MADONNA - MADONNA IS HIGHEST EARNING FEMALE MUSICIAN

MADONNA has been named the world's highest earning female musician, by Forbes Magazine.

The pop superstar netted £36 million between June 2006 and June 2007, reports the Daily Mail.

A large percentage of the Queen of pop's mammoth income came from the hugely successful 60-date CONFESSIONS tour.

She is also thought to have received a sizeable sum for her clothing range with high street giants H&M.

Lea Goldman, a senior editor at Forbes, said: "Madonna remains a visionary some 30 years after she broke into the music industry.

"Beyond all the superlatives she's been assigned over her career - master of reinvention, a brilliant performer - one of her least talked-about assets is her uncanny sense of where the music industry is going."

Other stars featured on the list are BARBARA STREISLAND whose £30 million earnings last year saw her taking second place.

CELINE DION, SHAKIRA and FAITH HILL all had spots in the top ten.

Troubled singer BRITNEY SPEARS dropped down to 14th place.

Meanwhile, it has recently emerged that MADONNA is to follow in her film director husband GUY RITCHIE's footsteps.

The MATERIAL GIRL singer is making a 30 minute short film entitled FILTH AND WISDOM.