Katy Perry's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A closer look at the biggest achievements of Katy Perry. Awards, milestones, and records that define success.

Katy Perry, born Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Highly influential in pop music and recognized for her camp style, she has been called the "Queen of Camp." She was the highest-paid female musician globally in both 2015 and 2018. Billboard has acknowledged her as one of the leading pop stars of the 21st century.

Sections (4)

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

May 2010: Record-breaking run on Billboard Hot 100

Beginning in May 2010, Katy Perry spent a record-breaking 69 consecutive weeks in the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100.

September 2011: Continued Billboard Hot 100 success

Katy Perry's record-breaking run on the Billboard Hot 100 continued until September 2011, marking 69 consecutive weeks in the top ten.

2011: Ranked Third on Forbes' "Top-Earning Women In Music"

In 2011, Forbes ranked Katy Perry third on their "Top-Earning Women In Music" list with earnings of $44 million, recognizing her financial success in the music industry.

January 5, 2012: Perry named sixth best-selling digital artist

On January 5, 2012, Katy Perry was named the sixth best-selling digital artist in the United States, with 37.6 million units sold according to Nielsen SoundScan.

January 2012: People's Choice Award for Favorite TV Guest Star

In January 2012, Katy Perry won the People's Choice Award for Favorite TV Guest Star for her role on How I Met Your Mother.

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September 2012: Named "Woman of the Year" by Billboard

In September 2012, Billboard dubbed Katy Perry the "Woman of the Year" in recognition of her contributions to music.

December 2012: Trevor Hero Award

In December 2012, Katy Perry was awarded the Trevor Hero Award by The Trevor Project for her work and activism on behalf of LGBT youth.

2012: Ranked Fifth on Forbes' "Top-Earning Women In Music"

In 2012, Forbes ranked Katy Perry fifth on their "Top-Earning Women In Music" list with earnings of $45 million, acknowledging her continued financial success.

December 3, 2013: UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador

On December 3, 2013, Katy Perry was officially named a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

2013: Top Global Female Recording Artist

In 2013, Katy Perry was declared the Top Global Female Recording Artist of 2013 by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), acknowledging her worldwide success in the music industry.

2013: Ranked Seventh on Forbes' "Top-Earning Women In Music"

In 2013, Katy Perry was ranked seventh on Forbes' list for "Top-Earning Women In Music" with $39 million earned, reflecting her ongoing financial achievements in the music industry.

2013: Sexiest Woman

In 2013, Men's Health readers voted Katy Perry the "sexiest woman of 2013".

2013: Ranked fifth on list of Top Global Recording Artists of 2013

In 2013, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) ranked Katy Perry fifth on the list of Top Global Recording Artists.

June 26, 2014: Top Certified Digital Artist Ever

On June 26, 2014, Katy Perry was declared the Top Certified Digital Artist Ever by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for certified sales of 72 million digital singles in the United States.

2014: Ranked Fifth on Forbes' "Top-Earning Women In Music"

In 2014, Katy Perry ranked fifth on Forbes' list of "Top-Earning Women In Music" with earnings of $40 million, further highlighting her consistent financial success.

June 2015: "Dark Horse" music video reaches 1 billion views

In June 2015, Katy Perry's music video for "Dark Horse" became the first video by a female artist to reach 1 billion views on Vevo, marking a significant milestone in her career.

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2015: Ranked Number One on Forbes' "Top-Earning Women In Music"

In 2015, Forbes ranked Katy Perry number one on their "Top-Earning Women In Music" list with earnings of $135 million, also naming her the "World's Highest-Paid Musicians" and the highest-earning female celebrity.

2015: Guinness World Record

In 2015, Katy Perry won the Guinness World Record for most Twitter followers.

2016: Ranked Sixth on Forbes' "Highest-Paid Women in Music"

In 2016, Forbes estimated Katy Perry's net worth at $125 million and ranked her number six on their list of "Highest-Paid Women in Music" with earnings of $41 million, noting her financial success in the music industry.

2016: Sale to Hollister ruled invalid

In 2016, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled the sale of the convent to Hollister invalid because the necessary church approval was not present, clearing the way for Perry's purchase of the property.

June 2017: 100 Million Twitter Followers

In June 2017, Katy Perry became the first person to gain 100 million followers on Twitter.

2017: Three Diamond Certifications from RIAA

In 2017, Katy Perry became the first artist to have three songs receive Diamond certifications from the RIAA: "Dark Horse", "Firework", and "Roar". These songs, along with "E.T.", "California Gurls", and "Hot n Cold", have each sold over 5 million digital copies.

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2017: Nation Equality Award

In 2017, Katy Perry received a Nation Equality Award from Human Rights Campaign for "using her powerful voice and international platform to speak out for LGBTQ equality".

2017: Included in Glamour's list

In 2017, Katy Perry was included in Glamour's "104 Women Who Defined the Decade in Pop Culture" list of the 2010s.

2017: Hollister found to have interfered with real estate deal

In 2017, a jury determined that Hollister had intentionally interfered with Katy Perry's real estate deal, awarding $5 million in compensatory damages. The judge later imposed an additional $10 million in punitive damages.

2018: Topped Forbes' "Highest-Paid Women in Music" Listing

In 2018, Katy Perry topped Forbes' "Highest-Paid Women in Music" listing and ranked at number four on the "Highest-Paid Female Celebrities" list, with earnings of $83 million.

2019: Ranked Fourth on Forbes' "Highest-Paid Women in Music"

In 2019, Katy Perry was placed at number four on Forbes' "Highest-Paid Women in Music" listings, with $57.5 million, and ranked as the ninth-highest-earning musician of the decade with earnings of $530 million.

September 2021: Honored in Variety's "Power of Women" issue

In September 2021, Variety honored Katy Perry in their "Power of Women" issue, where she discussed her career, motherhood, and philanthropy. She also attended the Variety 2021 "Power of Women" dinner as a nominee.

June 8, 2022: Awarded the Key to Las Vegas

On June 8, 2022, Katy Perry was awarded with the Key to Las Vegas, and the same day was marked as Katy Perry Day.

September 2023: Forbes estimated net worth of $340 million

In September 2023, Forbes estimated Katy Perry's net worth to be $340 million, highlighting her financial success as a musical artist.

2024: Included on Forbes' list of "America's Richest Self-Made Women"

In May 2024, Katy Perry was included on Forbes' list of "America's Richest Self-Made Women," with an estimated net worth of $350 million, recognizing her financial achievements.