mtvU Names Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Hip Hop Artist Nicki Minaj as mtvU Man and Woman of the Year
www.manoftheyear.mtvu.com, and hip hop artist Nicki Minaj, www.womanoftheyear.mtvu.com.
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates took a principled stand in a yearlong effort to overturn the controversial “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, and represented the majority of Americans and the vast majority of the college students by making this issue solely about the troops. On December 18th with support from both parties, the secretary’s continued efforts paid off — congress repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
“College students inherently believe that they have the power and ability to change the system,” said Stephen Friedman, General Manager of MTV. “mtvU is proud to honor Secretary Gates because he stood up for what was right, and made historic changes to the system by focusing on the issues at hand rather than partisan rhetoric. Although young people are sharply divided on the war, Secretary Gates and this generation are completely aligned in their unwavering support of the troops.”
Not only was Nicki Minaj a dominant force on the charts, she also gave back, supporting Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s efforts to end breast cancer, filming an “It Gets Better” video to support victims of LGBT bullying and appearing on the cover of “OUT” magazine, calling for an end to homophobia in hip hop.
“In addition to being a breakthrough artist and a college favorite, Nicki Minaj is a strong role model and voice of empowerment who speaks out for what she believes in — we’re thrilled to honor her as ‘mtvU’s Woman of the Year'” said Stephen Friedman, General Manager of MTV.