The 2023 Trace Awards nominees have been revealed in advance of the ceremony, which will be held in Kigali, Rwanda, in October.
The Trace Awards & Festival, a magnificent new live awards ceremony and festival celebrating the originality, coolness, and confidence of African and Afro-inspired music and culture around the world, will mark the 20th anniversary of global music powerhouse and Afro-music tastemaker Trace.
The Trace Awards & Festival, which shines a global spotlight on artists, creators, businesspeople, and achievers from all over Africa and the African diaspora, will take place in Kigali, Rwanda, from October 20 to 21, 2023, in collaboration with Visit Rwanda and QA Venue Solutions Rwanda, the venue management company of BK Arena.
A 2-day cultural festival intended to engage and inspire music makers and listeners will take place before the 3-hour live, televised, magnificent music extravaganza. The Trace Awards will be presented in front of 7,500 music superfans, musicians, opinion leaders, style-setters, and influencers from Africa and around the world at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda. Performances by the biggest African and Afro-descent artists in the world will take place there.
The Awards will honor artists in a variety of cultural and lifestyle categories while honoring a wide range of musical genres, including Afrobeat, Dancehall, Afro-pop, Mbalax, Amapiano, Zouk, Kizomba, Genge, Coupé Décalé, Bongo Flava, Soukous, Gospel, Rap, Kompa, R&B, and Rumba.
The campaign will also include a number of build-up activities, an awards tour, celebrations, and screenings across Brazil, the Indian Ocean, the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, and the United States.
The Trace Awards will be broadcast live on Trace channels in more than 180 nations to a global audience of fans of African and Afro-inspired music and culture. Additionally, Trace terrestrial TV partners and satellite stations will broadcast the awards worldwide.
Here is the complete list of 2023 Trace Award nominees.
Best MaleBurna Boy (Nigeria) Davido (Nigeria) Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania) Didi B (Ivory Coast) K.O (South Africa) Rema (Nigeria)
Best FemaleAyra Starr (Nigeria) Josey (Ivory Coast) Nadia Mukami (Kenya) Soraia Ramos (Cape Verde) Tiwa Savage (Nigeria) Viviane Chidid (Senegal)
Song of the Year“BKBN” – Soraia Ramos (Cape Verde) “People” – Libianca (Cameroon) “Suavemente” – Soolking (France) “Encre” Emma’a (Gabon) “Sugarcane” – Camidoh (Ghana) “Last Last” – Burna Boy (Nigeria) “Rush” Ayra Starr (Nigeria) “Calm Down” – Rema (Nigeria) “Peru” – Fireboy DML (Nigeria) with Ed Sheeran (UK) “Sete” – K.O (South Africa) “Cough” – Kizz Daniel (Nigeria) “MORTEL 06” – Innoss’B (Ivory Coast)
Best Music Video“2 Sugar” Wizkid (Nigeria) feat. Ayra Starr (Nigeria) “Baddie” Yemi Alade (Nigeria) “Kpaflotage” – Suspect 95 (Ivory Coast) “Loaded” – Tiwa Savage (Nigeria) & Asake (Nigeria) “Ronda” Blxckie (South Africa) “Tombolo” – Kalash (Martinique) “Yatapita” – Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania)
Best Newcomer sponsored by BelaireAzawi (Uganda) Krys M (Cameroon) Libianca (Cameroon) Nissi (Nigeria) Odumodublvck (Nigeria) Pabi Cooper (South Africa) Roseline Layo (Ivory Coast)
Best Collaboration“Many Ways” – BNXN (Nigeria) with Wizkid (Nigeria) “Mine” – Show Dem Camp (Nigeria) with Oxlade (Nigeria) “Peru” – Fireboy DML (Nigeria) with Ed Sheeran (UK) “Second Sermon” – Black Sherif (Ghana) with Burna Boy (Nigeria) “Sete” – K.O (South Africa) with Young Stunna (South Africa), Blxckie (South Africa) “Stamina” – Tiwa Savage with Ayra Starr (Nigeria) & Young Jonn (Nigeria) “Trumpet” – Olamide (Nigeria) with Ckay (Nigeria) “Unavailable” – Davido (Nigeria) with Musa Keys (South Africa)
Best Artist: UKHeadie One (UK) Ms Banks (UK) Stormzy (UK) Raye (UK)
Best Artist: CaribbeanAdmiral T (Guadeloupe) Bamby (French Guiana) Kalash (Martinique) Maureen (Martinique) Popcaan (Jamaica) Princess Lover (Martinique) Rutshelle Guillaume (Haiti) Shenseea (Jamaica)
Best Artist: Indian OceanDonovan BTS (Mauritius) GaEi (Madagascar) Goulam (Comoros) Mikl (Reunion) Sega el (Reunion) Terell Elymoor (Mayotte)
Best Artist: BrazilDjonga (Brazil) Iza (Brazil) Leo Santana (Brazil) Ludmilla (Brazil) Luedji Luna (Brazil)
Best Artist: North AfricaAmira Zouhair (Morocco) Artmasta (Tunisia) Dystinct (Morocco) El Grande Toto (Morocco) Kader Japonais (Algeria) Raja Meziane (Algeria) “DNK”- Aya Nakamura (France)
Best Artist: East AfricaBruce Melodie (Rwanda) Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania) Zuchu (Tanzania) Khaligraph (Kenya) Nadia Mukani (Kenya) Azawi (Uganda)
Album of the Year“Love Damini” – Burna Boy (Nigeria) “Maverick” – Kizz Daniel (Nigeria) “More Love, Less Ego” – Wizkid (Nigeria) “Timeless” – Davido (Nigeria) “Work of Art” – Asake (Nigeria)
Best Collaboration“Mine” – Show Dem Camp (Nigeria) with Oxlade (Nigeria) “Peru” – Fireboy DML (Nigeria) with Ed Sheeran (UK) “Second Sermon” – Black Sherif (Ghana) with Burna Boy (Nigeria) “Sete” – K.O (South Africa) with Young Stunna (South Africa), Blxckie (South Africa) “Stamina” – Tiwa Savage with Ayra Star(Nigeria) & Young Jonn (Nigeria) “Trumpet” – Olamide (Nigeria) with Ckay (Nigeria) “Unavailable” – Davido (Nigeria) with Musa Keys (South Africa)
Best DJDanni Gato (Cape Verde) DJ BDK (Ivory Coast) DJ Illans (France) DJ Spinall (Nigeria) Michael Brun (Haiti) Uncle Waffles (Swaziland)
Best ProducerDJ Maphorisa (South Africa) Juls (Ghana) Kabza de Small (South Africa) Kel-P (Nigeria) Tamsir (Ivory Coast) Benjamin Dube (South Africa)
Best Gospel ArtistBenjamin Dube (South Africa) Janet Otieno (Kenya) KS Bloom (Ivory Coast) Levixone (Uganda) Moses Bliss (Nigeria)
Best LiveBurna Boy (Nigeria) Fally Ipupa (DRC) Musa Keys (South Africa) The Compozers (Nigeria) Wizkid (Nigeria) Yemi Alade (Nigeria)
Best DancerRobot Boii (South Africa) Tayc (France) Uganda Ghetto Kids (Uganda) Yemi Alade (Nigeria) Zuchu (Tanzania)
Best Artist Africa: AnglophoneAsake (Nigeria) Ayra Starr (Nigeria) Black Sherif (Ghana) Davido (Nigeria) Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania) Fireboy DML (Nigeria)
Best Artist Africa: FrancophoneDidi B – Ivory Coast Emma’a (Gabon) Fally Ipupa (DRC) KO-C (Cameroon) Locko (Cameroon) Serge Beynaud (Ivory Coast) Viviane Chidid (Senegal)
Best Artist Africa: LusophoneGerilson Insrael (Angola) Lisandro Cuxi (Cape Verde) Perola (Angola) Plutonio (Mozambique) Soraia Ramos (Cape Verde)
Best Artist: RwandaAriel Wayz (Rwanda) Bruce Melodie (Rwanda) Bwiza (Rwanda) Chriss Eazy (Rwanda) Kenny Sol (Rwanda)
Best Artist: France & BelgiumAya Nakamura (France) Booba (France) Nihno (France) Ronisia (France) Soolking (France) Tayc (France)
Best Artist: UKCentral Cee (UK) Headie One (UK) Ms Banks (UK) Raye (UK) Stormzy (UK)
The Trace Awards included performances by approximately 50 African and Afro-inspired artists from around the world, including Davido, Yemi Alade, Mr. Eazi, and Diamond Platnumz.
The Trace Awards are a new award franchise created by Trace, a global TV and multimedia platform. The purpose of the awards is to recognize African and Afro-influenced musicians from Africa and around the African diaspora.
Content courtesy of Not Just Ok, Rwanda Convention Bureau & NFH Digital Team