![Stream](https://www.billboard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/rema-primavera-2023-billboard-1548.jpg?w=1024)
![Stream](https://www.billboard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/rema-primavera-2023-billboard-1548.jpg?w=1024)
Xavi Torrent/Redferns
Rema and Davido were the top winners at the 2023 Trace Awards held in Kigali, Nigeria on Saturday (October 21). The Trace Awards is a new awards franchise created by Trace, a global television and media platform. The purpose of the awards is to recognize Africans and African musicians from Africa and the African diaspora.
Rema won two awards – Song of the Year for his global smash “Calm Down” and Best Global African Artist (tied with Nomcebo). A remix of “Calm Down” featuring Selena Gomez reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Davido also won two awards – Best Male and Best Collaboration. He won the latter award for “Unavailable,” a collaboration with Musa Keys.
Burna Boy won Album of the Year for Love Damini.
The Trace Awards featured performances from around 50 African and Afro-inspired artists from around the world, including Davido, Yemi Alade, Mr Eazi and Diamond Platnumz.
In addition to the competitive categories listed below, awards were presented in three categories in which no nominations were announced. They were: a Lifetime Achievement Award to 2Face, a Change Maker Award to Mr. Eazi (Nigeria) and the aforementioned Best Global African Artist Award to Rema and Nomcebo.
Here is the full list of winners and nominees from the 2023 Trace Awards:
Album of the Year
DNA – Aya Nakamura (France)
WINNER: Love Damini – Burna Boy (Nigeria)
Unorthodox – Kizz Daniel (Nigeria)
More Love, Less Me – Wizkid (Nigeria)
Eternal – Davido (Nigeria)
Work of art – Asake (Nigeria)
The song of the year
“BKBN” – Soraya Ramos (Cape)
“People” – Libianka (Cameroon)
“Suavemente” – Soolking (France)
“Encre” – Emma’a (Gabon)
“Sugarcane” – Camidoh (Ghana)
“Last Last” – Burna Boy (Nigeria)
“Rush” – Ayra Starr (Nigeria)
WINNER: “Calm Down” – Rema (Nigeria)
“Peru” – Fireboy DML (Nigeria) featuring Ed Sheeran (UK)
“Sete” – KO (South Africa)
“Cough” – Kizz Daniel (Nigeria)
“MORTEL 06” – Innoss’B (DRC)
Best Music Video
“2 Sugar” – Wizkid (Nigeria) feat. Ayra Starr (Nigeria)
WINNER: “Baddie” – Yemi Alade (Nigeria)
“Kpaflotage” – Suspect 95 (Ivory Coast)
“Loaded” – Tiwa Savage (Nigeria) & Asake (Nigeria)
“Ronda” – Blxckie (South Africa)
“Tombolo” – Calais (Martinique)
Yatapita” – Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania)
Better male
Asake (Nigeria)
Burna Boy (Nigeria)
WINNER: Davido (Nigeria)
Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania)
Didi B (Ivory Coast)
KO (South Africa)
Rema (Nigeria)
Best Woman
Ayra Starr (Nigeria)
Josey (Ivory Coast)
Nadia Mukami (Kenya)
Soraya Ramos (Cape)
Tiwa Savage (Nigeria)
WINNER: Viviane Chidid (Senegal)
Better Collaboration
“My Ways” – BNXN (Nigeria) featuring Wizkid (Nigeria)
“Mine” – Show Dem Camp (Nigeria) featuring Oxlade (Nigeria)
“Peru” – Fireboy DML (Nigeria) featuring Ed Sheeran (UK)
“Second Sermon” – Black Sherif (Ghana) featuring Burna Boy (Nigeria)
“Sete” – KO (South Africa) featuring Young Stunna (South Africa), Blxckie (South Africa)
“Stamina” – Tiwa Savage featuring Ayra Starr (Nigeria) & Young Jonn (Nigeria)
“Trumpet” – Olamide (Nigeria) featuring Ckay (Nigeria)
WINNER: “Unavailable” – Davido (Nigeria) featuring Musa Keys (South Africa)
Best Newcomer
Azawi (Uganda)
Krys M (Cameroon)
Libianka (Cameroon)
Nissi (Nigeria)
Odumodublvck (Nigeria)
Pabi Cooper (South Africa)
WINNER: Roseline Layo (Ivory Coast)
Best DJ
Danni Gato (Cape)
DJ BDK (Ivory Coast)
DJ Illans (France)
DJ Spinall (Nigeria)
WINNER: Michael Brun (Haiti)
Uncle Waffles (Swaziland)
Best Producer
DJ Maphorisa (South Africa)
Juls (Ghana)
Kabza de Small (South Africa)
Kel-P (Nigeria)
WINNER: Tam Sir (Ivory Coast)
Best Gospel Artist
Benjamin Dube (South Africa)
Janet Otieno (Kenya)
WINNER: KS Bloom (Ivory Coast)
Levixone (Uganda)
Moses Bliss (Nigeria)
Better Live
Burna Boy (Nigeria)
WINNER: Fally Ipupa (PRC)
Musa Keys (South Africa)
The Composers (Ghana)
Wizkid (Nigeria)
Yemi Alade (Nigeria)
Best Dancer
WINNER: Robot Boii (South Africa)
Tayc (France)
Uganda Ghetto Kids (Uganda)
Yemi Alade (Nigeria)
Zuchu (Tanzania)
Best African Artist – English Speaking
WINNER: Asake (Nigeria)
Ayra Starr (Nigeria)
Black Sherif (Ghana)
Davido (Nigeria)
Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania)
Fireboy DML (Nigeria)
Best African Artist – Francophone
WINNER: Didi B (Ivory Coast)
Emma’a (Gabon)
Fally Ipupa (PRC)
KO-C (Cameroon)
Locko (Cameroon)
Serge Beynaud (Ivory Coast)
Viviane Chidid (Senegal)
Best African Artist – Lusophone
Gerilson Insrael (Angola)
WINNER: Lisandro Cuxi (Akrotiri)
Perola (Angola)
Plutonium (Mozambique)
Soraya Ramos (Cape)
Best Artist – Rwanda
Ariel Wayz (Rwanda)
WINNER: Bruce Melodie (Rwanda)
Bwiza (Rwanda)
Chriss Eazy (Rwanda)
Kenny Saul (Rwanda)
Best Artist – East Africa
Bruce Melodie (Rwanda)
WINNER: Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania)
Zuchu (Tanzania)
Khaligraph (Kenya)
Nadia Mukani (Kenya)
Azawi (Uganda)
Best Artist – France & Belgium
Aya Nakamura (France)
Booba (France)
Nihno (France)
Rhonecia (France)
Soolking (France)
WINNER: Tayc (France)
Best Artist – United Kingdom
WINNER: Central Cee (UK)
Headie One (UK)
Ms Banks (United Kingdom)
Raye (United Kingdom)
Stormzy (UK)
Best Artist – The Caribbean
Admiral T (Guadeloupe)
Bamby (French Guiana)
Calais (Martinique)
Morin (Martinique)
Popcaan (Jamaica)
Princess Lover (Martinique)
WINNER: Rutshelle Guillaume (Haiti)
Shenseea (Jamaica)
Best Artist – Indian Ocean
Donovan BTS (Mauritius)
GaEi (Madagascar)
WINNER: Goulam (Comoros)
Mik’l (Reunion)
Sega el (Reunion)
Terrell Elymoor (Mayotte)
Best Artist – Brazil
Djonga (Brazil)
Iza (Brazil)
Leo Santana (Brazil)
WINNER: Ludmilla (Brazil)
Luedji Luna (Brazil)
Best Artist – North Africa
Amira Zouhair (Morocco)
Artmasta (Tunisia)
WINNER: Dystinct (Morocco)
El Grande Toto (Morocco)
Kader Japonais (Algeria)
Raja Meziane (Algeria)