The Weeknd has been awarded a key to the city of Toronto

The Weeknd - whose real name is Abel Tesfaye - said in a statement: "I'm deeply honoured to receive the key to the city. It feels good to be home.

"Toronto is where I found my voice, and I'm committed to helping the next generation find theirs. That's why I'm proud to support the Boys and Girls Club of West Scarborough and my former high school, Birchmount Park, providing youth with the means to unlock their full potential."

Mayor Chow has also heaped praise on the chart-topping star, explaining that he's "reshaped modern music".

She said: "Born in Toronto, Abel 'The Weeknd' Tesfaye represents the best of our city.

"From Scarborough to the global stage, he has reshaped modern music while using his platform to support health and humanitarian causes at home and around the world. I am proud to honour one of our city's greatest artists with a key to the city to celebrate his contributions to music, society and our culture."

The Weeknd has enjoyed success as a musician and as an actor, and he previously explained how his upbringing in Toronto fuelled his passion for movies.

The award-winning star recalled visiting a video rental store during his teens and browsing through their movie collection, even though he couldn't actually afford to rent them at the time.

He told Interview magazine in 2023: "There was one in downtown Toronto called Queen Video. It was one of those video stores that just had all the indie stuff, all the arthouse stuff. I'd go there and I wouldn't even buy or rent. I'd just look through everything and obsess over films I'd never seen.

"Because I didn't have money. That's when I was homeless, around 17, 18. I'd just walk in there and pretend I was going to rent something. The reality was I was just trying to learn about filmmakers and one-ups."