MTV EMAs 2018: Tiwa Savage is first solo female Best African Act

She collected her award at the awards ceremony in Bilbao, Spain.

The Nigerian popstar came tops in a category that featured her countryman and last year's winner, Davido, South Africa's Distruction Boys and Shekhinah, Democratic Republic of Congo's Fally Ipupa and Kenya's Nyashinski. In a category that has traditionally produced heavily male-dominated lists of nominees, Shekhinah and Savage were the only women nominated.

The first Best Africa Award at the EMAs was won by 2face (now 2Baba) in 2005. The South African group Freshlyground, which features female lead vocalist Zolani Mahola and violinist Kyla-Rose Smith, who left the band in 2016, won the award the following year. D'Banj followed but the award was rested in 2008, only to return in 2012 to name D'Banj the winner for the second time. South Africa's Locnville won the 2013 award.

In 2016, the category was a source of controversy when Wizkid was said to have been announced the winner in error. Ali Kiba, the organisers later said, was the actual winner. It was the second time in the category's history that an artist based outside of South Africa and Nigeria took the award, following Ali Kiba's compatriot Diamond Platnumz's 2015 win.

For Tiwa Savage, the win bookends a period that has seen her release the critically acclaimed EP Sugarcane, which yielded a number of successful singles with well-viewed videos, including one for the 'Get It Now' remix with US R&B act Omarion. A number of non-album singles have followed since.

The Best African Act Award at the MTV EMAs is part of the global segment, which also includes such categories as Best Russian Act, Best Norwegian Act and Best Southeastern Asian Act. The main ceremony, mostly dedicated to acts based in the US, was dominated by Camila Cabello, who won four awards out of six nominations. The ceremony also hosted several performances by artists including Nicki Minaj, Panic! at the Disco, Alessia Cara and Global Icon Award winner Janet Jackson.

"Thank you so much, Savage Soldiers, we did this," Tiwa Savage said, dropping the name of her fans as she received her award. "Thank you so much. Thank you to [producer] Spellz, thank you to [Don] Jazzy...I am so nervous...And to my son Jamil, your mama made it! She won. Thank you so much."

List of MTV EMAs 2018 winners below:

BEST AFRICAN ACT
Tiwa Savage

BEST ARTIST
Camila Cabello

BEST VIDEO
Camila Cabello — 'Havana' ft. Young Thug

BEST SONG
Camila Cabello — 'Havana' ft. Young Thug

BEST POP
Dua Lipa

BEST NEW
Cardi B

BEST GROUP
BTS

BEST LOOK
Nicki Minaj

BEST HIP HOP
Nicki Minaj

BEST LIVE
Shawn Mendes

BEST ROCK
5 Seconds of Summer

BEST ALTERNATIVE
Panic! At The Disco

BEST ELECTRONIC
Marshmello

BIGGEST FANS
BTS

BEST WORLD STAGE
Alessia Cara — MTV Spotlight @ Hyperplay, Singapore 2018

BEST PUSH
Grace VanderWaal (December 2017)

BEST U.S. ACT (BEST LOCAL ACT)
Camila Cabello