12 Nazia Hassan Facts That Show How Famous She Is

Queen of Pop. UN Ambassador. PTV Host. She was multi-talented.

Nazia Hassan

Nazia Hassan is one of those people whose place can never be taken by anyone. She was a singing prodigy, a great performer, and also the voice of Pakistanis no matter what class or caste they belonged to.

Its no wonder that people still yearn for the Nazia Hassan era, even after her untimely demise after a long battle with blood cancer.

To celebrate her life and times, we have compiled a list of amazing Nazia Hassan facts that you might not know of.

1. Youngest Best Playback Singer (female)

nazia hassan receiving award
Image Source: duniyanews.tv

Nazia Hassan received the ‘Best Playback Singer’ accolade at the Indian Filmfare Awards at the age of 15. During this time, other 15-year olds were swaying to her award-winning song “Aap Jaisa Koi” from the movie, Qurbani.

And what’s more, she was also the first Pakistani to do so.

Nazia Hasan’s Aap Jaisa Koi still remains popular to this day.

2. Billboard Charts Topper in 14 Countries

As Nazia Hasan’s commercial singing career kicked off, she released Disco Diwane.

At the age of sixteen, Nazia’s album topped the Billboard charts in 14 countries, including Russia and West Indies!

3. One of the first PTV Child Stars

nazia hassan childhood photo
Image Source: screengrab

Did you know? Even before Nazia Hassan started a career as a commercial singer, she already had an album out during her childhood. She was even featured as a singer on PTV shows back in the 1970s.

4. First Album, many Firsts

nazia hassan singing

When Nazia Hassan released her chart-topping album in Disco Dewaane in 1981, she became the first playback singer to release an album. That is how she became Pakistan’s Princess of Pop and later the South Asia Queen of Pop.

5. She Went on to Work at the United Nations

nazia hassan foundation

 

Besides being a singer, Nazia Hassan was a lawyer by profession. She was hired as an intern for the Women’s International Leadership program. She was later hired to work for the United Nations Department of Political Affairs. She worked for the UN Security Council.

Even now, her parents run the Nazia Hassan Foundation, which is committed to helping the less fortunate.

6. UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Children’s Rights

nazia with child

The public figure was an active social worker in Pakistan. She was later appointed as the Goodwill Ambassador for Children’s Rights by the United Nations Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF).

7. Celebrated as a Google Doodle

nazia google doodle
Image Source: Google

Due to her fame as an artist, and later as a philanthropist, Google honored the artist on her birthday on April, 3, 2018.

Like Beethoven and Noor Jahan, Nazia Hassan got her own Google Doodle.

8. First Pakistani on the British Billboard

After the release of her first English single Dreamer Deewane, Nazia Hassan became the first Pakistani to be featured on British charts.

9. Launched Pakistan’s First Competitive Singing Show

Even before there was American Idol, which is considered the world’s first competitive singing show, there was Music ’89. This was a pop-music stage show hosted by Nazia Hassan and her brother Zoheb Hassan.

10. She Won the Pride of Performance Award

Apart from Nazia Hasan songs, she was an accomplished lawyer, political analyst and philanthropist as well. Its no surprise that the Government of Pakistan awarded Nazia Hassan with the highest civilian award, the ‘Pride of Performance’. 

The award was presented to Nazia’s mother Mrs. Muniza Basir by the President of Pakistan in an official ceremony on March, 23, 2002, in Islamabad.

11. First Music Video in Pakistan

nazia and zohaib

Nazia’s third album, Young Tarang, came out in 1984. It was the first Pakistani album that had music videos!

12. She Got Accepted to University of Colombia

nazia hassan grave

Tragically, Nazia Hassan lost her life to lung cancer in 2000. Most people are unaware that around the same time, she was offered a scholarship to the Leadership Program at the University of Colombia, New York. It is a testament to how larger than life she was.

She may no longer be here with us, but her legacy endures. There will never be anyone like Nazia Hassan again.