Cardi B won Top Rap Female Artist at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards. The ceremony took place on May 20, 2018, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, recognizing chart performance during the eligibility period.
The award was part of the Billboard Music Awards’ rap categories, which also included Top Rap Artist, Top Rap Male Artist, Top Rap Album, and Top Rap Song. Cardi B’s victory reflected her breakthrough year, driven by the 2017 hit “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)” and the success of her debut studio album, Invasion of Privacy, released in April 2018.
This was a particularly notable win because the Top Rap Female Artist category was introduced at the 2018 ceremony, making Cardi B its first winner. She was also among the night’s prominent nominees and performers, showing how quickly her career had accelerated from breakout singles to major award-show recognition.
A common mix-up is confusing this category with Top Rap Artist, which was won by Kendrick Lamar in 2018. Cardi B also won Top New Artist at the same ceremony, but the answer to the female rap category is specifically Cardi B.