November 30, 2021
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Apple announces 3rd yearly Apple Music Award winners: The Weeknd wins world wide award for Artist of the Yr Olivia Rodrigo and H.E.R. also take home prime awards
Apple offers 5 new Regional Artist of the Yr awards to Aya Nakamura (France), Formal HIGE DANDISM (Japan), RIN (Germany), Scriptonite (Russia), and Wizkid (Africa)
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple nowadays declared the winners of the third yearly Apple Tunes Awards, recognizing the most effective artists of 2021 and their impact on international tradition.
The Apple Audio Awards honor achievements in songs across 5 unique classes — Artist of the Year, Songwriter of the Calendar year, Breakthrough Artist of the Year, Top Track of the Yr, and Top Album of the Yr — and winners are picked by means of a system that demonstrates both equally Apple Music’s editorial standpoint and what customers all around the earth are listening to the most.
This calendar year, the Apple Songs Awards will introduce a new classification of awards for Regional Artist of the Calendar year, recognizing artists from 5 nations and regions: Africa, France, Germany, Japan, and Russia. The Regional Artist of the Yr awards recognize artists who designed the finest effects culturally and on the charts in their respective countries and areas.
“The earlier 12 months have proved to be a amazing yr for music, and we’re thrilled to honor the artists who are shaping tradition and connecting with lovers all-around the environment on Apple Tunes,” reported Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Apple Songs and Beats. “This calendar year we’re also recognizing a lot more regional artists, demonstrating the earth the impression of incredible proficient musicians who are producing waves globally.”
The Apple Tunes Awards celebration kicks off Tuesday, December 7, 2021, with interviews, authentic written content, and additional all streaming globally on Apple New music and the Apple Television set application. Songs supporters who are not already subscribed to Apple Music can indicator up for a three-month free demo at apple.com/apple-new music.
And the winners are…
World Artist of the 12 months: The Weeknd
Filtering R&B and pop by means of an ambitious widescreen lens, The Weeknd took around well-known new music and tradition on his personal terms. The world-wide superstar’s 2020 album “After Hours” swiftly surpassed one million pre-adds on Apple New music, and is the most pre-extra album of all time by a male artist on the system. “After Hours” also holds the report for the most streamed R&B/Soul album in its 1st 7 days in 73 nations around the world. The smash solitary “Blinding Lights” peaked at No. 1 on Apple Music’s Day by day Major 100: International chart, and ranks as a single of the 20 most Shazamed tracks of all time. The Weeknd also hosts the massively preferred taste-making Apple Audio Radio exhibit “MEMENTO MORI,” celebrated for its eclectic playlists and big globe premieres. He’s graced current handles of TIME, Forbes, Wide variety, Rolling Stone, Esquire, Harper’s Bazaar, and GQ, and blew absent followers with his 2021 Tremendous Bowl LV Halftime Display, which was one particular of the most Shazamed times of the year.
“I’m so grateful for this enormous honor and want to thank Apple for all its help, not only for my get the job done but also for good tunes by more recent artists, where by it issues so a great deal for creators to be located and supported,” The Weeknd explained.
Breakthrough Artist of the Year, Album of the 12 months, and Song of the Year: Olivia Rodrigo
For Olivia Rodrigo, 2021 will go down as the yr of epic firsts. The 18-12 months-previous singer-songwriter launched her tear-soaked debut solitary, “drivers license,” in January, which promptly topped the charts and grew to become 1 of the most streamed new releases of the yr. “drivers license” registered the highest first-week streams ever for a debut solitary by an artist on Apple Audio globally, achieving No. 1 on the Each day Major 100: World wide chart, where it remained for above a thirty day period, and was the speediest-ever debut solo observe by a US artist to accumulate five million Shazams. Her extremely anticipated debut album, “SOUR,” adopted in May possibly, and was celebrated with an Apple Music First Pay attention digital party with admirers and an accompanying interview with Zane Lowe. “SOUR” carries the maximum initial-7 days streams for a debut album on Apple Songs globally, with all 11 tracks on the album rated on the Each day Major 100: World wide chart, as well as the Daily Best 100 chart in 66 additional international locations. Rodrigo has been on the include of Apple Tunes playlists Today’s Hits, A-Checklist Pop, and New Audio Everyday, and closes her lifestyle-switching 12 months as the deserving recipient of her very first three Apple New music Awards. She took residence Breakthrough Artist, Album of the 12 months (“SOUR”), and Tune of the Year (“drivers license”).
“I did my first job interview for ‘drivers license’ with Apple Music, and so substantially has transpired considering the fact that then,” Rodrigo said. “It’s truly surreal. Thank you to Apple Music for these amazing awards.”
Songwriter of the Year: H.E.R.
Award-winning singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist H.E.R.’s do the job inside of the R&B genre grew even more expansive in 2021 with the launch of her acclaimed 21-observe album “Back of My Head,” which captures the artist at her most fantastic, confident, and freewheeling. The chart-topping album was the 3rd most streamed R&B/Soul album on Apple Audio in its initial week of launch by a female artist this year, with singles “Damage” and “Come Through” (that includes Chris Brown) each spending many weeks on the Day by day Top rated 100 chart in over 30 countries. The former Apple Tunes Up Following artist also penned the anthemic initial “Fight for You” for the celebrated movement picture “Judas and the Black Messiah,” and lined Marvin Gaye’s “Inner Town Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)” for Apple Music’s distinctive “Juneteenth: Flexibility Songs” compilation. H.E.R. is a standard guest on Zane Lowe and Ebro Darden’s exhibits on Apple Tunes 1, and she has been showcased as the cover of well-liked Apple Tunes playlists New Music Each day, R&B Now, and a lot more.
“I am very honored and blessed to receive this recognition,” H.E.R. explained. “As a younger Black and Filipino artist, and a girl who is on the stage providing my all, there is no question that representation is essential. Thank you so considerably, Apple Tunes.”
Artist of the Yr (Africa): Wizkid
Singer-songwriter Wizkid is 1 of Africa’s biggest crossover acts, owning labored with Drake, Skepta, and Chris Brown, amid others. The Nigerian musician to start with observed regional achievements in 2011 with the massively common one “Holla at Your Boy,” which appeared on his debut album, “Superstar.” Wizkid went worldwide in 2016 immediately after his collaboration with Drake on “One Dance,” which soared to the prime of the charts in 15 nations around the world. Involving 2019 and 2020, Wizkid was showcased in Beyoncé’s assignments “The Lion King: The Gift” and its companion piece, “Black Is King.” In October 2020, he produced “Made in Lagos,” his critically acclaimed and most commercially profitable album, which involved his strike track “Essence,” a track that received 125 million performs on Apple Songs and over 2.8 million Shazams. This past 12 months, he’s been the most streamed African artist on the continent on Apple Audio and rated on the Every day Major 100 charts in 60 nations, in addition to his regular performs on Apple Tunes expanding by far more than 250 % outdoors of Africa. He’s also been highlighted on Apple Music’s Today’s Hits and R&B Now playlists, and he’s a recurrent guest on Apple Music Radio shows, which includes “Africa Now Radio,” “The Ebro Exhibit,” “New Audio Day by day with Zane Lowe,” and “OVO Sound RADIO.”
“Thank you to Apple Tunes for this award,” Wizkid reported. “It’s a blessing to get to do what I do, and I’m happy to be symbolizing for Africa.”
Artist of the Yr (France): Aya Nakamura
French-Malian pop singer Aya Nakamura is the most streamed Francophone artist in the globe. Best known for her hit track “Djadja,” she has released three albums that includes many chart-topping songs, including “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 1 of the only feminine artists to continually look in the streaming charts in a marketplace dominated by male rappers, and her album “AYA” garnered the greatest very first-week streams for an album launched by a feminine artist on Apple New music. Her music “Jolie nana” and “Plus Jamais” maintain the top rated two spots for the maximum very first-week streams for a song by a woman artist on Apple Tunes in France, and all 15 music on the album entered the Day-to-day Best 100 chart in France, Belgium, and Niger, with “Jolie nana” peaking at No. 1 in those people international locations. Her song “Bobo” also peaked at No. 1 on the Day by day Prime 100 chart in France, Niger, Cape Verde, and Micronesia. It marked her fifth single topping France’s Each day Apple charts.
“I am exceptionally honored to be the very very first Francophone artist to get an Apple Tunes Award as Artist of the 12 months (France),” Nakamura mentioned. “Thank you, Apple!”
Artist of the Yr (Germany): RIN
Rapper Renato Simunovic, aka RIN, was born in 1994 in Bietigheim-Bissingen in the vicinity of Stuttgart in the south of Germany. Right after releasing his to start with EP, “Genesis,” in 2016, his debut album, “Eros,” followed rapidly in 2017. A 25-time gold and 3-time platinum artist, RIN has performed plenty of live demonstrates, finished capabilities with legends, and collaborated with some of the world’s most influential models. With his 3rd album, “Kleinstadt,” RIN freed himself from the plan of what German rap must sound like, and followers and critics alike cite this album as hugely influential in shaping the current audio of rap in the south of Germany. He was the first German artist to host his possess present on Apple Music, “KLEINSTADTRADIO,” tied to the new album, and he has graced the protect of Apple Music’s HYPED and Deutschrap 100 playlists.
“2021 was these kinds of a superior 12 months for me simply because it has borne a ton of fruit of points that I postponed for a very long time,” RIN reported. “My audio has evolved in the similar feeling. I am a great deal more individual.”
Artist of the Yr (Japan): OFFICIAL HIGE DANDISM
Fashioned in Shimane, Japan, in 2012, Formal HIGE DANDISM, aka HIGEDAN, is made up of direct vocalist and keyboardist Satoshi Fujihara, guitarist Daisuke Ozasa, bassist and saxophonist Makoto Narazaki, and drummer Masaki Matsuura. They unveiled their debut mini album, “Love to Peace wa Kimi no Naka,” in 2014. Their initially comprehensive-length album, “Escaparade” — which includes their well known track “No Doubt” — was unveiled in 2018, but it was their next one, “Pretender,” that rocketed to the leading of the Apple Music charts in Japan. HIGEDAN entered Shazam’s rising artists lists in Japan and Australia for the first time in June 2019, ahead of the release of the band’s comply with-up album, “Traveler,” which became their 1st No. 1 album in Japan. The team has been highlighted in 3 diverse Apple Songs Japan commercials, with their strike tracks “Stand by You” and “I Love…,” alongside with the 2021 tune “Apoptosis,” taken from their third album, “Editorial,” which carries the 3rd-maximum 1st-week streams for an album introduced in 2021 in Japan, and was a short while ago showcased in an Apple Audio Japan spatial audio with Dolby Atmos commercial. The band has also manufactured many visitor appearances on “J-Pop Now Radio” on Apple Music 1.
“We did not know Japanese artists could acquire this award and were being stunned when we ended up instructed,” the band said. “We’re super happy to be the winners of the initially Apple Music Award for Artist of the Calendar year (Japan).”
Artist of the 12 months (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 Standard Exercise,” turned an fast typical and has been deemed one of the biggest records of the new Russian hip-hop revolution. In 2017, Scriptonite followed up with two a lot more LPs on Gazgolder, growing to the prime-rated producer and performer of the current hip-hop period, with followers and critics crediting him as the most crucial voice and audio of the new technology. After setting up his have label, Musica36, in 2019, Scriptonite’s “2004” album was produced exclusively on Apple Tunes to crucial acclaim, getting to be the No. 1 streamed document of the yr. Scriptonite also retains the history for the two most streamed albums for its initially 7 days on Apple Songs in five nations (Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Moldova). His one “Baby Mama” landed him in the Best 20 of worldwide Shazam charts. In 2020, Apple New music exclusively released the short film “Behind Scriptonite’s ‘2004’” together with a “36 Jam” dwell concert of all Musica36 artists. This 12 months saw the launch of his album “Svistki Y Bumazhki,” as well as a COVID-postponed demonstrate in Moscow, the two launched completely on Apple Songs. Scriptonite has graced the addresses of Apple Music’s Kirillitsa, Russian Hits, and New New music Day-to-day playlists, and he’s currently doing work on his first English-language history in collaboration with Gee Baller, a younger Nigerian growing star who just lately signed to Musica36.
“This award is the fruits of an incredible couple years, and Apple Audio has been with me for so much of it together the way,” Scriptonite explained. “Thank you for the recognition.”
About the Apple Music Awards
Apple designed a collection of physical awards that represent the amazing craftsmanship integral to making audio. Every award functions Apple’s personalized silicon wafer suspended among a polished sheet of glass and a machined and anodized aluminum human body. The end result of this multi-month process, right before it is sliced into hundreds of person chips, is spectacular and distinct. In a symbolic gesture, the same chips that electricity the equipment that set the world’s audio at listeners fingertips sit at the extremely heart of the Apple New music Awards.
About Apple Audio
Apple enjoys tunes. Apple revolutionized the new music working experience with iPod and iTunes. These days, Apple Songs celebrates musicians, songwriters, producers, and lovers with a catalog of about 90 million tracks, expertly curated playlists, and the finest artist interviews, discussions, and world wide premieres with the award-winning Apple New music Radio. With unique written content from the most respected and beloved persons in new music, autoplay, time-sync lyrics, Lossless Audio, and immersive sound run by Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos, Apple Audio gives the world’s greatest listening experience, helping listeners discover new songs and appreciate their favorites though empowering the worldwide artist neighborhood. Apple Tunes is offered in in excess of 165 nations around the world and locations on Iphone, iPad, iPod contact, Mac, Apple Check out, Apple Television set, HomePod mini, CarPlay, and on the internet at new music.apple.com, additionally well known intelligent speakers, smart TVs, and Android and Windows devices. Apple Songs is ad-cost-free and never shares customer knowledge with third parties. Extra facts is offered at apple.com/apple-music.
About Apple
Apple revolutionized own engineering with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Currently, Apple potential customers the entire world in innovation with Apple iphone, iPad, Mac, Apple Enjoy, and Apple Television. Apple’s 5 software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS — deliver seamless ordeals throughout all Apple gadgets and empower persons with breakthrough expert services which include the App Retail store, Apple Music, Apple Spend, and iCloud. Apple’s a lot more than 100,000 personnel are devoted to earning the very best items on earth, and to leaving the planet greater than we discovered it.
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