D'Banj and Maria Borges to host Trace Awards in Rwanda

D'Banj and Borges will compère a star-studded event, comprising a line-up of more than 60 performers and nominees.

“It’s a great honour to co-host the first Trace Awards in Africa and lead this amazing celebration of African and Afro-origin music for music fans around the world,” D'Banj said. “I can’t wait to get to Rwanda and connect with all the incredible artists nominated and performing at the Trace Awards.”

D'Banj, a pioneering figure of contemporary African pop, boasts a career spanning more than two decades and an extensive repertoire of chart-topping hits such as ‘Oliver Twist’, ‘Fall in Love’, ‘Scapegoat’, and ‘Mr Endowed’.

The singer is also widely recognised for his philanthropic efforts, particularly his commitment to empowering African youth through his Koko Foundation, as well as the Cream Platform, an innovative talent discovery and support platform that aims to showcase and promote emerging African artists.

Borges, meanwhile, first burst onto the fashion scene in 2010 when she signed with prestigious agency Supreme Management. Soon she was walking the runways for the world’s fashion elite including fashion designers from Balmain to Banana Republic, Diane von Fürstenberg to Dior, and from Emporio Armani to Erdem. In 2017, she featured on the cover of Elle magazine in the US, making headlines and promoting diversity and natural beauty in the fashion world by becoming the first African woman to wear natural short hair on the cover of the magazine.  

“D'Banj and Maria Borges are the perfect hosts for the inaugural Trace Awards,” Trace co-founder and chairman Olivier Laouchez said. “As trailblazers in the music and fashion industries they have inspired countless young people, pushed the boundaries of creativity and had a major cultural impact in Africa and around the world. We look forward to welcoming them to Rwanda in October for an unforgettable night celebrating African and Afro-inspired music and culture.”

Targeted at lovers of African and Afro-inspired music and culture, the Trace Awards will broadcast live on 21 October 2023 on Trace TV, radio and digital channels and on global streaming platforms (YouTube), national terrestrial TV and satellite channels. The viewership and social interaction is expected to exceed 500 million fans in 190 countries.

Confirmed performers for the ceremony, which will celebrate genres such as Afrobeats, dancehall, hip hop, mbalax, amapiano, zouk, kizomba and bongo flava, include Nigeria’s Davido, Kizz Daniel and Asake, Ghana’s Black Sherif and Senegal’s Viviane Chidid. Others are Didi B (Ivory Coast), Josey (Ivory Coast), Benjamin Dube (South Africa), Blxckie (South Africa), Bruce Melodie (Rwanda), Bwiza (Rwanda) and Dystinct (Morocco).

Nigerians lead this year’s awards with more than 40 nominations in total, including multiple nods for Burna Boy, Ayra Starr, Davido, Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, Yemi Alade, Fireboy DML and Rema.

The full list of nominees is available here.