Zanzibar: Trace Awards 2025 announces performance line-up

18 Feb 2025 - 10:56

Published under the Creative Commons Licence

Some of Africa’s biggest artists are set to take the stage at the 2025 Trace Awards, which will be held in Zanzibar, on 26 February.

Nigerian artist Yemi Alade is among the artists who will perform at Trace Awards in Zanzibar, on 26 February.

The highly anticipated event will feature a line-up of performers from across the continent and its diaspora, including Nigerian artists Rema and Yemi Alade, Tanzanian musicians Diamond Platnumz, Alikiba, Zuchu, Marioo, and Nandy, as well as Congolese sensations Fally Ipupa, Innoss’B, and Gaz Mawete. South African amapiano duo Titom & Yuppe, Kenyan artist Bien, and Senegal’s Wally Seck will also take the stage.

Other performers include Ivory Coast’s Didi B, Josey, Tamsir, KS Bloom, Team Paiya, and HIMRA, along with King Promise, Qing Madi, and producer P Priime from Nigeria. The show will also feature artists from beyond Africa, such as Joé Dwet Filé (France/Haiti), Nesly (Martinique/French Guiana), Barth (Réunion Island) and Kenny Haiti (Haiti), and Joshua Baraka (Uganda).

Tanzania, as the host country, will be strongly represented, with multiple homegrown artists set to perform. The awards aim to highlight Africa’s thriving music industry while providing a platform for artists to reach international audiences.

British Afrobeat group The Compozers has been announced as the official house band for the ceremony, promising a dynamic musical experience throughout the evening. Choreography for the event will be led by British-Rwandan dancer and choreographer Sherrie Silver, best known for her work on Childish Gambino’s ‘This Is America’ music video, which won multiple awards in 2018.

Meanwhile, South Africa’s Tyla and Tyler ICU, Nigeria’s Asake and Rema, and the ever-influential Burna Boy are leading the pack. Among the most highly anticipated categories is Song of the Year, where a mix of powerhouse names, including Tyla’s smash hit ‘Jump’ and Tyler ICU’s infectious ‘Mnike’, are vying for the top honour. Other contenders in the category include Nigerian heavyweights like Asake & Travis Scott with ‘Active’, Tems’ ‘Love Me Jeje’, and Burna Boy’s ‘Higher’. Rema and Shallipopi’s collaboration ‘Benin Boys’ and Diamond Platnumz’s ‘Komasawa’ also add to the stellar competition, reflecting the growing global appeal of African music.

View the full list of nominees here.