Winners in the maiden edition of the Trace Awards have been announced.
Also known as Trace Awards & Festival, the winners were announced in a special ceremony held at the BK Arena in Rwanda on Saturday, October 21, 2023.
The three-day event was a total immersion in contemporary Rwandan and African culture: music, fashion, gastronomy, design, photography, art, craftsmanship and more.
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.
In addition to the competitive categories listed below, awards were presented in three categories in which no nominees 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.
Check the full list of nominees and winners below.
Winners are marked with **WINNER
Lifetime Achievement Award – 2Baba (Nigeria)
New Changemaker Award – Mr. Eazi (Nigeria)
Best Global African Artist – Rema (Nigeria)
Best Global African Artist – Nomcebo Zikode (South Africa)
Best Artist – Brazil – Ludmilla **WINNER
Album of the Year
- DNK – Aya Nakamura (France)
- Love Damini – Burna Boy (Nigeria) **WINNER
- Maverick – Kizz Daniel (Nigeria)
- More Love, Less Ego – Wizkid (Nigeria)
- Timeless – Davido (Nigeria)
- Work of Art – Asake (Nigeria)
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) **WINNER
- Peru – Fireboy DML (Nigeria) with Ed Sheeran (UK)
- Sete – K.O (South Africa)
- Cough – Kizz Daniel (Nigeria)
- MORTEL 06 – Innoss’B (Ivory Coast)
Best Male
- Asake (Nigeria)
- Burna Boy (Nigeria)
- Davido (Nigeria) **WINNER
- Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania)
- Didi B (Ivory Coast)
- K.O (South Africa)
- Rema (Nigeria)
Best Female
- Ayra Starr (Nigeria)
- Josey (Ivory Coast)
- Nadia Mukami (Kenya)
- Soraia Ramos (Cape Verde)
- Tiwa Savage (Nigeria)
- Viviane Chidid (Senegal) **WINNER
Best Music Video
- 2 Sugar – Wizkid (Nigeria) ft. Ayra Starr (Nigeria)
- Baddie – Yemi Alade (Nigeria) **WINNER
- 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 Maison Martell)
- Azawi (Uganda)
- Krys M (Cameroon)
- Libianca (Cameroon)
- Nissi (Nigeria)
- Odumodublvck (Nigeria)
- Pabi Cooper (South Africa)
- Roselyne Layo (Ivory Coast) **WINNER
Best Collaboration (Sponsored by Maison Martell)
- 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) **WINNER
Best DJ
- Danni Gato (Cape Verde)
- DJ BDK (Ivory Coast)
- DJ Illans (France)
- DJ Spinall (Nigeria)
- Michael Brun (Haiti) **WINNER
- Uncle Waffles (Swaziland)
Best Producer
- DJ Maphorisa (South Africa)
- Juls (Ghana)
- Kabza de Small (South Africa)
- Kel-P (Nigeria)
- Tamsir (Ivory Coast) **WINNER
Best Gospel Artist
- Benjamin Dube (South Africa)
- Janet Otieno (Kenya)
- KS Bloom (Ivory Coast) **WINNER
- Levixone (Uganda)
- Moses Bliss (Nigeria)
Best Live
- Burna Boy (Nigeria)
- Fally Ipupa (DRC) **WINNER
- Musa Keys (South Africa)
- The Compozers (Nigeria)
- Wizkid (Nigeria)
- Yemi Alade (Nigeria)
Best Dancer
- Robot Boii (South Africa) **WINNER
- Tayc (France)
- Uganda Ghetto Kids (Uganda)
- Yemi Alade (Nigeria)
- Zuchu (Tanzania)
Best Artist Africa – Anglophone
- Asake (Nigeria) **WINNER
- Ayra Starr (Nigeria)
- Black Sherif (Ghana)
- Davido (Nigeria)
- Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania)
- Fireboy DML (Nigeria)
Best Artist Africa – Francophone
- Didi B (Ivory Coast) **WINNER
- Emma’a (Gabon)
- Fally Ipupa (DRC)
- KO-C (Cameroon)
- Locko (Cameroon)
- Serge Beynaud (Ivory Coast)
- Viviane Chidid (Senegal)
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)
