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The Weeknd: Quick Facts

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News •

The Weeknd’s tour sets record as highest-grossing by a male artiste, with over $1.7 billion • Nov. 5, 2026, 10:55 PM ET (Straits Times)
Canadian singer The Weeknd debuts new song in HK with tribute to pop diva Faye Wong’s track Monsoon • Oct. 28, 2026, 2:59 AM ET (Straits Times)
Tony Leung & Carina Lau meet singer The Weeknd in Hong Kong: ‘Perfect weekend with The Weeknd’ • Oct. 22, 2026, 12:05 AM ET (Toronto Star)

Facts

Also Known As Abel Makkonen Tesfaye
Born February 16, 1990 (age 36) • Toronto • Canada
Awards And Honors Grammy Award (2018) • Grammy Award (2016) • Grammy Award (2018): Best Urban Contemporary Album; for "Starboy" • Grammy Award (2016): Best R&B Performance; for "Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)" • Grammy Award (2016): Best Urban Contemporary Album; for "Beauty Behind the Madness"
Notable Works “Beauty Behind the Madness” • “My Dear Melancholy” • “Starboy”
Movies/Tv Shows (Acted In) "Robot Chicken" (2020) • "American Dad!" (2020) • "Uncut Gems" (2019)
Movies/Tv Shows (Writing/Creator) "American Dad!" (2020)
Albums "Thursday" (2011) • "After Hours" (2020) • "House of Balloons" (2011) • "Kiss Land" (2013) • "Beauty Behind the Madness" (2015) • "Starboy" (2016) • "Echoes of Silence" (2011)

Top Questions

Where was the Weeknd born?
The Weeknd was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on February 16, 1990.
What is the Weeknd's real name?
The Weeknd's real name is Abel Makkonen Tesfaye.

Photos

The Weeknd, wearing a red sequined jacket and black gloves, performs on stage during the Super Bowl LV halftime show, with stylized cityscape props around him.
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Beyonce smiling on the red carpet at the 2013 Grammy Awards, wearing a black and white dress with her hair pulled back.
BeyoncĂŠ
American singer
Jennifer Hudson smiling at the camera, wearing sparkling earrings and a dark, shimmering outfit, with her hair pulled back.
Jennifer Hudson
American actress and singer
Tina Turner sings on stage in Montreal, wearing a black and gold dress, with backup dancers in gold outfits performing behind her.
Tina Turner
American-born singer
Ruth Brown, c. 1955.
Ruth Brown
American singer and actress
Isaac Hayes wearing sunglasses and a vest made of chains sings into a microphone onstage in a scene from the 1972 film Wattstax.
Isaac Hayes
American singer-songwriter, musician, and actor
Janelle Monae poses at the Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery premiere, wearing a black outfit with styled blonde hair and dramatic eye makeup against a colorful backdrop.
Janelle MonĂĄe
American singer and actor
Jessica Mauboy
Jessica Mauboy
Australian singer, songwriter, and actress
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Levon Helm
American musician
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Patti Page
American singer
“The Voice”
Frank Sinatra
American singer and actor
The King of Pop
Michael Jackson
American singer, songwriter, and dancer
Elvis Presley in a black leather outfit singing into a microphone on stage during the 1968 Comeback Special, with seated audience members behind him.
Elvis Presley
American singer and actor
Dolly Parton smiles while holding a microphone, wearing a green outfit with sparkling details, in front of a red background.
Dolly Parton
American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress
Paul Williams
Paul Williams
American singer, songwriter, composer, and actor
Paul McCartney wearing a black jacket and shirt, looking slightly to the side, with people blurred in the background.
Paul McCartney
British musician
Lady Gaga performing onstage in a sparkling blue outfit with dramatic shoulders, long platinum blonde hair, pink glitter mask, and holding a gold microphone.
Lady Gaga
American singer-songwriter and actress
Mr. Entertainment
Sammy Davis, Jr.
American entertainer
“Weird Al” Yankovic
“Weird Al” Yankovic
American musician
Paul Robeson seated in a suit, looking up and smiling in a black and white portrait.
Paul Robeson
American singer, actor, and political activist
Barbra Streisand in 2010, wearing a layered necklace and a black jacket, with straight shoulder-length hair, smiling slightly at an event.
Barbra Streisand
American singer and actress

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