Apple Music Awards 2020 winners announced

The second annual Apple Music Award winners have been announced and topping the charts is Lil Baby who takes the title of Global Artist of the Year. Not only are the honoured artists recognized for their chart topping songs but also for their incredible impact on global culture.

The Apple Music Awards honour achievements in music across five distinct categories, and winners are chosen through a process that reflects both Apple Music’s editorial perspective and what customers around the world are loving most. The winners for global Artist of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, and Breakthrough Artist of the Year were hand-selected by Apple Music’s global editorial team of world-class experts and tastemakers, and the awards for Top Song of the Year and Top Album of the Year are based on streaming data and reflective of what Apple Music customers have been listening to this year.

Here are the winners...

Artist of the Year: Lil Baby

In 2020, Lil Baby fully arrived as one of hip-hop’s biggest names, with billions of global streams and multiple tracks from “My Turn” topping the Apple Music charts. With his deeply moving and timely release, “The Bigger Picture,” he cemented his place as the indisputable, authentic voice of youth culture. His performance of the track at Apple Music’s Rap Life Live event was in itself a standout moment of 2020. Lil Baby has been an intriguing voice since his debut mixtape in 2017—but 2020 is the year he became an undeniable global star.

Breakthrough Artist of the Year: Megan Thee Stallion

With two No. 1 singles and a highly anticipated debut album on the way, it is safe to say Houston rapper Megan Thee Stallion is owning 2020. Her collaboration with Cardi B on “WAP” and with Beyoncé on the “Savage” remix have collectively been played on Apple Music more than 300 million times globally. The Apple Music Up Next alum is experiencing the kind of breakthrough year that defines the distinction, and she is just getting started.

Songwriter of the Year: Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift is without a doubt one of music’s preeminent and most decorated songwriters, and “folklore” is no exception. Written and recorded in isolation during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic, “folklore” instantly topped the Apple Music albums chart and set the record for the most streamed pop album on release day. With its wistful third-person stories about love triangles, ghosts, and trauma, “folklore” is a lyrical masterpiece.

Top Song of the Year: “The Box,” Roddy Ricch

Roddy Ricch’s breakout, “The Box,” was the year’s biggest and most popular single, accumulating more than 460 million Apple Music streams worldwide to date, launching countless memes, and topping the charts for more weeks than any other song in 2020.

Top Album of the Year: “Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial,” Roddy Ricch

Following the success of “The Box,” the Compton rapper’s debut album, “Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial,” has run up more than 1.5 billion Apple Music streams worldwide since its release.

The Apple Music Awards celebration kicks off Monday, December 14, 2020, with a week of special performances, fan events, interviews, and more, streaming worldwide on Apple Music, Apple Music TV, and the Apple TV app.