Apple announces third once-a-year Apple Songs Award winners

November 30, 2021

Press Release

Apple announces third yearly Apple Music Award winners: The Weeknd wins world award for Artist of the 12 months Olivia Rodrigo and H.E.R. also take residence top awards

Apple provides 5 new Regional Artist of the 12 months awards to Aya Nakamura (France), Formal HIGE DANDISM (Japan), RIN (Germany), Scriptonite (Russia), and Wizkid (Africa)

CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple these days introduced the winners of the 3rd annual Apple Music Awards, recognizing the best artists of 2021 and their affect on world wide lifestyle.

The Apple Audio Awards honor achievements in audio throughout five distinct types — Artist of the 12 months, Songwriter of the 12 months, Breakthrough Artist of the Year, Top rated Music of the Yr, and Prime Album of the Yr — and winners are chosen by a process that demonstrates both of those Apple Music’s editorial point of view and what prospects around the environment are listening to the most.

This yr, the Apple Audio Awards will introduce a new category of awards for Regional Artist of the 12 months, recognizing artists from 5 nations and locations: Africa, France, Germany, Japan, and Russia. The Regional Artist of the 12 months awards understand artists who produced the biggest affect culturally and on the charts in their respective international locations and regions.

“The earlier 12 months have proved to be a impressive calendar year for tunes, and we’re thrilled to honor the artists who are shaping lifestyle and connecting with followers all around the earth on Apple New music,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Apple Music and Beats. “This 12 months we’re also recognizing far more regional artists, demonstrating the globe the impact of amazing talented musicians who are producing waves globally.”

The Apple Music Awards celebration kicks off Tuesday, December 7, 2021, with interviews, first content, and much more all streaming globally on Apple Tunes and the Apple Television app. Tunes lovers who are not currently subscribed to Apple Songs can indicator up for a three-month totally free demo at apple.com/apple-music.

And the winners are…

World Artist of the 12 months: The Weeknd

Filtering R&B and pop through an formidable widescreen lens, The Weeknd took more than well known audio and tradition on his possess terms. The international superstar’s 2020 album “After Hours” quickly surpassed one particular million pre-provides on Apple Music, and is the most pre-added album of all time by a male artist on the system. “After Hours” also retains the document for the most streamed R&B/Soul album in its initial 7 days in 73 international locations. The smash solitary “Blinding Lights” peaked at No. 1 on Apple Music’s Day-to-day Top rated 100: World chart, and ranks as just one of the 20 most Shazamed tunes of all time. The Weeknd also hosts the massively well-known style-making Apple Tunes Radio display “MEMENTO MORI,” celebrated for its eclectic playlists and important world premieres. He’s graced the latest covers of TIME, Forbes, Range, Rolling Stone, Esquire, Harper’s Bazaar, and GQ, and blew away fans with his 2021 Tremendous Bowl LV Halftime Demonstrate, which was a person of the most Shazamed moments of the 12 months.

“I’m so grateful for this big honor and want to thank Apple for all its aid, not only for my perform but also for terrific songs by more recent artists, where it matters so considerably for creators to be identified and supported,” The Weeknd claimed.

Breakthrough Artist of the Year, Album of the Calendar year, and Music of the Yr: Olivia Rodrigo

For Olivia Rodrigo, 2021 will go down as the 12 months of epic firsts. The 18-calendar year-old singer-songwriter launched her tear-soaked debut single, “drivers license,” in January, which quickly topped the charts and turned 1 of the most streamed new releases of the 12 months. “drivers license” registered the best initial-7 days streams ever for a debut solitary by an artist on Apple Audio globally, reaching No. 1 on the Every day Top 100: Worldwide chart, the place it remained for about a thirty day period, and was the fastest-at any time debut solo keep track of by a US artist to accumulate 5 million Shazams. Her extremely anticipated debut album, “SOUR,” followed in May well, and was celebrated with an Apple Songs Initially Listen virtual occasion with admirers and an accompanying job interview with Zane Lowe. “SOUR” carries the highest initially-7 days streams for a debut album on Apple Music globally, with all 11 songs on the album ranked on the Day-to-day Major 100: International chart, as perfectly as the Day by day Leading 100 chart in 66 extra nations around the world. Rodrigo has been on the protect of Apple New music playlists Today’s Hits, A-Checklist Pop, and New Audio Every day, and closes her lifetime-switching 12 months as the deserving recipient of her initial 3 Apple Tunes Awards. She took property Breakthrough Artist, Album of the Yr (“SOUR”), and Tune of the Yr (“drivers license”).

“I did my 1st job interview for ‘drivers license’ with Apple Music, and so considerably has transpired since then,” Rodrigo claimed. “It’s genuinely surreal. Thank you to Apple Music for these awesome awards.”

Songwriter of the Calendar year: H.E.R.

Award-successful singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist H.E.R.’s function within the R&B genre grew even a lot more expansive in 2021 with the release of her acclaimed 21-observe album “Back of My Mind,” which captures the artist at her most excellent, confident, and freewheeling. The chart-topping album was the 3rd most streamed R&B/Soul album on Apple Audio in its initially week of release by a feminine artist this calendar year, with singles “Damage” and “Come Through” (showcasing Chris Brown) both equally shelling out a number of months on the Every day Best 100 chart in over 30 nations around the world. The previous Apple Music Up Following artist also penned the anthemic authentic “Fight for You” for the celebrated motion photo “Judas and the Black Messiah,” and included Marvin Gaye’s “Inner Town Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)” for Apple Music’s distinctive “Juneteenth: Freedom Songs” compilation. H.E.R. is a standard guest on Zane Lowe and Ebro Darden’s shows on Apple Audio 1, and she has been highlighted as the deal with of popular Apple Music playlists New Music Every day, R&B Now, and additional. 

“I am very honored and blessed to acquire this recognition,” H.E.R. reported. “As a young Black and Filipino artist, and a woman who is on the phase giving my all, there is no doubt that representation is crucial. Thank you so significantly, Apple Songs.”

Artist of the Year (Africa): Wizkid

Singer-songwriter Wizkid is just one of Africa’s greatest crossover acts, possessing worked with Drake, Skepta, and Chris Brown, among other people. The Nigerian musician to start with found regional achievements in 2011 with the massively well known solitary “Holla at Your Boy,” which appeared on his debut album, “Superstar.” Wizkid went global in 2016 following his collaboration with Drake on “One Dance,” which soared to the major of the charts in 15 nations. Involving 2019 and 2020, Wizkid was showcased in Beyoncé’s assignments “The Lion King: The Gift” and its companion piece, “Black Is King.” In Oct 2020, he introduced “Made in Lagos,” his critically acclaimed and most commercially effective album, which included his strike tune “Essence,” a keep track of that attained 125 million performs on Apple New music and in excess of 2.8 million Shazams. This earlier yr, he’s been the most streamed African artist on the continent on Apple Music and rated on the Daily Prime 100 charts in 60 nations around the world, in addition to his regular plays on Apple Songs developing by extra than 250 percent outdoors of Africa. He’s also been featured on Apple Music’s Today’s Hits and R&B Now playlists, and he’s a repeated visitor on Apple Tunes Radio exhibits, like “Africa Now Radio,” “The Ebro Clearly show,” “New New music Day by day with Zane Lowe,” and “OVO Sound RADIO.”

“Thank you to Apple Songs for this award,” Wizkid said. “It’s a blessing to get to do what I do, and I’m happy to be representing for Africa.”

Artist of the 12 months (France): Aya Nakamura

French-Malian pop singer Aya Nakamura is the most streamed Francophone artist in the world. Very best recognised for her hit music “Djadja,” she has released three albums showcasing many chart-topping music, like “Copines,” “Pookie,” “Plus Jamais,” and “Jolie nana,” and she has been on the include of Apple Music’s Hits Français playlist. In France, Nakamura is one particular of the only feminine artists to persistently show up in the streaming charts in a industry dominated by male rappers, and her album “AYA” garnered the greatest very first-7 days streams for an album launched by a woman artist on Apple Audio. Her tracks “Jolie nana” and “Plus Jamais” hold the leading two spots for the greatest initially-7 days streams for a track by a female artist on Apple Music in France, and all 15 tunes on the album entered the Each day Leading 100 chart in France, Belgium, and Niger, with “Jolie nana” peaking at No. 1 in individuals nations around the world. Her tune “Bobo” also peaked at No. 1 on the Day-to-day Prime 100 chart in France, Niger, Cape Verde, and Micronesia. It marked her fifth single topping France’s Day by day Apple charts.

“I am extremely honored to be the very very first Francophone artist to acquire an Apple New music Award as Artist of the Calendar year (France),” Nakamura explained. “Thank you, Apple!”

Artist of the 12 months (Germany): RIN

Rapper Renato Simunovic, aka RIN, was born in 1994 in Bietigheim-Bissingen near Stuttgart in the south of Germany. Immediately after releasing his very first EP, “Genesis,” in 2016, his debut album, “Eros,” adopted quickly in 2017. A 25-time gold and a few-time platinum artist, RIN has done numerous are living reveals, performed features with legends, and collaborated with some of the world’s most influential manufacturers. With his 3rd album, “Kleinstadt,” RIN freed himself from the notion of what German rap really should audio like, and admirers and critics alike cite this album as vastly influential in shaping the present seem of rap in the south of Germany. He was the very first German artist to host his have exhibit on Apple New music, “KLEINSTADTRADIO,” tied to the new album, and he has graced the go over of Apple Music’s HYPED and Deutschrap 100 playlists.

“2021 was these types of a very good yr for me since it has borne a lot of fruit of matters that I postponed for a extensive time,” RIN stated. “My music has evolved in the similar perception. I am much more personal.”

Artist of the 12 months (Japan): OFFICIAL HIGE DANDISM

Shaped in Shimane, Japan, in 2012, Official HIGE DANDISM, aka HIGEDAN, is made up of guide vocalist and keyboardist Satoshi Fujihara, guitarist Daisuke Ozasa, bassist and saxophonist Makoto Narazaki, and drummer Masaki Matsuura. They produced their debut mini album, “Love to Peace wa Kimi no Naka,” in 2014. Their first complete-size album, “Escaparade” — which consists of their popular tune “No Doubt” — was introduced in 2018, but it was their 2nd single, “Pretender,” that rocketed to the major of the Apple Music charts in Japan. HIGEDAN entered Shazam’s emerging artists lists in Japan and Australia for the initially time in June 2019, forward of the launch of the band’s observe-up album, “Traveler,” which grew to become their first No. 1 album in Japan. The team has been featured in a few unique Apple Songs Japan commercials, with their hit tunes “Stand by You” and “I Love…,” together with the 2021 track “Apoptosis,” taken from their 3rd album, “Editorial,” which carries the third-greatest initially-week streams for an album unveiled in 2021 in Japan, and was a short while ago featured in an Apple Audio Japan spatial audio with Dolby Atmos commercial. The band has also made many guest appearances on “J-Pop Now Radio” on Apple New music 1.

“We did not know Japanese artists could win this award and ended up shocked when we were being advised,” the band stated. “We’re tremendous content to be the winners of the 1st Apple Audio Award for Artist of the 12 months (Japan).”

Artist of the Yr (Russia): Scriptonite

Rapper Scriptonite, aka Adil Zhalelov, was identified by Basta and signed to his label Gazgolder in 2015. Scriptonite’s debut album, “House with Typical Action,” turned an instant basic and has been deemed a single of the largest information of the new Russian hip-hop revolution. In 2017, Scriptonite adopted up with two much more LPs on Gazgolder, climbing to the major-ranked producer and performer of the recent hip-hop era, with followers and critics crediting him as the most critical voice and audio of the new era. Right after beginning his very own label, Musica36, in 2019, Scriptonite’s “2004” album was produced exclusively on Apple New music to critical acclaim, getting to be the No. 1 streamed report of the yr. Scriptonite also holds the history for the two most streamed albums for its initially 7 days on Apple Music in five countries (Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Moldova). His single “Baby Mama” landed him in the Leading 20 of throughout the world Shazam charts. In 2020, Apple Music solely released the limited film “Behind Scriptonite’s ‘2004’” alongside with a “36 Jam” dwell concert of all Musica36 artists. This 12 months observed the launch of his album “Svistki Y Bumazhki,” as nicely as a COVID-postponed clearly show in Moscow, both of those introduced exclusively on Apple Tunes. Scriptonite has graced the handles of Apple Music’s Kirillitsa, Russian Hits, and New Tunes Day-to-day playlists, and he’s now performing on his initial English-language history in collaboration with Gee Baller, a young Nigerian soaring star who lately signed to Musica36.

“This award is the end result of an incredible few years, and Apple Music has been with me for so a lot of it along the way,” Scriptonite stated. “Thank you for the recognition.”

About the Apple Songs Awards

Apple made a series of physical awards that characterize the incredible craftsmanship integral to developing tunes. Every award options Apple’s tailor made silicon wafer suspended concerning a polished sheet of glass and a machined and anodized aluminum body. The consequence of this multi-month approach, before it is sliced into hundreds of individual chips, is spectacular and unique. In a symbolic gesture, the exact chips that power the gadgets that put the world’s songs at listeners fingertips sit at the incredibly coronary heart of the Apple Tunes Awards.

About Apple Songs

Apple loves songs. Apple revolutionized the music practical experience with iPod and iTunes. These days, Apple Tunes celebrates musicians, songwriters, producers, and fans with a catalog of in excess of 90 million songs, expertly curated playlists, and the finest artist interviews, conversations, and global premieres with the award-profitable Apple Songs Radio. With authentic content from the most highly regarded and beloved people in music, autoplay, time-sync lyrics, Lossless Audio, and immersive seem driven by Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos, Apple Audio delivers the world’s greatest listening practical experience, encouraging listeners learn new tunes and delight in their favorites while empowering the world-wide artist group. Apple Tunes is accessible in in excess of 165 countries and regions on Iphone, iPad, iPod contact, Mac, Apple Enjoy, Apple Tv set, HomePod mini, CarPlay, and online at audio.apple.com, plus well-known smart speakers, good TVs, and Android and Home windows units. Apple Tunes is advert-absolutely free and never shares consumer details with 3rd events. Additional info is readily available at apple.com/apple-audio.

About Apple

Apple revolutionized private technologies with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Nowadays, Apple sales opportunities the planet in innovation with Apple iphone, iPad, Mac, Apple Look at, and Apple Television. Apple’s five software program platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS — present seamless activities across all Apple equipment and empower folks with breakthrough services which includes the Application Store, Apple Songs, Apple Spend, and iCloud. Apple’s a lot more than 100,000 employees are devoted to making the greatest products and solutions on earth, and to leaving the globe greater than we found it.

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