicated" and "Girlfriend" at "Teleton" in Mexico City, the biggest charity event in Latin America. Evan Taubenfeld and band member Jim McGorman joined her on stage.
2009: 'Let Go' Sales Reach 16 Million Worldwide
By 2009, Avril Lavigne's album, Let Go, had sold over 16 million units worldwide, marking a significant milestone in her career.
January 2010: Began working with Disney on 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 line of clothing.
July 2010: Release of Forbidden Rose fragrance
In July 2010, Avril Lavigne released her second fragrance, Forbidden Rose, which took two years to develop. It features notes of red apple, winepeach, black pepper, lotusflower, heliotrope, shellflower, praline agreement, sandalwood, and vanilla.
September 14, 2010: Launched The Avril Lavigne Foundation
On September 14, 2010, Avril Lavigne introduced her charity, "The Avril Lavigne Foundation", which aims to help young people with serious illnesses and disabilities and works with leading charitable organizations.
November 2010: Attended the Clinton Global Initiative
In November 2010, Avril Lavigne attended the Clinton Global Initiative.
December 2010: Abbey Dawn made available in over 50 countries
In December 2010, Avril Lavigne's clothing line Abbey Dawn was made available to over 50 countries through the line's official website.
2010: Performance at the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympic Games
Avril Lavigne performed at the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver 2010.
2010: Contributed to the cover of K'naan's Wavin' Flag for Haiti earthquake relief
In 2010, Avril Lavigne contributed her voice to a cover of K'naan's "Wavin' Flag" as a benefit single to raise money for several charity organizations related to the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
August 2011: Launch of Wild Rose fragrance
In August 2011, Avril Lavigne launched her third fragrance, Wild Rose. The tagline for the fragrance is "Dare to discover more". It features notes of mandarin, pink grapefruit, plum, orange blossom, frangipani, blue orchid, musk, sandalwood and crème brûlée.
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 alongside other singers, including Adam Lambert and Leona Lewis.
2011: Release of 'Goodbye Lullaby'
In 2011, Avril Lavigne released her fourth album, Goodbye Lullaby, which achieved commercial success and was certified gold in Canada, the United States, and other territories.
2011: Returned to New York Fashion Week
In 2011, Avril Lavigne returned to New York Fashion Week with Abbey Dawn.
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.
2013: Release of 'Avril Lavigne'
In 2013, Avril Lavigne released her self-titled fifth album, Avril Lavigne, which continued her commercial success and was certified gold in Canada, the United States, and other territories.
September 2014: Launched fundraising campaign for the Special Olympics
In September 2014, Avril Lavigne launched a personal fundraising campaign for the Special Olympics as part of her birthday celebration. The "Team Rockstar" event helped sponsor athletes competing in the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Los Angeles.
2015: Performance at the opening ceremony of the Special Olympics World Summer Games
Avril Lavigne performed at the opening ceremony of the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games.
2015: Special Olympics athletes starred in "Fly" music video
In 2015, the athletes that the "Team Rockstar" event helped sponsor from around the world competing in the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Los Angeles were the stars of Avril Lavigne's music video for "Fly", which was shot in Canada.
March 2018: 'Let Go' Certified Seven-Times Platinum by RIAA
In March 2018, the RIAA certified Avril Lavigne's album, Let Go, seven-times Platinum, denoting shipments of over seven million units in the US.
2019: Release of 'Head Above Water'
In 2019, Avril Lavigne released her sixth album, Head Above Water, marking a continuation of her musical journey.
September 2020: Announcement of #FightLyme Concert
In September 2020, Avril Lavigne announced a special livestream concert called the #FightLyme concert to raise awareness and funds in the fight against Lyme disease.
2022: Return to Pop Punk with 'Love Sux'
In 2022, Avril Lavigne returned to her pop-punk roots with the release of her seventh album, Love Sux.
June 2024: Conferred with the Order of Canada
In June 2024, Avril Lavigne was conferred with the Order of Canada.
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