Rihanna among Glamour magazine's Women of the Year

Rihanna has been named one of Glamour magazine’s Women of the Year.

The 21-year-old singer received the prize at a star-studded party at New York’s Carnegie Hall last night. She was honoured for her stand on domestic violence, following her assault by on/off boyfriend Chris Brown in February.

Last week, Rihanna gave several interviews in which she opened up about the event. She admitted she was “embarrassed” she had gone back to Chris, 20, after the incident, and revealed she decided to cut ties with him when she realised the effect her decision had on her fans.

Presenting her award was former model Iman, who said her words had made her an inspiration for women suffering domestic violence the world over. “Now I am even more impressed with her dignity and courage,” she added.

Rihanna said: “It means a lot, because I'm a woman and I represent a lot of things for women, and part of that is being strong and being confident and being comfortable with who you are. And, all the women on the list this year happen to have all those qualities, so it's an honour to be the Woman of the Year amongst all those great women.”

Asked if she was a “girls’ girl” she said she was, before adding she is also a “tough girl”. Rihanna also mentioned her TV interview with Diane Sawyer, saying it “was like a weight lifted off my chest and now I don't have to talk about it anymore. I can talk about my music, things that I love”.

The awards are a tribute to females who have triumphed in the worlds of entertainment, business, sport, fashion, science and politics.

Actress Amy Poehler was also honoured, and used the opportunity to give the crowd, comprising many Girl Scouts, some invaluable advice. “Girls, if boys say something that's not funny, you don't have to laugh,” she said. She received her gong after being termed an “inspiration” to young girls.

Fashion designer Stella McCartney was lauded, and was thrilled to receive her award from the wives of her father Sir Paul McCartney’s Beatles’ bandmates. John Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono, the late George Harrison’s wife Olivia Harrison and Ringo Starr’s spouse Barbara Starkey all arrived on stage to present the prize.

As well as being praised for her work in the fashion industry, Stella’s dedication to her vegetarian beliefs, including her refusal to work with fur and leather, were also singled out.

Supermodel Tyra Banks was on hand to gift tennis champ Serena Williams with her accolade. Serena was praised for giving college grants to children and for her work opening a school in Kenya. Serena told the audience: “You can do whatever you want to do. The most important belief is self-belief.”

US First Lady Michelle Obama was given a special recognition award for her determination to show the importance of mentoring young people. Other women to receive the prestigious prize included poet Maya Angelou, US ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice, paediatrician Jane Aronson and journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee.

The winners were chosen by a board of previous winners, including singer-and-actress Jennifer Lopez.