Last year, the top prize at the Apple Music Awards went to three artists – Olivia Rodrigo, HER and The Weeknd. This year, there’s only one – the bad bunny.
The music streaming giant crowned the Puerto Rican reggae star as Artist of the Year on Wednesday, That’s thanks in large part to his latest album, Un Verano Sin Ti, which became Apple Music’s most popular album of 2022 and its biggest Latin album ever.
Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Apple Music and Beats, said in a statement: “We’re excited to celebrate the unparalleled achievements of Bad Bunny, who will have an impact that cannot be ignored in every corner of culture in 2022. “
Bad Bunny has amassed a number of firsts on Apple Music, including his “Moscow Mule” holding the record for the most played Latin song on its first day in the world. He has 22 songs on the Global Daily Top 100, breaking the record for the most simultaneous entries by a single Latin artist, and his songs are number one on the Daily Top 100 in 34 countries worldwide – more than any other other Latin artists.
“The Latin music movement has grown so fast. I’ll never fully believe or say, ‘It’s because of me. No, it’s each of us. An entire generation. We always feel our energy and presence, “Bad Bunny told Apple Music.
The music service said the selection process for the annual winners reflects both Apple Music’s editorial views and what customers around the world listen to most.
Now in its fourth year, the Apple Music Awards continues to grow to encompass global music models.
The latest accolade puts an end to Bad Bunny. He won the 2022 Grammy for Best Musical Urbana Album and beat Drake, Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles, Jack Harlow, Lil Nas X and Lizzo for Artist of the Year honors at the MTV Awards. He leads the November 17 Latin Grammy nominations list with 10 nominations, including album of the year and single “Ojitos Lindos” for Record of the Year, which includes Bomba Estéreo. He won major Spotify awards in top categories such as Artist of the Year and Favorite Male Artist in 2020.
Bad Bunny was a bestseller of the year and the first all-Spanish language to reach #1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. This year, he also became the only player in history to do so in less than 12 months with his “El Último Tour Del Mundo” and “World’s Hottest Tour” respectively. Two tours worth $100 million.
At the Apple Music Awards last year, Rodrigo was named Breakout Artist of the Year, her “Sour” was named Album of the Year, and her “Driver’s License” was named Song of the Year. HER was Songwriter of the Year and The Weeknd was named Global Artist of the Year.
–Mark Kennedy, Associated Press
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