Nominees for first Trace Awards revealed

The live event and global TV spectacular will celebrate the creativity, talent and influence of African and Afro-inspired music and culture. It will be broadcast live to some 500 million people in 190 countries.

The awards will celebrate genres such as Afrobeats, dancehall, hip hop, mbalax, amapiano, zouk, kizomba, genge, coupé décalé, bongo flava, soukous, gospel, rap, rai, kompa, R&B and rumba.

Speaking about the awards, Trace chairman and co-founder Olivier Laouchez said: “The Trace Awards’ nominations salute achievement and excellence from more than 150 performers, producers, DJs, writers, composers, directors, established artists and rising stars, and their management and labels. 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.”

Competing in 22 award categories are platinum-selling artists from more than 30 countries in Africa, South America, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean and Europe. The winners’ trophy was designed by acclaimed Congolese sculptor and designer Dora Prevost.

Leading the nominees are West African artists, particularly Nigerian musicians, who underscore the global popularity of Afrobeats 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 contribution of female artists is recognised in multiple categories including Best Female Artist, where Cape Verde’s Soraia Ramos is competing against Ivory Coast’s Josey, Senegal’s Viviane Chidid, Kenya’s Nadia Mukami and the double Nigerian threat of Tiwa Savage and Arya Starr.

Apart from musicians on the continent, the diverse music of the African diasporas is represented by acclaimed nominees from France, Brazil, the UK, the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean, including Stormzy (UK), Aya Nakamura (France), Leo Santana (Brazil) and Shenseea (Jamaica), among others.

Below is the full list of Trace Awards nominees:

Album of the Year

• 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)

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)
• 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)
• 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)

Best Music Video

• 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 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 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)

Best DJ

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

Best Producer

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

Best Gospel Artist

• Benjamin Dube (South Africa)
• Janet Otieno (Kenya)
• KS Bloom (Ivory Coast)
• Levixone (Uganda)
• Moses Bliss (Nigeria)

Best Live

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

Best Dancer

• 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 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 Artist – UK

• Central Cee (UK)
• 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)
• Shenseea (Jamaica)

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)
• Raja Meziane (Algeria)