Canadian Music Week (CMW) announced Thursday that The Weeknd has received the 2022 CMW Allan Slaight Humanitarian Spirit Award.
The award recognizes the charitable work and social activism of Canadian artists. Past recipients include Bryan Adams, Rush, Sarah McLachlan, Gord Downie and Simple Plan.
“That this is a Canadian award sits deep with me,” The Weeknd said, in a release. “It means a lot to be acknowledged, and is an honour to be recognized along with the legendary Canadian artists who received this award before me.”
The Slaight Family Foundation will make a $50,000 donation to a charity chosen by The Weeknd.
“The global success of Abel ‘The Weeknd’ Tesfaye makes every Canadian proud,” said The Slaight Family president and CEO Gary Slaight. “What Abel has done with his success is something that we can be doubly proud of – and this is to improve the lives of people in need, in Canada and around the world. His altruism, in a word, is exemplary.”
The Weeknd launched the XO Humanitarian Fund in March and, last month, handed over $5 million U.S. to global hunger relief programs – an amount that included $1 from each ticket sold for his summer stadium tour and proceeds from sales of XO Humanitarian Fund/UN World Food Programme tour T-shirts.
In 2021, The Weeknd announced he was giving $1 million U.S. to the UN World Food Programme to help feed people impacted by the conflict in Ethiopia. He previously gave $300,000 U.S. to help victims of the Beirut blast and $500,000 from sales of his XO face masks to Scarborough Health Network's COVID-19 Emergency Fund. The singer also gave $500,000 U.S. to various organizations advocating for racial equality and assisting people impacted by the protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd.