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Who is the best African musician in 2023? Here are the Trace Award nominees

Tiwa Savage
Sat, Nov 11, 2023

The stage is set for a celebration of Afro-music as Global music hit taster Trace Music sets the date for the Trace Award for top African artists blowing the global musical scene with great hits. All roads will lead to the BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda on October 21, 2023, for the Trace Awards and Festival. The event is a major climax in the growth of African music on the global stage.

According to Olivier Laouchez, Chairman and co-founder, of Trace Award, the event will celebrate the excellence of more than 150 performers. They include African diaspora artists from various parts of the world including the United States.

“We congratulate all the nominees, most of whom will attend and perform in Kigali on 21 October. It will be an unmissable experience for lovers of African and Afro-inspired music,” said Laouchez.

The organizers say the total number of award categories will be 22. They will include awards in genres such as Afrobeat, Dancehall, Hip Hop, Afro-pop, Mbalax, Amapiano, Zouk, Kizomba, Genge, Coupé Décalé, Bongo Flava, Soukous, Gospel, Rap, Rai, Kompa, R&B, and Rhumba.

Here is a list of Trace Music award nominees

West African Afrobeat artists are among the several artists who have received multiple nominations at Trace Award 2023. Ayra Starr will be battling for the best female artist in a category that also features Nadia Mukami (Kenya), Soraia Ramos (Cape Verde), and Tiwa Savage (Nigeria). Below is a list of the nominees:

Best Female

Kenya musician Nadia Mukami. She is one of the nominees who will battle it out for Best Female musician/Courtesy

  • Ayra Starr (Nigeria)
  • Josey (Ivory Coast)
  • Nadia Mukami (Kenya)
  • Soraia Ramos (Cape Verde)
  • Tiwa Savage (Nigeria)
  • Viviane Chidid (Senegal)

Best Male

Afrobeat sensation Burna Boy. He is a Trace Music award nominee/Courtesy

  • Asake (Nigeria) 
  • Burna Boy (Nigeria)
  • Davido (Nigeria)
  • Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania)
  • Didi B (Ivory Coast)
  • K.O (South Africa)
  • Rema (Nigeria)

Song of the Year

Trace Music nominee Ayra Starr/Courtesy

  • 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)

Album of the Year

Nigerian musician Davido. His album Timeless has been nominated for an award/Courtesy

• DNK – Aya Nakamura (France)

• Love Damini – Burna Boy (Nigeria)

• Maverick – Kizz Daniel (Nigeria)

• More Love, Less Ego – Wizkid (Nigeria)

• Timeless – Davido (Nigeria)

• Work of Art – Asake (Nigeria)


Best Music Video

Tanzanian musician Diamond Platnumz/Courtesy

  • 2 Sugar – Wizkid (Nigeria) ft. 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 Collaboration (Sponsored by Maison Martell)

Fireboy DML/Courtesy

  • 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 DJ

  • Danni Gato (Cape Verde)
  • DJ BDK (Ivory Coast)
  • DJ Illans (France)
  • DJ Spinall (Nigeria)
  • Michael Brun (Haiti)
  • Uncle Waffles (Swaziland)

Best Newcomer (Sponsored by Maison Martell)

  • Azawi (Uganda)
  • Krys M (Cameroon)
  • Libianca (Cameroon)
  • Nissi (Nigeria)
  • Odumodublvck (Nigeria)
  • Pabi Cooper (South Africa)
  • Roselyne Layo (Ivory Coast)

Best Producer

  • DJ Maphorisa (South Africa)
  • Juls (Ghana)
  • Kabza de Small (South Africa)
  • Kel-P (Nigeria)
  • Tamsir (Ivory Coast)

Best Artist – Indian Ocean

  • Donovan BTS (Mauritius) 
  • GaEi (Madagascar)
  • Goulam (Comoros)
  • Mikl (Reunion)
  • Sega el (Reunion)
  • Terell Elymoor (Mayotte)

Best Artist – North Africa

  • Amira Zouhair (Morocco)
  • Artmasta (Tunisia
  • Dystinct (Morocco
  • ElGrandeToto (Morocco)
  • Kader Japonais (Algeria)

Best Artist Africa  Lusophone

  • Gerilson Insrael (Angola)
  • Lisandro Cuxi (Cape Verde)
  • Perola (Angola)
  • Plutonio (Mozambique)
  • Soraia Ramos (Cape Verde)

Best Artist  Rwanda

  • Ariel Wayz (Rwanda)
  • Bruce Melodie (Rwanda)
  • Bwiza (Rwanda)
  • Chriss Eazy (Rwanda) 
  • Kenny Sol (Rwanda)

Best Artist  France & Belgium

  • Aya Nakamura (France)
  • Booba (France)
  • Nihno (France)
  • Ronisia (France)
  • Soolking (France)
  • Tayc (France)

Best Dancer

Uganda Ghetto Kids/Courtesy

  • Robot Boii (South Africa)
  • Tayc (France)
  • Uganda Ghetto Kids (Uganda)
  • Yemi Alade (Nigeria)
  • Zuchu (Tanzania)

Best Artist Africa  Anglophone

  • Asake (Nigeria)
  • Ayra Starr (Nigeria)
  • Black Sherif (Ghana)
  • Davido (Nigeria)
  • Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania)
  • Fireboy DML (Nigeria)

Best Artist Africa  Francophone

  • Didi B (Ivory Coast)
  • Emma’a (Gabon)
  • Fally Ipupa (DRC)
  • KO-C (Cameroon)
  • Locko (Cameroon)
  • Serge Beynaud (Ivory Coast)
  • Viviane Chidid (Senegal)

Best Artist  UK

  • Central Cee (UK)
  • Headie One (UK)
  • Ms Banks (UK)
  • Raye (UK)
  • Stormzy (UK)

Best Live

Fally Ipupa/Courtesy

  • Burna Boy (Nigeria)
  • Fally Ipupa (DRC)
  • Musa Keys (South Africa)
  • The Compozers (Nigeria)
  • Wizkid (Nigeria)
  • Yemi Alade (Nigeria)

Best Artist – The Caribbean

  • Admiral T (Guadeloupe) 
  • Bamby (French Guiana)
  • Kalash (Martinique) 
  • Maureen (Martinique)
  • Popcaan (Jamaica)
  • Princess Lover (Martinique)
  • Rutshelle Guillaume (Haiti)
  • Shenseea (Jamaica)

READ ALSO: Top five Afrobeat artists rocking the global scene