Selena Gomez pays emotional tribute to Francia Raisa for life-saving transplant

Washington DC: Selena Gomez is Billboard's 'Woman of the Year', but she feels that for her this accolade should go to her best friend and kidney donor, Francia Raisa.

While accepting Billboard's 2017 Woman of the Year award, she struggled to hold back her emotions as she paid tribute to Raisa in her opening remarks, reports Contactmusic.

Breaking down in tears, the 'Wolves' singer said, "I think Francia should be getting this award. She saved my life. I feel incredibly lucky."

Gomez added, "Honestly, I couldn't be more grateful for the position that I've been given in my career from 7 to 14 to now. I want people to know that I respect the platform that I have so deeply because I knew that I wanted to be a part of something great, I wanted people to feel great."

Selena also noted that she had some 'really hard times' following her surgery over the summer.

"I feel like for me, with my music, I've been able to illustrate the things that I want. And I'm reminded by a team of people who believe in me even when I don't myself and I couldn't be more luckier," the 'Same old Love' singer shared.

The singing sensation had shocked her fanbase back in September when she revealed that, due to complications in her ongoing battle with lupus, she had received an emergency kidney transplant, with Raisa selflessly stepping up for her best friend.

She has always been open in talking about her struggles with the autoimmune disease, first speaking about it in October 2015 when revealing she was undergoing chemotherapy to treat it.