Apple Music Awards 2021: The Weeknd wins global artist of the year

Popular artists-- Olivia Rodrigo and Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, also known as H.E.R. win big at the Apple Music Awards 2021 edition.

The Cupertino-based company on Tuesday (November 30) announced the winners of the Apple Music Awards 2021 edition.

Canadian R&B and pop artist- Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, popularly known as The Weeknd bagged the global artist of the year.

It should be noted that the 2020 album of The Weeknd-- 'After Hours' was one of the fastest to surpass one million pre-adds on Apple Music, and is the most pre-added album of all time by a male artist on the platform.

The Weeknd wins Global Artist of the Year at the third annual Apple Music Awards. Credit: Apple

Olivia Rodrigo, who is just 18, has become a global sensation with her hit singles “drivers license”. It won her multiple awards in three categories-- Breakthrough Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year.

Olivia Rodrigo wins Breakthrough Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year at the third annual Apple Music Awards. Credit: Apple

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

H.E.R. wins Songwriter of the Year at the third annual Apple Music Awards. Credit: Apple

Multiple award-winning singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, professionally known as H.E.R., won the songwriter of the year for work on 21-track album 'Back of My Mind'.

Apple for the first time announced top local artists from five different countries. The list includes Wizkid (Africa), Aya Nakamura (France), RIN (Germany), Official Hige Dandism (Japan), and Scriptonite (Russia).

The Apple Music Awards event is slated to kick off on December 7 with interviews, original content, and more all streaming worldwide on Apple Music and the Apple TV app.

The company also announced top podcasts. 'A Slight Change of Plans' with Maya Shankar from Pushkin Industries bagged the Best Show of the Year award, and 'Anything for Selena' with Maria Garcia from WBUR and Futuro Studios awarded the Newcomer of the Year.

First-time subscribers to Apple Music will get three months of free access to more than 90 million songs and 30,000 playlists and after the trial period, customers have to pay Rs 99/month to continue the subscription.

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