Mark Kennedy
NEW YORK (AP) – Last year, the top Apple Music Awards went to three artists – Olivia Rodrigo, HER and The Weeknd. This year, there’s only one – Bad Bunny.
The music streaming giant on Wednesday crowned Puerto Rican reggaeton superstar its Artist of the Year, thanks in large part to his latest album, Un Verano Sin Ti, which became Apple Music’s most streamed album of 2022 and its biggest Latin album of all time.
“We’re thrilled to celebrate the unmatched achievements of Bad Bunny, whose influence on every corner of culture could not be ignored in 2022,” Apple’s vice president of Apple Music and Beats Oliver Schusser said in a statement.
Bad Bunny has amassed quite a few first on Apple Music, including having his Moscow Mule hold the record for the biggest Latin song of all time by first-day streams worldwide. He logged 22 songs on the global Daily Top 100 list, breaking the record for most simultaneous entries by a single Latin artist, and his songs have reached number one on the Daily Top 100 in 34 countries worldwide – more than any other Latin artist.
“The Latin music movement has grown so much. I would never take full credit or say, ‘It’s because of me.’ No, it’s every one of us. A whole generation. Our energy and presence is always felt,” Bad Bunny told Apple Music.
The music service said annual winners are chosen through a process that reflects both Apple Music’s editorial perspective and what customers around the world are listening to the most.
The Apple Music Awards, now in its fourth year, continues to evolve, growing larger to encompass global music patterns.
