The Trace Awards' maiden edition's winners have been announced.
The winners emerged in a special ceremony held at the BK Arena in Rwanda on Saturday, October 21, 2023, also known as the Trace Awards & Festival.
Over the course of the three days, attendees were completely immersed in modern Rwandan and African culture, including music, fashion, food, design, photography, art, and more.
Around 50 international singers with African and Afro-inspired influences, including Davido, Yemi Alade, Mr. Eazi, and Diamond Platnumz, performed at the Trace Awards.
Awards were given out in three categories for which there were no stated nominees in addition to the competitive categories listed below. They were the Best Global African Artist Award, given to Rema and Nomcebo, the Lifetime Achievement Award to 2Face, the Change Maker Award to Mr. Eazi (Nigeria), and the Lifetime Achievement Award to 2Face.
The complete list of nominations and winners can be found below.
Winners are noted with the symbol **WINNER.
* Award for Lifetime Achievement: 2Baba (Nigeria)
* Mr. Eazi (Nigeria) received the New Changemaker Award.
* Rema (Nigeria) is the best global African artist.
* Nomcebo Zikode, a South African, is the best global African artist.
* Ludmilla from Brazil was named Best Artist.
Year's Best Album
* Aya Nakamura (France) of DNK
* Love Damini by Nigeria's Burna Boy (**WINNER
* Maverick by Kizz Daniel The Nigerian Daniel
* Wizkid (Nigeria)'s song, "More Love, Less Ego,"
* Timeless - Nigerian artist Davido
* Works of art by Asake (Nigeria)
Song Of The Year
* Soraia Ramos (Cape Verde): BKBN
* Libianca (Cameroon) is a person.
* Soolking (France): Suavemente
* (Gabon) Encre - Emma'a
* Ghanaian sugarcane, Camidoh
* Nigeria's Burna Boy performs last.
* Ayra Starr (Nigeria) as Rush
* Calm Down, Rema (Nigeria) *Winner
* Fireboy DML (Nigeria) and Ed Sheeran (UK) - Peru.
* South Africa's Sete - K.O
* Kizz Daniel (of Nigeria) coughs
* Innoss'B (Ivory Coast) on MORTEL 06
Best Male
* Nigerian asake
* Nigerian artist Burna Boy
* Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania)
* WINNER Davido (Nigeria)
* Didi B, an Ivorian
* (South Africa) K.O
* (Nigeria) Rema
Best Female
* Nigerian native Ayra Starr
* (Ivory Coast) Josey
* Kenyan Nadia Mukami
* Tiwa Savage (Nigeria),
* Viviane Chidid (Senegal) * Winner
* Soraia Ramos (Cape Verde)
Best music video
* Wizkid (Nigeria) and Ayra Starr (Nigeria) perform "2 Sugar"
* Yemi Alade of Nigeria as Baddie; *Winner
* Suspect 95 of the Ivory Coast as Kpaflotage;
* Tiwa Savage- Loaded & Asake from Nigeria
* Blxckie - Ronda (South Africa)
* Kalash - Tombolo (Martinique)
* Diamond Platnumz's Yatapita (Tanzania)
(Sponsored by Maison Martell) Best Newcomer
* Tanzania's Azawi
* Krys M. from Cameroon
* Cameroonian Libianca
* Nigerian cities Odumodubck and Nissi
* Pabi Cooper (African-American)
* Ivory Coast's Roselyne Layo is the **WINNER
The Maison Martell Award for Best Collaboration
* BNXN (Nigeria) and Wizkid (Nigeria) perform "Many Ways"
* Mine: Oxlade and Show Dem Camp from Nigeria
* Fireboy DML (Nigeria) and Ed Sheeran (UK) perform in Peru
* Black Sherif (Ghana) and Burna Boy (Nigeria) delivered the second sermon.
* Young Stunna and Blxckie (both from South Africa) with Sete - K.O.
* Tiwa Savage's stamina with Nigerians Ayra Starr & Young Jonn
* Olamide (of Nigeria) and Ckay (of Nigeria) on trumpet
* Davido (Nigeria) Unavailable
* Musa Keys (South Africa) . **WINNER
Best DJ
* Cape Verdean Danni Gato
* (Ivory Coast) DJ BDK
* DJ Illans, a Frenchman
* Nigerian DJ Spinall
* Michael Brun (Haiti) *Winner
* Uncle Waffles (Swaziland)
Best Producer
* South African artist DJ Maphorisa
* Ghanaian Juls
* South African author Kabza de Small
* Kel-P (Nigeria)
* Tamsir (Ivory Coast) *Winner
Best gospel musician
* South African Benjamin Dube
* Kenyan native Janet Otieno
* Levixone (Uganda)
**WINNER KS Bloom (Ivory Coast)
* Nigerian citizen Moses Bliss
Best Live
* Nigerian artist Burna Boy
* Musa Keys (South Africa)
* Fally Ipupa (DRC) *Winner
* The Compozers
* Nigeria's Wizkid
* Nigerian Yemi Alade
Best Dancer
* Boii Robot (South Africa) *Winner
* Tayc (France)
* Uganda Ghetto Kids
* Zuchu -Tanzania
* Yemi Alade Nigeria.
Best Anglophone Artist from Africa
* Winner is Asake (Nigeria).
* Nigerian native Ayra Starr
* Ghana's Black Sherif
* Nigeria's Davido
* Tanzania's Diamond Platnumz
* DML Fireboy (Nigeria)
Francophone best artist from Africa
* Winner is Didi B (Ivory Coast).
* Emma (from Gabon)
* DRC's Fally Ipupa
* Cameroon's KO-C
* Cameroon, Locko
* Ivory Coast native Serge Beynaud
* Senegalese Viviane Chidid
Best Artist Africa – Lusophone
- Gerilson Insrael (Angola)
- Lisandro Cuxi (Cape Verde)**WINNER
- Perola (Angola)
- Plutonio (Mozambique)
- Soraia Ramos (Cape Verde)
Best Artist – Rwanda
- Ariel Wayz (Rwanda)
- Bruce Melodie (Rwanda)**WINNER
- 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) **WINNER
Best Artist – UK
- Central Cee (UK) **WINNER
- Headie One (UK)
- Ms Banks (UK)
- Raye (UK)
- Stormzy (UK)
Best Artist – The Caribbean
- Admiral T (Guadeloupe)
- Bamby (French Guiana)
- Kalash (Martinique)
- Maureen (Martinique)
- Popcaan (Jamaica)
- Princess Lover (Martinique)
- Rutshelle Guillaume (Haiti)**WINNER
- Shenseea (Jamaica)
Best Artist – Indian Ocean
- Donovan BTS (Mauritius)
- GaEi (Madagascar)
- Goulam (Comoros) **WINNER
- Mikl (Reunion)
- Sega el (Reunion)
- Terell Elymoor (Mayotte)
Best Artist – North Africa
- Amira Zouhair (Morocco)
- Artmasta (Tunisia)
- Dystinct (Morocco) **WINNER
- ElGrandeToto (Morocco)
- Kader Japonais (Algeria)
- Raja Meziane (Algeria)