Apple Music today officially named hip-hop visionary Tyler, The Creator as its Artist of the Year for 2025, an honor that recognizes his unparalleled creative output, cultural influence, and record-breaking engagement on the streaming platform over the past 12 months.
The award caps off what Apple Music describes as the biggest year of the artist’s career, defined by the unexpected release of two wildly divergent and critically acclaimed albums: the deeply personal, meticulously world-built $CHROMAKOPIA$ and the urgent, stripped-down dance-rap blast of $DON’T TAP THE GLASS$.
A Year of Unprecedented Streaming Dominance
Between November 2024 and October 2025, Tyler, The Creator’s music amassed more than 4.5 billion minutes of listening time worldwide on Apple Music—the highest-ever totals he has achieved across plays, unique listeners, and total hours streamed.
“Tyler continues to prove that anything is possible. His creativity has been incredible all year,” said Zane Lowe, Apple Music’s global creative director and lead anchor for Apple Music 1. “His creative risk-taking is only matched by the care he takes to present it, and he inspires his peers and fans now, just as he will continue to inspire generations to co1me.”
Two Albums, Two Worlds
Tyler’s success story in 2025 is largely built on his extraordinary dual-release strategy:
- $CHROMAKOPIA$: Released at the start of the year, this project quickly became his most successful album ever on the platform, setting new records for first-day and first-week plays. Apple Music noted its extraordinary feat in character exploration and world-building, cementing the album as a defining piece of his discography.
- $DON’T TAP THE GLASS$: Released unexpectedly mid-tour in July, this project served as a stark, satisfying counterpoint. Leaning into genres like funk, techno, and hip-house, the album shot immediately to the No. 1 spot on Apple Music’s overall charts in more than 55 countries, proving his versatility and ability to pivot genres successfully.
This ability to deliver two commercially successful, yet radically different, artistic visions within a single year solidified his claim to the top honor.
Cultural Imprint Beyond the Charts
Tyler’s influence this year extended far beyond his studio work. He dominated the global festival circuit, headlining major events including Governors Ball, Lollapalooza, Outside Lands, and Osheaga. He also oversaw the 11th edition of his self-built music, fashion, and culture festival, Camp Flog Gnaw, held in Los Angeles.
Capping off his monumental 2025, Tyler received five new Grammy Award nominations for his albums, and is preparing for his feature-film debut in the period drama Marty Supreme, directed by Josh Safdie and co-starring Timothée Chalamet.
In a statement, the artist expressed his gratitude for the recognition: “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… Please keep supporting folks who are a bit out of the box for how they do things; it means a lot to us.”
As part of the accolade, Tyler will receive the physical Apple Music Award, which features a suspended custom silicon wafer, symbolizing the technology that powers Apple’s music ecosystem.