The city council of Manchester has put forward plans to honour and recognise Ariana Grande's outstanding contributions to the city. Ariana Grande will be first in line for the award, after organising the One Love concert in aid of the victims of the Manchester bomb attack where 22 people died.
According to the BBC, the council leader Sir Richard Leese has said many people would now consider Grande an "honorary Mancunian," with the event marking "selfless acts" made by people during the bombing.
A new honourary scheme would mean opening up the award to citizens outside of the city who make "noteworthy contributions" to Manchester. Leese went on to state:
We've all had cause to be incredibly proud of Manchester and the resilient and compassionate way in which the city, and all those associated with it, have responded to the terrible events of 22 May - with love and courage rather than hatred and fear.
Leese believes Grande "exemplified this response" by her actions after the Manchester attack. The highest praise from the city is the rarely-awarded freedom of the city, which has only been awarded 4 times in the last century.
Over 50,000 people went to the One Love concert at Old Trafford, which has raised over 3 million pounds for the victims of the Manchester attack.
Manchester City Council will host an event later in the year to recognise the "... many selfless acts and demonstrations of community spirit in the aftermath of the atrocity". The plans for honorary citizenship will go before the council on 12 July.
