According to Billboard.com, Britney is the first artist in more than three years to debut in the top spot on the Billboard chart. In fact, the last single to earn the distinction was Taylor Hicks’ “Do I Make You Proud” back in July 2006.

The last time a single from a non-American Idol singer debuted at No. 1 was 1998, when Lauryn Hill took the top spot for “Doo Wop (That Thing). The song is the third Britney recording to top the Billboard Hot 100 –her 1999 debut “…Baby One More Time” and last year’s hit “Womanizer” also sailed to the top of the charts.

The “Sasha Fierce” star — best known for her smash singles “Woman Like Me,” “Deja Vu,” and “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” — was accompanied to today’s ceremony by her parents, Mathew and Tina Knowles, and former Destiny’s Child bandmate Michelle Williams.

“I am the luckiest woman in the world,” the platinum-selling singer said as she accepted her award. Pop sensation Lady Gaga was honored as Billboard’s “Rising Star of the Year” at today’s event.

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Lady Gaga will receive the honor alongside “Woman of the Year” Beyonce at Friday night’s ceremony in New York City, Billboard announced on Tuesday.

The pop sensation’s debut album, The Fame, has sold more than 1 million copies since its release in 2008. Gaga scored two No. 1 singles with “Just Dance” and “Poker Face,” and in November, she kicks off a joint tour with Kanye West.

The R&B diva will be honored with the coveted title during the publication’s annual Women In Music event in New York City on Oct. 2.

Beyonce is the only performer in the 51-year history of the Billboard Hot 100 to top the chart for 10 weeks or more with a group (Destiny’s Child) and as a solo artist.

“Beyoncé is multi-platinum artist and a multi-talented woman who clearly embodies the qualities of excellence and achievement that the Billboard Woman Of The Year Award was created to honor,” said Bill Werde, Billboard’s Editorial Director. “She has not only influenced pop culture with her hit songs and signature dance moves, but has inspired women everywhere with her unique style, business savvy and dedication to charitable causes.”

Past Billboard “Woman of the Year” honorees include Ciara and Reba McEntire.

Kelly Clarkson will make history on the Billboard Hot 100 this week when her latest single, “My Life Would Suck Without You,” makes the largest leap to No. 1 in the chart’s 50-year history.

According to Billboard.com, “My Life Would Suck Without You” will skyrocket from 97-1 on Thursday after selling 280,000 digital downloads in its first week of availability.

On Tuesday, Billboard Magazine named Grammy-nominated British songbird Leona Lewis its Top New Artist of the Year.

Leona’s credentials include being 2008’s best-selling new artist and the year’s fifth best-selling artist worldwide.

“I’m just going day by day and just enjoying everything,” Leona told Billboard of her success.” I got a fantastic opportunity to come here and do this and so far it’s been going really well.”

Also making Billboard’s list were The-Dream, Metro Station, American Idol Season 6 winner David Cook, Idol runner-up David Archuleta, and British soul star Duffy.

Jennifer Hudson talks about the long-awaited arrival of her self-titled debut album in the August 18th issue of Billboard Magazine. Jennifer Hudson-The Album, featuring the chart-topping single “Spotlight,” premieres September 30th.

“I remember doing ‘Dreamgirls,”‘ “I would look at Beyonce, because she was doing acting and singing, and I’m like, ‘How the hell can she do that?’ Now I’m looking at it like, ‘Oh, God, all right, if she can do it, if Jamie and Queen can do it, then it means it can be done.”‘

Miley Cyrus is ready to “Breakout.” The Hannah Montana star releases her sophomore album, Breakout, July 22nd on Hollywood Records.

“It’s grown-up,” Miley says in the new issue of >Billboard. “I wrote all the songs except two. My last one, ‘Meet Miley Cyrus,’ was more just meeting me, finding out who I am, and here it’s more getting in depth of what’s been going on in my life in the past year.”

“No matter how long what I’m doing here lasts, I want to be a songwriter for the rest of my life,” Miley told the music mag.

The “7 Things” singer also told Billboard that she regrets posing for that semi-topless photo in the June issue of Vanity Fair:
“I was embarrassed, but also it’s like, every career thing that I do can’t be perfect, and sometimes my decisions are wrong. I think that just makes me even more relatable. I don’t think people will look at me any differently because they’re like, ‘You know what, I’m going to do stupid stuff too, and I’m going to make mistakes, and that’s fine.’ It still hurts when I think about it — but you know what, it doesn’t mean that you can’t move on.”

David Cook has set a new record for debut entries on the American music charts.

Eleven songs performed by the 2008 American Idol winner will debut on the Billboard Hot 100, while fourteen David Cook singles have exploded on the Hot Digital Songs chart.

David’s coronation single, entitled “The Time of My Life,” will debut at Number Three on the Billboard Hot 100, with a Number One debut on the Hot Digital Songs chart, earning 236,000 downloads.

The previous new entries record was held by Miley Cyrus, who landed six Hot 100 debuts in November 2006.

David, who officially inked a deal with RCA Records and 19 Entertainment on Wednesday, will release his debut album this Fall.

Billboard Magazine is developing a new reality show.Billboard Next, which is currently being shopped to television networks, will hit the World Wide Web in search of music’s next shining star.

Here’s how it works, entertainers will submit performance footage on the Billboard Next Web site to be judged and voted on by the public; those with the most votes will compete live on television.