Afrobeats giant, Burna Boy, took home the Top Afrobeats Artiste award at the just-ended Billboard Music Awards (BBMA) and dedicated the honor to all African musicians producing irresistible sounds on the continent.
Expressing gratitude, the Twice As Tall crooner said the future of the industry remains bright and urged the world to patiently wait for the “bigger vision.”
The ceremony held on Sunday, November 19, 2023, also crowned Rema and Selena Gomez’s Calm Down (remix) as the best Afrobeats song.
Calm Down (remix) spent over 69 weeks on the chart, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping many charts in different countries.
Inspiring acts including Ayra Starr, Victony, and Labianca came close to winning as they were all nominated in the newly created BBMA Afrobeats category, but Burna Boy and Rema were the favorites.
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Apart from the BBMA recognition, Burna Boy will be looking forward to other accolades at the Grammy Awards next year. Reacting to the BBMA Award, the For My Hand singer said:
“Thank you. Thank you, everyone. I appreciate you. Big up, Billboard Music Awards. Big up to everyone involved. This is dedicated to Africa and every artist coming out of Africa now, you get me. This is for you and yeah, man, the future’s bright. You guys are gonna see the vision. This is just the tip of the iceberg but you’re gonna see the whole vision soon. Salute, love.”
Rema described the award as “a celebration of unity and global domination of Afrobeats” and thanked his management, Mavin Records, Selena Gomez, Billboard, and fans who continue to support his music.
Selena Gomez in turn praised Rema for choosing her for the remix as well as fans who continue to stream the immutable hit record.
“Thank you guys so, so much for this award. “This is honestly Rema’s doing. He chose me to be a part of such an incredible song. So I want to thank him and thank all of you for streaming and listening and I wish we could be there. But thank you!,” said the Heart Wants What It Wants singer.
Billboard is a global music media brand with a renowned authority among artistes, fans, and the industry.
Awards for the 2023 BBMAs, organizers are based on music consumption reflected on Billboard’s charts dated November 19, 2022, through to October 21, 2023, and take into account key fan interactions with music, including audio and video streaming, album and song sales, radio airplay and touring.
For nearly 30 years, the Billboard Music Awards have showcased spectacular performances, unexpected collaborations, buzzworthy pop culture moments, and the prestigious ICON Award, which honors record-breaking artistes and their impact on music.
It powers the ultimate global music destination and magazine, featuring unrivaled reporting on music news, issues, and trends, as well as the industry’s definitive charts, encompassing the most complete and well-respected database of charts across all music genres.