The Weeknd is a Canadian singer, songwriter, businessman and record producer. After co-founding the XO record label in 2011, he rose to prominence following the release of his critically acclaimed mixtapes House of Balloons, Thursday and Echoes of Silence. House of Balloons was one of the ten shortlisted nominees for the 2011 Polaris Music Prize, while Echoes of Silence was a longlisted nominee for the 2012 Polaris Music Prize. The Weeknd's other accolades include six American Music Awards, twenty Billboard Music Awards, four Grammy Awards, four Guinness World Records, seventeen Juno Awards.