The Weeknd Named Apple Music's 2021 Global Artist of the Year

Apple Music has officially named The Weeknd as its 2021 Global Artist of the Year.

The streaming service revealed that his 2020 album, After Hours, is the most pre-added album of all time by a male artist on the platform with more than one million pre-adds, as well as holds the record for the most-streamed R&B/Soul album in its first week in 73 countries. Meanwhile, the single “Blinding Lights” peaked at No. 1 on Apple Music’s Daily Top 100: Global chart and is one of the 20 most Shazamed songs of all time.

“I’m so grateful for this huge honor and want to thank Apple for all its support, not only for my work but also for great music by newer artists, where it matters so much for creators to be found and supported,” The Weeknd said in a statement.

Other big winners from the 2021 Apple Music Awards include Olivia Rodrigo, her album SOUR and single “driver’s license” for Breakthrough Artist of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year. “I did my first interview for ‘drivers license’ with Apple Music, and so much has happened since then,” she said. “It’s truly surreal. Thank you to Apple Music for these amazing awards.”

H.E.R. also went home with Songwriter of the Year, “I am very honored and blessed to receive this recognition. As a young Black and Filipino artist, and a woman who is on the stage giving my all, there’s no doubt that representation is important. Thank you so much, Apple Music.”

For the first time ever, Apple Music also presented Africa’s Wizkid, France’s Aya Nakamura, Germany’s RIN, Japan’s OFFICIAL HIGE DANDISM and Russia’s Scriptonite with the Artist of the Year awards.

 

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Elsewhere in music, Drake and Bad Bunny have been named Spotify’s most-streamed artists of 2021.