As the end of the year approaches fast, anticipation builds in music fans everywhere for “Artist of the Year”. Spotify Wrapped, first introduced in 2016, allows users to get an overview of their year of music through the app’s data. The feature has grown rapidly in popularity over the years as everyone keeps a close eye on their Spotify from late November to early December. But the question on many music lovers’ minds, what hot artist will secure the spot of “Top Artist of the Year”?
Bad Bunny, is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer and emerging actor who released his seventh studio album, “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS,” in January of this year. The Hispanic artist has rapidly grown in popularity since the release of his first album in 2018, and is idolized by English and Spanish-speakers alike. While many of his fans don’t share his native language, his music provides a sense of connection and pride for fans across the world with its Latin trap style as well as its Puerto Rican and Caribbean influences. Recently in late September, Bunny was announced as headliner of the 2026 NFL Superbowl halftime show. This will make him the first male Latin American artist to headline the performance. Bunny has seen a significant increase in listeners and streams following the Superbowl announcement and is a worthy candidate for “Artist of the Year”.
Currently on the second North American leg of her “Short n’ Sweet” tour, pop-princess Sabrina Carpenter is very eligible for the title of Spotify’s “Artist of the Year”. Since the release of her first album “Eyes Wide Open” in 2015, Carpenter has garnered quite the audience with 75.3 million monthly listeners and is 14th among artists on Spotify as of early November`. Even though Carpenter first initiated her music career in 2015, she saw a rapid growth in popularity after the release of her 2023 single “Feather,” and Carpenter’s career only skyrocketed from there. Since 2023, Carpenter released two more studio albums, three hit singles, a holiday EP and won two Grammys at this year’s award show. With “Espresso” being the most globally streamed song in 2024, “Artist of the Year” is the perfect award to add to Carpenter’s roster.
With the conclusion of his 2025 “Chromakopia” tour and further 2026 dates released, Tyler The Creator could be a potential headliner for artist of the year. The artist’s ninth studio album, “DON’T TAP THE GLASS” was released in January of this year, following the release of “Chromakopia”. Tyler has been in the industry since 2008 and his music has been described as nothing less than genre bending as it evolves with every album. Tyler also appeared in the lineup for The Governor’s Ball 2025 and Lollapalooza with enticing and colorful sets for both. While “DON’T TAP THE GLASS” missed this year’s Grammys, it is eligible to be nominated for the 2026 Grammys held in February. With music that spreads across multiple genres, vibrant performances and powerful lyricism, Tyler The Creator is a no-brainer for an “Artist of the Year” headliner.
On her fifth concert and first arena tour, Tate McRae has steadily grown in popularity since her debut in 2017. But Mcrae’s performing career began long before she released her first single. The Canadian singer began her career as a dancer, auditioning for the TV show “So You Think You Can Dance” at age 13, and became the most successful Canadian contestant on the show. She would later begin her singing career with the release of her debut single “One day” after the song reached 40 million views on YouTube. McRae released her debut album, “I Used to Think I Could Fly” in 2022 and most recently, her album “So Close to What”. Her song “Just Keep Watching” would also be featured on the F1 official movie soundtrack. Currently on her “Miss Possessive Tour” with 57 million monthly listeners on Spotify and her most popular song, “Greedy” sitting at two-billion streams, McRae may be able to add “Artist of the Year” to her impressive list of achievements.
Most known for the song “Ribs” from her 2013 album “Pure Heroine”, Lorde has become one of the most notable artist of the decade among teens and young women alike. The New Zealand singer-songwriter began her career with the release of her album “Pure Heroine” which depicted the struggles of the youth, societal pressures and inequalities, creating a sense of relatability, to her young audience. Lorde’s preservation of relatability as well as the raw and vulnerable nature of her work, is what connects her to her fans. Her most recent album proves to be no different. The two-time Grammy winner is currently traveling on her “Ultrasound Tour” that is scheduled to run until May of 2026. With her long, steady success, Lorde is a very possible candidate for “Artist of the Year”.
All these artists are equally talented, each one bringing their own unique spark to their music that makes them stand out, bringing a breath of fresh air to the music industry. Each artist, from Bad Bunny to Lorde, has an equal chance of being this year’s Spotify “Artist of the Year”. While all of these artists create very different music, it has proven to be influential across audiences alike. Individuality, creativity, and expressiveness can be used to describe all of these artists, and is what makes someone “Artist of the Year” material.