“It’s always special when a young artist can connect with so many people so quickly”: Apple Music’s 2024 Artist of the Year is Billie Eilish

Apple Music has named Billie Eilish as its 2024 Artist of the Year. This is the second time that Eilish has won the award, having previously won the inaugural prize in 2019.

“From the moment we first heard Ocean Eyes nearly a decade ago, we’ve been fans and champions of Billie’s work,” said Rachel Newman, Apple Music’s senior director of Content and Editorial.

“It’s always special when a young artist can connect with so many people so quickly. But what’s been truly remarkable about watching her evolve over the course of this last year isn’t just that her voice and artistry have continued to resonate so widely. It’s that she’s blossomed as bravely and honestly as she has - on her own terms, in her own way.”

Eilish’s 2024 kicked off with an Oscar win for What Was I Made For?, her 2023 hit from the Barbie movie. She followed this up with the release of her third album, the acclaimed Hit Me Hard And Soft - which was sort of named after a FabFilter synth preset, it turned out - and then embarked on a tour of the same name.

Other highlights for Eilish this year include an appearance at the Paris Olympics closing ceremony as part of the handover to Los Angeles, which will host the 2028 games, and a guest spot on Charli’s XCX’s Guess, which became a huge summer hit.

Reacting to news of her win, Eilish said: “Since day one, Apple Music has supported my music and artistry, and I am both honoured and humbled to receive this recognition as Artist of the Year this many years into my career.”

Eilish and her brother Finneas’s relationship with Apple stretches back several years. Finneas produced all three of Billie’s albums in Logic Pro, the company’s DAW, and the project file for her early hit Ocean Eyes is included as one of its demo songs.