Grammy Award winning Nigerian star, Burna Boy has been named the best Afrobeats Act by Billboard in the United States.
“This is dedicated to Africa and every artist coming out of Africa now,” he said accepting the award on Sunday.
Billboard is the latest body to add an Afrobeats category, reflecting the genre’s huge global popularity.
Speaking in a recorded video message, Burna Boy said “the future’s bright… This is just the tip of the iceberg but you’re gonna see the whole vision soon.”
Fellow Nigerian artist Rema was also recognised at the event with a gong for his near-ubiquitous song Calm Down, which has smashed multiple streaming and chart records.
Accepting the award for best Afrobeats song on Sunday, Rema thanked his fans and called the prize “a celebration of unity and the global domination of Afrobeats.”
For Rema, the award came barely a week after November 14, 2023, when he marked a historic moment in his career, with his “Ravage Uprising” show in the 02 Arena in London.
The sold-out event, with a capacity of 20,000, witnessed an overflow of Nigerian celebrities and fans who flocked to London.
He has successfully joined the ranks of other award-winning Nigerian artists such as Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, and Asake, who have successfully sold out the arena.
