Joan Armatrading, born on 9 December 1950, is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist known for her distinctive voice and songwriting style. She achieved major recognition with her self-titled album in 1976 and the follow-up Show Some Emotion in 1977. Throughout her career, she has received three Grammy nominations and two BRIT Award nominations for Best Female Artist. In 1996, she was honored with the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contemporary Song Collection. Armatrading continues to perform and release new music.