Apple has announced the winner of the 2025 Apple Music Awards, with Tyler, The Creator being named Artist of the Year for his significant influence on music and culture.
Apple praised Tyler for his storytelling and character development in his album Chromakopia, describing it as his most personal work to date. His subsequent album, Don’t Tap The Glass, also topped the Apple Music charts on its release day. Fans listened to Tyler’s music for over 4.5 billion minutes between November 2024 and October 2025, marking his most successful year yet.
Zane Lowe, Apple Music’s global creative director, commended Tyler for his creativity and risk-taking, stating that he continues to inspire both his peers and fans.
“To everyone who listens to my music, thank you. I appreciate you so much. This year, for my career, was the biggest so far. To be this year’s Apple Music Artist of the Year, it’s sick. I appreciate the love. I appreciate the recognition. It means a lot to me, especially for the music and things that I make. Please keep supporting folks who are a bit out of the box for how they do things; it means a lot to us.”
Tyler, The Creator
Apple also announced Tyler’s upcoming feature-film debut in Marty Supreme and his five Grammy nominations for his 2025 albums.
This year marks the sixth edition of the Apple Music Awards, which began in 2019 with Billie Eilish winning Global Artist of the Year. Eilish’s debut album, When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, also won Album of the Year, and she shared the Songwriter of the Year award with her brother, FINNEAS.
Subsequent winners of the Apple Music Artist of the Year award included Lil Baby in 2020, The Weeknd in 2021, Bad Bunny in 2022, and Taylor Swift in 2023. The awards have evolved over the years, with categories such as Breakthrough Artist, Songwriter, Album, and Song being added and then removed in favor of the Global Artist of the Year category.
Each Apple Music Award features a custom Apple silicon wafer suspended in glass, symbolizing the craftsmanship involved in creating music.
“In a symbolic gesture, the same chip powering the devices that put over 100 million songs at listeners’ fingertips also sits at the very heart of the Apple Music Awards.”
Apple
Apple has curated special playlists celebrating the music of the past year and hinted at a surprise message from Tyler, The Creator for fans who have recently Shazamed his music.
