Apple Music has selected Bad Bunny as its 2022 artist of the year, marking the first time since the Apple Music Awards launched in 2019 that a Latin artist has been given the honor.
The award acknowledges the musician’s “artistic excellence and influence on global culture in 2022,” according to the official announcement. He joins previous AOTY honorees including Billie Eilish, Lil Baby, Megan Thee Stallion, Taylor Swift and the Weeknd.
The Puerto Rican rap-reggaeton titanhas spent most of this year dominating the global music market. His latest studio album, “Un Verano Sin Ti,” is Apple Music’s most streamed album of 2022, and powered the “Titi Me Pregunto” singer to become the most prominent Latin artist of all time by worldwide streaming count on Apple Music. Upon its release on May 6, the 23-track set achieved the highest record for first-day streams worldwide. Its glimmering opening track, “Moscow Mule,” also holds the Apple Music record for the biggest Latin song of all time by first-day streams worldwide.
Additionally, he broke the record for most simultaneous entries by a single Latin artist with 22 songs on the platform’s Daily Top 100 and has reached No. 1 on that same playlist in 34 countries worldwide — a milestone no other Latin artist has been able to achieve. He holds the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 Latin albums, which are tallied by first-day streams.
Also this year, he became the only artist in history to stage two separate $100 million-grossing tours in less than 12 months, between his El Último Tour Del Mundo and his latest World’s Hottest Tour, which recently hit the U.S. for seven weeks.
“When I started, I didn’t have a global fan base,” the artist told Apple Music in an exclusive film (see below). “I’m grateful for everything I’ve accomplished and everything I’ve experienced. 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.”
Back in February 2018, Bad Bunny was Apple Music’s first Latin Up Next artist for the platform’s rising artist program. He was also the debut host for Trap Kingz, their first Spanish-language radio show on Beats 1 radio, and hosted the show’s first six episodes in 2017.
To celebrate his AOTY win, Bad Bunny will take over the platform’s La Fórmula playlist which is populated with his favorite tracks from Myke Towers, Rauw Alejandro, Jhayco, and others. Fans can also tune into Apple Music 1, where it’s Bad Bunny Day with exclusive radio content like early career interviews, specials and more.
