Nigeria's Flavour up for International Reggae and World Music Award

This year, the awards will take place on 2 October at the Coral Springs Center for the Arts in Florida, United States.

The International Reggae and World Music Awards was established in 1982, and aims to acknowledge and honour "the accomplishments and contributions of reggae and world music artists, including: songwriters, performers, promoters and musicians.” 

The nominee list for 2016 sees Flavour’s 'Ololufe' featuring Chidinma face competition from Wizkid’s ‘Final (Baba Nla)’, Shatta Wale's 'Chop Kiss' , Koffi Olomide’s ‘Selfie’ and Maitre Gims’s ‘Sape Comme Jamais’. 'Ololufe' is a duet taken from Flavour's acclaimed 2014 album Thankful.

With 'Chop Kiss', Ghana's Shatta Wale goes against global pop heavyweights Sia and Sean Paul’s ‘Cheap Thrills’ in the Best Music Video category. Major Lazer and Skip Marley are some of the other artists nominated in the category.

Koffi Olomide is a strong contender in the Best Soukous Song/Entertainer category with his ‘Selfie’. Songs from Fabregas, Celeo Scram and others make up the list. Shatta Wale’s countryman Stonebwoy is up against Franko, Skip Marley and others in the Most Promising Entertainer category.

Elsewhere, Wizkid’s collaboration with Drake, ‘One Dance’, is up for the Most Popular R&B, Hip Hop Song/Entertainer award. Beyonce, Rihanna and Kendrick Lamar are also nominated in the category:

Best African Song/Entertainer

• 'Selfie' - Koffi Olomide (Congo)
• 'Ololufe' - Flavour ft Chidinma – Nigeria
• 'Final (Baba Nia)' - Wizkid (Nigeria)
• 'Chop Kiss' - Shatta Wale (Ghana)
• 'Sape Comme Jamais' -  Maitre Gims (Congo)

Best Soukous Song/Entertainer

• 'BakoBelaMutu' - Celeo Scram
• 'Ye Yo' - Robinio Mundibu
• 'Selfie' - Koffi Olomide
• 'Tengama' - Fabregaz
• 'Edenda' - Brigade Sarbati

Most Popular R&B/Hip Hop Song/Entertainer

• 'Work' - Rihanna & Drake
• 'Alright' - Kendrick Lamar
• 'One Dance' - Drake
• 'Lemonade' - Beyonce

Best Music Video

• 'Powerful' - Major Lazer, featuring Ellie Goulding & Tarrus Riley
• 'Hula Hoop' - OMI
• 'Life' - Skip Marley
• 'Cheap Thrills' - Sia ft Sean Paul
• 'Chop Kiss' - Shatta Wale

For more information and a full list of nominees, visit the IRAWMA website.