November 30, 2021
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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 acquire dwelling prime awards
Apple presents 5 new Regional Artist of the Year awards to Aya Nakamura (France), Official HIGE DANDISM (Japan), RIN (Germany), Scriptonite (Russia), and Wizkid (Africa)
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple currently announced the winners of the 3rd yearly Apple New music Awards, recognizing the ideal artists of 2021 and their influence on world-wide tradition.
The Apple Music Awards honor achievements in audio across 5 unique categories — Artist of the Yr, Songwriter of the Year, Breakthrough Artist of the Calendar year, Major Music of the Yr, and Best Album of the Yr — and winners are chosen by way of a procedure that demonstrates both equally Apple Music’s editorial perspective and what customers all around the globe are listening to the most.
This year, the Apple Tunes Awards will introduce a new class of awards for Regional Artist of the Yr, recognizing artists from five nations around the world and areas: Africa, France, Germany, Japan, and Russia. The Regional Artist of the Year awards acknowledge artists who designed the best effect culturally and on the charts in their respective international locations and regions.
“The past 12 months have proved to be a impressive calendar year for songs, and we’re thrilled to honor the artists who are shaping society and connecting with followers all-around the world on Apple Audio,” explained Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Apple Music and Beats. “This year we’re also recognizing extra regional artists, exhibiting the globe the affect of amazing talented musicians who are making waves globally.”
The Apple Music Awards celebration kicks off Tuesday, December 7, 2021, with interviews, first content material, and extra all streaming throughout the world on Apple Music and the Apple Television set app. Music supporters who are not by now subscribed to Apple Audio can indication up for a 3-thirty day period cost-free demo at apple.com/apple-songs.
And the winners are…
World Artist of the Yr: The Weeknd
Filtering R&B and pop by an formidable widescreen lens, The Weeknd took over popular new music and tradition on his own terms. The worldwide superstar’s 2020 album “After Hours” promptly surpassed a single million pre-provides on Apple Audio, and is the most pre-extra album of all time by a male artist on the platform. “After Hours” also retains the file for the most streamed R&B/Soul album in its first 7 days in 73 nations around the world. The smash solitary “Blinding Lights” peaked at No. 1 on Apple Music’s Day-to-day Major 100: International chart, and ranks as one of the 20 most Shazamed tracks of all time. The Weeknd also hosts the massively well known style-generating Apple Music Radio exhibit “MEMENTO MORI,” celebrated for its eclectic playlists and main globe premieres. He’s graced recent handles of TIME, Forbes, Selection, Rolling Stone, Esquire, Harper’s Bazaar, and GQ, and blew absent followers with his 2021 Super Bowl LV Halftime Demonstrate, which was 1 of the most Shazamed moments of the yr.
“I’m so grateful for this big honor and want to thank Apple for all its help, not only for my do the job but also for excellent tunes by newer artists, the place it issues so significantly for creators to be observed and supported,” The Weeknd mentioned.
Breakthrough Artist of the 12 months, Album of the Calendar year, and Song of the Yr: Olivia Rodrigo
For Olivia Rodrigo, 2021 will go down as the year of epic firsts. The 18-year-aged singer-songwriter released her tear-soaked debut one, “drivers license,” in January, which quickly topped the charts and grew to become a single of the most streamed new releases of the year. “drivers license” registered the maximum 1st-7 days streams at any time for a debut single by an artist on Apple Audio globally, achieving No. 1 on the Everyday Prime 100: Worldwide chart, where it remained for in excess of a month, and was the fastest-at any time debut solo track by a US artist to accumulate five million Shazams. Her extremely anticipated debut album, “SOUR,” followed in May, and was celebrated with an Apple New music Initially Listen digital function with admirers and an accompanying job interview with Zane Lowe. “SOUR” carries the best to start with-7 days streams for a debut album on Apple New music globally, with all 11 tunes on the album rated on the Each day Major 100: Global chart, as properly as the Day by day Top rated 100 chart in 66 additional nations around the world. Rodrigo has been on the address of Apple Audio playlists Today’s Hits, A-List Pop, and New Audio Everyday, and closes her lifetime-shifting yr as the deserving recipient of her 1st three Apple New music Awards. She took residence Breakthrough Artist, Album of the Year (“SOUR”), and Tune of the Calendar year (“drivers license”).
“I did my initially interview for ‘drivers license’ with Apple New music, and so much has occurred considering the fact that then,” Rodrigo reported. “It’s definitely surreal. Thank you to Apple Audio for these awesome awards.”
Songwriter of the Yr: H.E.R.
Award-profitable singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist H.E.R.’s work inside the R&B style grew even a lot more expansive in 2021 with the release of her acclaimed 21-observe album “Back of My Thoughts,” which captures the artist at her most fantastic, self-confident, and freewheeling. The chart-topping album was the 3rd most streamed R&B/Soul album on Apple Tunes in its to start with week of launch by a woman artist this year, with singles “Damage” and “Come Through” (that includes Chris Brown) the two paying out several months on the Day by day Best 100 chart in above 30 international locations. The former Apple Tunes Up Following artist also penned the anthemic unique “Fight for You” for the celebrated motion photo “Judas and the Black Messiah,” and coated Marvin Gaye’s “Inner Metropolis Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)” for Apple Music’s exclusive “Juneteenth: Freedom Songs” compilation. H.E.R. is a standard guest on Zane Lowe and Ebro Darden’s shows on Apple Songs 1, and she has been highlighted as the deal with of well-known Apple Songs playlists New New music Day by day, R&B Now, and more.
“I am quite honored and blessed to receive this recognition,” H.E.R. reported. “As a younger Black and Filipino artist, and a female who is on the stage providing my all, there’s no question that representation is vital. Thank you so a lot, Apple New music.”
Artist of the Calendar year (Africa): Wizkid
Singer-songwriter Wizkid is a single of Africa’s biggest crossover functions, possessing labored with Drake, Skepta, and Chris Brown, amid other individuals. The Nigerian musician to start with located regional achievement in 2011 with the massively preferred one “Holla at Your Boy,” which appeared on his debut album, “Superstar.” Wizkid went international in 2016 immediately after his collaboration with Drake on “One Dance,” which soared to the major of the charts in 15 nations. Concerning 2019 and 2020, Wizkid was showcased in Beyoncé’s initiatives “The Lion King: The Gift” and its companion piece, “Black Is King.” In Oct 2020, he launched “Made in Lagos,” his critically acclaimed and most commercially profitable album, which incorporated his hit song “Essence,” a observe that obtained 125 million plays on Apple Music and more than 2.8 million Shazams. This previous 12 months, he’s been the most streamed African artist on the continent on Apple New music and rated on the Each day Major 100 charts in 60 nations around the world, in addition to his regular monthly performs on Apple Tunes escalating by additional than 250 % outside the house 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 Songs Radio reveals, such as “Africa Now Radio,” “The Ebro Demonstrate,” “New Audio Day-to-day with Zane Lowe,” and “OVO Audio 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 globe. Ideal regarded for her strike music “Djadja,” she has released a few albums that includes innumerable chart-topping tunes, together with “Copines,” “Pookie,” “Plus Jamais,” and “Jolie nana,” and she has been on the deal with of Apple Music’s Hits Français playlist. In France, Nakamura is a single of the only feminine artists to continuously seem in the streaming charts in a market place dominated by male rappers, and her album “AYA” garnered the best very first-week streams for an album produced by a female artist on Apple Music. Her songs “Jolie nana” and “Plus Jamais” keep the top rated two spots for the highest first-7 days streams for a song by a woman artist on Apple New music in France, and all 15 music on the album entered the Day-to-day Top 100 chart in France, Belgium, and Niger, with “Jolie nana” peaking at No. 1 in those nations. Her track “Bobo” also peaked at No. 1 on the Every day Top 100 chart in France, Niger, Cape Verde, and Micronesia. It marked her fifth one topping France’s Daily Apple charts.
“I am incredibly honored to be the incredibly initial Francophone artist to acquire an Apple Audio Award as Artist of the Year (France),” Nakamura stated. “Thank you, Apple!”
Artist of the Year (Germany): RIN
Rapper Renato Simunovic, aka RIN, was born in 1994 in Bietigheim-Bissingen close to Stuttgart in the south of Germany. After releasing his very first EP, “Genesis,” in 2016, his debut album, “Eros,” adopted speedily in 2017. A 25-time gold and three-time platinum artist, RIN has carried out a great number of stay reveals, completed characteristics with legends, and collaborated with some of the world’s most influential makes. With his third 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 present sound of rap in the south of Germany. He was the initial German artist to host his own show on Apple Tunes, “KLEINSTADTRADIO,” tied to the new album, and he has graced the include of Apple Music’s HYPED and Deutschrap 100 playlists.
“2021 was such a superior yr for me simply because it has borne a lot of fruit of matters that I postponed for a extended time,” RIN mentioned. “My audio has evolved in the identical perception. I am a great deal much more individual.”
Artist of the Year (Japan): OFFICIAL HIGE DANDISM
Shaped in Shimane, Japan, in 2012, Formal HIGE DANDISM, aka HIGEDAN, is composed of direct vocalist and keyboardist Satoshi Fujihara, guitarist Daisuke Ozasa, bassist and saxophonist Makoto Narazaki, and drummer Masaki Matsuura. They introduced their debut mini album, “Love to Peace wa Kimi no Naka,” in 2014. Their initial complete-length album, “Escaparade” — which features their well-liked music “No Doubt” — was released in 2018, but it was their next solitary, “Pretender,” that rocketed to the top of the Apple Songs charts in Japan. HIGEDAN entered Shazam’s emerging artists lists in Japan and Australia for the initially time in June 2019, in advance of the launch of the band’s abide by-up album, “Traveler,” which turned their first No. 1 album in Japan. The group has been featured in three various Apple Tunes Japan commercials, with their strike songs “Stand by You” and “I Love…,” together with the 2021 tune “Apoptosis,” taken from their third album, “Editorial,” which carries the third-maximum very first-7 days streams for an album released in 2021 in Japan, and was not too long ago featured in an Apple Songs Japan spatial audio with Dolby Atmos professional. The band has also produced a number of guest appearances on “J-Pop Now Radio” on Apple Songs 1.
“We did not know Japanese artists could acquire this award and have been shocked when we had been told,” the band stated. “We’re super content to be the winners of the to start with Apple Tunes Award for Artist of the 12 months (Japan).”
Artist of the Calendar year (Russia): Scriptonite
Rapper Scriptonite, aka Adil Zhalelov, was found by Basta and signed to his label Gazgolder in 2015. Scriptonite’s debut album, “House with Ordinary Action,” grew to become an fast common and has been considered a person of the biggest data of the new Russian hip-hop revolution. In 2017, Scriptonite followed up with two a lot more LPs on Gazgolder, climbing to the prime-rated producer and performer of the latest hip-hop period, with admirers and critics crediting him as the most critical voice and audio of the new generation. Right after starting up his personal label, Musica36, in 2019, Scriptonite’s “2004” album was released exclusively on Apple Songs to critical acclaim, becoming the No. 1 streamed report of the yr. Scriptonite also holds the report for the two most streamed albums for its initially week on Apple Music in 5 nations around the world (Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Moldova). His single “Baby Mama” landed him in the Major 20 of worldwide Shazam charts. In 2020, Apple Songs exclusively unveiled the brief film “Behind Scriptonite’s ‘2004’” together with a “36 Jam” stay live performance of all Musica36 artists. This 12 months observed the launch of his album “Svistki Y Bumazhki,” as nicely as a COVID-postponed exhibit in Moscow, the two produced exclusively on Apple Songs. Scriptonite has graced the handles of Apple Music’s Kirillitsa, Russian Hits, and New Music Day-to-day playlists, and he’s at this time working on his to start with English-language history in collaboration with Gee Baller, a youthful Nigerian mounting star who recently signed to Musica36.
“This award is the fruits of an remarkable several a long time, and Apple Music has been with me for so much of it together the way,” Scriptonite claimed. “Thank you for the recognition.”
About the Apple New music Awards
Apple developed a series of physical awards that characterize the amazing craftsmanship integral to creating tunes. Each award attributes Apple’s custom made silicon wafer suspended among a polished sheet of glass and a machined and anodized aluminum body. The outcome of this multi-thirty day period system, prior to it is sliced into hundreds of particular person chips, is spectacular and unique. In a symbolic gesture, the identical chips that electricity the devices that place the world’s audio at listeners fingertips sit at the very heart of the Apple Audio Awards.
About Apple Songs
Apple loves music. Apple revolutionized the songs practical experience with iPod and iTunes. Nowadays, Apple Music celebrates musicians, songwriters, producers, and enthusiasts with a catalog of in excess of 90 million tracks, expertly curated playlists, and the very best artist interviews, conversations, and global premieres with the award-successful Apple Songs Radio. With unique content from the most revered and beloved men and women in audio, autoplay, time-sync lyrics, Lossless Audio, and immersive audio powered by Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos, Apple New music features the world’s finest listening encounter, aiding listeners discover new new music and delight in their favorites when empowering the international artist neighborhood. Apple Tunes is obtainable in more than 165 nations around the world and areas on Iphone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, Apple Observe, Apple Tv set, HomePod mini, CarPlay, and online at tunes.apple.com, moreover preferred smart speakers, sensible TVs, and Android and Windows units. Apple Audio is advert-no cost and never ever shares client knowledge with 3rd events. Additional information and facts is accessible at apple.com/apple-new music.
About Apple
Apple revolutionized personal technological innovation with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Currently, Apple leads the globe in innovation with Iphone, iPad, Mac, Apple View, and Apple Tv set. Apple’s five software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS — present seamless encounters across all Apple equipment and empower persons with breakthrough providers which includes the Application Retail store, Apple Music, Apple Shell out, and iCloud. Apple’s a lot more than 100,000 workforce are devoted to generating the very best products and solutions on earth, and to leaving the earth better than we found it.
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