Apple Announces Winners of Third Annual Apple Music Awards

Apple has announced the winners of the third annual Apple Music Awards, which recognize "the best artists of 2021 and their influence on global culture."

apple apple music awards 2020 hero 11182020 big
The awards honor achievements in music across five categories, with winners chosen through a process that reflects both ‌‌Apple Music‌‌'s editorial perspective and what customers around the world have been listening to most.

Apple has named The Weeknd as Global Artist of the Year, while Olivia Rodrigo is Breakthrough Artist of the Year. Rodrigo also bagged the Album of the Year award for her debut album, "SOUR," and Single of the Year for "drivers license." The Songwriter of the Year award went to multi-instrumentalist H.E.R. especially in recognition of her 21-track R&B album "Back of My Mind."

This year, the ‌Apple Music‌ Awards also introduces a new category of awards for Regional Artist of the Year, recognizing artists from five countries and regions: Africa, France, Germany, Japan, and Russia. The Regional Artist of the Year awards recognize artists who made the greatest impact culturally and on the charts in their respective countries and regions, according to Apple.

"The past 12 months have proved to be a remarkable year for music, and we're thrilled to honor the artists who are shaping culture and connecting with fans around the world on Apple Music," said Oliver Schusser, Apple's vice president of Apple Music and Beats. "This year we're also recognizing more regional artists, showing the world the impact of extraordinary talented musicians who are making waves globally."

The ‌Apple Music‌ Awards celebration kicks off Tuesday, December 7, 2021, with interviews, original content, and more all streaming worldwide on ‌Apple Music‌ and the Apple TV app. Apple's full article has a more complete list of details on all of the artists that are to be honored with a special Apple-designed award.

Popular Stories

apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features

Saturday July 12, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Rumors Faster Wi-Fi Support The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Sunday July 13, 2025 10:30 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

Here's When to Expect the iOS 26 Public Beta

Tuesday July 15, 2025 11:07 am PDT by
Apple previously announced that a public beta of iOS 26 would be available in July, and now a more specific timeframe has surfaced. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said that Apple's public betas should be released on or around Wednesday, July 23. In other words, expect the public betas of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, and more to be available at some point next week. Apple will be releasing...
Apple Hornsby

Apple Store Near Sydney Permanently Closing Later This Year

Monday July 14, 2025 6:14 pm PDT by
Apple today said its store at the Westfield Hornsby shopping mall, in Hornsby, Australia, will be permanently closing in October. Apple Hornsby In a statement shared with Australian tech news website EFTM (via Reddit), Apple said that it has decided not to renew its lease at Westfield Hornsby. Apple said all affected retail employees will be given the opportunity to work at Apple's nearby...
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 17 May See 'Significant' Dynamic Island Changes

Monday July 14, 2025 12:11 am PDT by
The iPhone's Dynamic Island experience is set to undergo "significant evolution" over the next few years, according to a new rumor. Earlier this month, a report suggested that the iPhone 17 lineup will feature a redesigned Dynamic Island user interface, but little else was explained about the software changes. Now, the leaker known as "Majin Bu" appears to have corroborated this, commenting ...

Top Rated Comments

TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
47 months ago
Well deserved! The weekend Wins!

Congratulations!!!


The Weekend wins Global Artist of the Year at the third annual Apple Music Awards.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bandaman Avatar
47 months ago
Ugh no.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bug-Creator Avatar
47 months ago

Aya Nakamura for France?
Dunno, but considering that they went with a 100% talent free autotune "rapper" for Germany gives me a hint....
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Upeo Avatar
47 months ago

She’s the exact opposite of an artist. She is an empty product created for mass consumption with no idea of what she’s doing. She even recognized herself that she didn’t know what the lyrics she’s been writing meant (because they don’t mean anything whatsoever). Appart from the lyrics, the music is also quite… appalling.
I never really understood this argument regarding pop music, regardless of how I feel about it. Let's say she is an empty product created for mass consumption, doesn't that mean the appetite for whatever it is she's producing is out there? You think it's just ignorance that has people consuming what she's producing? Can't it be that they're simply looking for something in their music that you're not looking for in yours?

Music is meant to elicit an emotional response out of people. Whether to energise, help contemplate or think, inform, emotional processing, or what else, it's popular with human beings precisely because it affects the way we feel and it can do so in multiple different ways.

You can't judge a song for what it's not trying to be, she's not going after a Pulitzer. It's music meant to help you decompress. That has its value too. Apple Music is a streaming platform, they go by what people listen to. We may not enjoy it, but for something as utterly and completely subjective as music, who are we to either say they're not allowed to or the music we listen to is better?

If these people are doing good, more power to them. Music you like is still out there, music I like is still out there. There's room for both. Not everything has to be for everybody.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RobertoDLV Avatar
47 months ago

Why do you say that?
She’s the exact opposite of an artist. She is an empty product created for mass consumption with no idea of what she’s doing. She even recognized herself that she didn’t know what the lyrics she’s been writing meant (because they don’t mean anything whatsoever). Appart from the lyrics, the music is also quite… appalling.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Stevez67 Avatar
47 months ago
Industry awards like these are intended to continue the corporate revenue stream from performers who are already part of that stream. These awards go to performers in whom the music industry has already invested. It's a bit like slapping insurance policy onto an asset. I've listened to all the awardees and they're listenable, but unremarkable. They break no new ground, musically.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)