It was announced today that Tyler, The Creator has won Apple Music’s Artist of the Year award, recognizing the hip-hop creator’s outstanding impact on music and culture in 2025.
Tyler’s output through the end of 2025 has cemented his status as one of the most talented creators of his time. Across Apple Music, Tyler had his best year ever in terms of streams, listeners, and listening hours worldwide, with fans around the world logging more than 4.5 billion minutes of listening time between November 2024 and October 2025.
Tyler kicked off the year with his most ambitious and successful tour in support of his most personal album to date – the one that had just been released Chromacopia. This extraordinary achievement in world-building and character exploration became his most successful album of all time on Apple Music with first-day and first-week plays. But he did not finish creating. He wrote, recorded and released another album mid-tour: Do not tap on the glassa short but satisfying blast of urgent, stripped-down rap that’s very different from its predecessor, topped the overall Apple Music charts in over 55 countries on the day of its release.
These unique, vivid, and wildly disparate visions of hip-hop come from a generational artist at his most fearless — all within a year that included headliners at Governors Ball, Lollapalooza, Outside Lands, and Osheaga. The year will also see the 11th edition of Los Angeles’ own Camp Flog Gnaw – a festival that Tyler built himself.
“Tyler continues to prove that anything is possible,” said Zane Lowe, Global Creative Director for Apple Music and lead announcer for Apple Music 1. “His creativity has been amazing all year long. His creative risk-taking is only matched by the care he takes to deliver it, and he inspires his peers and fans now, just as he will continue to inspire generations to come.”
“To everyone who listens to my music, thank you,” Tyler said. “I appreciate you so much. This year, for my career, has been the biggest yet. To be 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 I make. Please continue to support people who are a little outside the box in terms of the way they do things, it means a lot to us.”
To top it off, Tyler’s vision and cultural imprint extends beyond music. He will soon make his first feature film Marty Supremethe historical drama directed by Josh Safdie and starring Timothée Chalamet, closes out 2025 with five new Grammy nominations for both. Chromacopia and Do not tap on the glass.
As Apple Music Artist of the Year, Tyler will receive a physical award that represents the exceptional craftsmanship that is integral to creating music. Each Apple Music Award features Apple’s custom silicon chip suspended between a polished glass panel and an anodized aluminum body. And in a symbolic gesture, the same chip that powers the devices that put more than 100 million songs at listeners’ fingertips is also at the heart of the Apple Music Awards.