For its third annual Apple Music Awards, the streaming platform has awarded The Weeknd with one of its highest honors: Global Artist of the Year.
Of the award, the Toronto-bred crooner expressed in a statement, “I’m so grateful for this huge honour 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.”
With more than a million pre-adds, his fourth studio album, After Hours, became the most pre-added album of all time by a male artist on Apple Music. In its first week, it also garnered the record as the most-streamed R&B/Soul album in 73 different countries.
H.E.R. took home the award for Songwriter of the Year. In a statement, the Oscar winner shared, “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.”
Additionally, this year the Apple Music Awards introduced the category, Regional Artist of the Year, which acknowledges “artists who made the greatest impact culturally and on the charts in their respective countries and regions.” For Africa, Wizkid was awarded this monumental feat as one of the continent’s biggest crossover artists.