It’s been three years since she last won a major music award after taking a step back from the industry to become a mother.

But last night at the World Music Awards in Monaco, the Latina singer showed she was back for good as she dazzled in three different outfits.

It appeared the animal world was the inspiration for the night with the 40-year-old star wearing both leopard and tiger-print Roberto Cavalli dresses at the glitzy bash at the Sporting Club in Monte Carlo.

Wild thing: Jennifer Lopez wore a leopard-print plunging gown as she arrived at last night’s World Music Awards in Monaco, before changing into a sparkling tiger-print gown with feathered hem to collect her award

Showcasing those famous curves: The backless Cavalli dresses showed Lopez’s toned back and hugged her famous derrière

Her love for animal print didn’t stop there – she managed to squeeze in a snake-skin clutch bag, which clashed with her leopard-print red carpet dress.

Lopez also slipped into a third ensemble, a sparkly silver and black mini-dress with fringed hemline and plunging neckline as she opened the show with a medley of her biggest hits on stage.

The singer, who launched her music career nearly 11 years ago, was honoured with the Legend for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts.

What a legend: Lopez was named Legend for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts

Let’s Get Loud: Lopez wore a tiny silver sparkly dress and thigh-high boots as she performed a medley of her hit songs

Previous winners of the Legend award include Sir Elton John, Madonna, Tina Turner, Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Prince, Mariah Carey and Cher.

Accepting the award, Lopez said it meant a lot to her but it was ‘only the beginning’ of what she hoped would be a long musical career.

The decision to honour Lopez with the Legend Award is sure to surprise many after her music career has been significantly less successful in recent years.

Her last big musical success was her 2002 album This Is Me… Then, which hit number six in the US charts and sold over 6million copies worldwide.

Me and my men: Lopez arrived with husband Marc Anthony (left) and posed alongside Italian designer Roberto Cavalli, who designed her two dresses

However, her 2005 album Rebirth received mixed reviews from critics and sold 731,000 copies in the U.S.

Her last album Brave, which was released three years ago, was her least successful album to date and only reached 24 on the British album charts.

Lopez announced she had parted ways with her record label Sony in February after 10 years, amid reports executives were unhappy with the commercial response to her latest singles Louboutins and Fresh Out Of The Oven.

She has now signed with Def Jam Recordings and is hoping to release her seventh studio album later this year.