Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, professionally known as the Weeknd, is a highly acclaimed Canadian singer, songwriter, and record producer. With a unique approach to music production and a distinctive falsetto register, he has become a prominent figure in contemporary popular music.
Throughout his career, he has amassed an impressive collection of awards, including 4 Grammy Awards, 20 Billboard Music Awards, 22 Juno Awards, 6 American Music Awards, 2 MTV Video Music Awards, a Latin Grammy Award, and even nominations for an Academy Award and a Primetime Emmy Award.
Tesfaye’s journey began in 2009 when he anonymously released music on YouTube. Two years later, he co-founded the XO record label, which marked the start of his recognition for his contemporary and alternative R&B style, as showcased in the mixtapes “House of Balloons,” “Thursday,” and “Echoes of Silence.”
Signing with Republic Records in 2012, he re-released these mixtapes as the compilation album “Trilogy.” His debut studio album, “Kiss Land” (2013), explored dark wave elements and achieved considerable success, reaching number two on the US Billboard 200.
Over the years, Tesfaye’s musical contributions extended to film soundtracks, notably with his Grammy-winning single “Earned It” from Fifty Shades of Grey (2015), and several successful studio albums, including “Beauty Behind the Madness” (2015) and “Starboy” (2016). His fourth studio album, “After Hours” (2020), received critical acclaim and featured chart-topping hits like “Blinding Lights,” “Heartless,” and “Save Your Tears.”
With over 75 million records sold, Tesfaye stands as one of the world’s best-selling music artists, setting various streaming and Billboard chart records. He holds the distinction of being the first Canadian artist with four diamond-certified singles from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the first to occupy the top three spots on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart simultaneously.
Additionally, his track “Blinding Lights” has achieved the status of the most-streamed song in Spotify history and the best-performing song in the history of the Billboard Hot 100.
Beyond his musical achievements, the Weeknd has been recognized as one of Time’s most influential people in 2020 and was honored with the title of “world’s most popular artist” by Guinness World Records in 2023. He is also known for his advocacy in racial equality and food security, as demonstrated through his appointment as a World Food Programme Goodwill Ambassador in 2021.