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Celine Dion's Queen rendition praised as she receives Billboard ICON award

Singer Dion received the ICON Award at this year's Billboard Music Awards. Reviewers called her rendition of 'The Show Must Go On' at the ceremony 'impressive' and 'powerful.'

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Mario Anzuoni/Reuters
Celine Dion performs at the 2016 Billboard Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada.

One of the most-praised performances at this year's Billboard Music Awards was that by "My Heart Will Go On" singer Celine Dion, who received the publication's ICON Award and sang a version of the Queen song "The Show Must Go On" at the ceremony.

Previous recipients of the ICON award, which was created in 2011, are Neil Diamond, Stevie Wonder, Prince, and Jennifer Lopez. 

Dion is currently performing in Las Vegas. 

Many reviewers called her rendition of "Show" one of the best performances of the evening. Time writer Melissa Locker found Dion's portion of the show "impressive," while Maeve McDermott of USA Today called it "powerful … her moving performance and speech proved she more than deserved the title." (Dion's acceptance speech for the award, which her eldest son presented to her, mentioned her late husband René Angélil. Mr. Angélil died earlier this year, days before her brother passed away as well.)

Meanwhile, Brittany Spanos of Rolling Stone wrote that "Celine Dion showcased her strength in an empowering, cinematic cover of of Queen's 'The Show Must Go On' … Dion showed off her well-honed Las Vegas showmanship … [a] massive performance." 

Dion has achieved the record for the most number one hits for a female singer on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart, according to the publication's announcement that she would receive the ICON award. 

She is likely best known for the song "My Heart Will Go On," which appeared on the soundtrack of the 1997 box office smash film "Titanic," but her other work has also made her one of the best-selling artists of all time. Her 1996 album "Falling Into You" and her 2002 work "A New Day Has Come" reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart, which measures album sales. More recent work like 2013's "Loved Me Back To Life" also did well, with "Loved" reaching number two on that same chart. 

In addition to "My Heart Will Go On," other songs by Dion have entered the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, which measures the success of singles. Among other successes, Dion's "It's All Coming Back To Me Now" came in at number two, while her song "All By Myself" reached number four. 

Dion's vocal ability and performing skills have remained impressive during her time in Las Vegas, Dave Herrera of the Las Vegas Review-Journal wrote last year. “Dion is a singular talent who is absolutely worth spending your hard-earned money to see," Mr. Herrera wrote. "If [this particular show] was any indication, you can expect her to be poised and dependably elegant and eloquent."

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