Billie Eilish has been named PETA‘s ‘Person Of The Year’ for 2021.
The ‘Happier Than Ever’ singer – who is vegan and a longtime advocate for animal rights – follows in the footsteps of previous winners such as Brian May, Morrissey and Joaquin Phoenix
Eilish, 19, is the youngest-ever recipient of the animal welfare nonprofit’s annual award.
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“Billie Eilish is making sure that the party’s over for meaty, milky meals as well as for leather, fur, and silk,” said PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk in a statement.
“PETA is happier than ever to celebrate her for seizing every opportunity to point out that vegan fashion and foods are kinder to the animals and the planet we share with them.”
Earlier this year, Eilish persuaded designer Oscar de la Renta to go fur-free after he made her dress for the Meta Gala 2021. She subsequently listed the achievement as one of her career highlights, saying: “That was a really really big thing for me, and I hope that more brands follow.”
This year’s Met Gala also served exclusively vegan meals for the very first time.
Eilish previously expressed her “disgust” over people who wear mink fur, while also criticising the meat and dairy industries for “torturing animals”.
The star launched her own “100% vegan” Nike sneakers in September before releasing a new perfume, ‘Eilish’, which contains no animal-derived ingredients and isn’t tested on animals. She said creating the latter product was “one of the most exciting things I’ve ever done”.
Meanwhile, Eilish called on her fans to opt out of eating turkey this holiday season. “Turkeys are some of the most gentle creatures in the world,” she said in an interview with British Vogue.
“I learned about the dairy industry and the meat industry… I just can’t go on in my life knowing what’s going on in the animal world and not doing anything about it.”
In other news, Billie Eilish has received various nods for the Grammys 2022, including Album Of The Year (‘Happier Than Ever’), and Song Of The Year (‘Happier Than Ever’). Next year’s ceremony takes place in LA on January 31.