Four Cameroonians earn five nominations for the Trace Awards.

Krys M, Libianca, Locko, and Ko-C are just a few of the top-tier Cameroonian musicians who made the cut for the first TRACE Awards. Tayc, a French national, born to Cameroonian parents, is also counted by some as being part of the lineup for Cameroon.

Recently, the Global Music behemoth released its list of nominees. The BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda, is the location for the event on October 21. The event’s organisers claim that a total of 190 nations will be able to watch the live broadcast of the award ceremony, which will honor those who have contributed significantly to the advancement of African and Afro-inspired music and culture.

Various musical styles are honoured during the awards ceremony, including Afrobeats, dancehall, hip hop, mbalax, amapiano, zouk, kizomba, genge, coupé décalé, bongo flava, soukous, gospel, rap, rai, kompa, R&B, and rumba.

About Trace and Award

Trace, an Afro-pop music channel dedicated to airing Africa’s top music, has partnered with Visit Rwanda, the country’s marketing and tourism initiative, to bring the first edition of the Trace Awards & Festival to Kigali this year.

The event slated for October 20–21, 2023, at the Kigali Arena is also in line with the 20th anniversary of Trace, the global music powerhouse and Afro-music tastemaker, which has played a big role in boosting Africa’s music industry.

The Trace Awards & Festival will celebrate the best of African music across 22 categories, including Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Male Artist, Best Female Artist, and Best New Artist. Other categories include Best Collaboration, Best Music Video, and Best African Dancehall Artist.

The awards will celebrate genres such as Afrobeats, dancehall, hip hop, mbalax, amapiano, zouk, kizomba, genge, coupé décalé, bongo flava, soukous, gospel, rap, rai, kompa, R&B, and rumba.

The nominees for the Trace Awards and Festival were announced on August 22, 2023. Some of the top nominees include Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage, and Ayra Star.

The Trace Awards and Festival are a major event for the African music industry. It is a platform to celebrate the continent’s rich musical heritage and showcase the talent of African artists to the world.

Organizers

The Trace Awards and Festival are organised by Trace and Visit Rwanda. Trace is a global music channel dedicated to airing Africa’s top music. Visit Rwanda is the country’s marketing and tourism initiative.

Speaking about the awards, Trace chairman and co-founder Olivier Laouchez said: “The Trace Awards’ nominations salute achievement and excellence from more than 150 performers, producers, DJs, writers, composers, directors, established artists, and rising stars, and their management and labels. We congratulate all the nominees, most of whom will attend and perform in Kigali on October 21. It will be an unmissable experience for lovers of African and Afro-inspired music.”

Competing in 22 award categories are platinum-selling artists from more than thirty countries in Africa, South America, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, and Europe, including Algeria, Angola, Brazil, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Comoros, the DRC, France, French Guiana, Gabon, Ghana, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kenya, Madagascar, Martinique, Mayotte, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Reunion, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tunisia, the UK, and Uganda. The winners will take home one or more Trace Awards trophies, unique pieces of art designed by acclaimed Congolese sculptor and designer, Dora Prevost.

Below is the full list of Trace Awards nominees:

Album of the Year

DNK – Aya Nakamura (France)
Love Damini – Burna Boy (Nigeria)
Maverick – Kizz Daniel (Nigeria)
More Love, Less Ego – Wizkid (Nigeria)
Timeless – Davido (Nigeria)
Work of Art – Asake (Nigeria)

Song of the Year

BKBN – Soraia Ramos (Cape Verde)
People – Libianca (Cameroon)
Suavemente – Soolking (France)
Encre – Emma’a (Gabon)
Sugarcane – Camidoh (Ghana)
Last Last – Burna Boy (Nigeria)
Rush – Ayra Starr (Nigeria)
Calm Down – Rema (Nigeria)
Peru – Fireboy DML (Nigeria) with Ed Sheeran (UK)
Sete – K.O (South Africa)
Cough – Kizz Daniel (Nigeria)
MORTEL 06 – Innoss’B (Ivory Coast)

Best Male

Asake (Nigeria)
Burna Boy (Nigeria)
Davido (Nigeria)
Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania)
Didi B (Ivory Coast)
K.O (South Africa)
Rema (Nigeria)

Best Female

Ayra Starr (Nigeria)
Josey (Ivory Coast)
Nadia Mukami (Kenya)
Soraia Ramos (Cape Verde)
Tiwa Savage (Nigeria)
Viviane Chidid (Senegal)

Best Music Video

2 Sugar – Wizkid (Nigeria) ft. Ayra Starr (Nigeria)
Baddie – Yemi Alade (Nigeria)
Kpaflotage – Suspect 95 (Ivory Coast)
Loaded – Tiwa Savage (Nigeria) & Asake (Nigeria)
Ronda – Blxckie (South Africa)
Tombolo – Kalash (Martinique)
Yatapita – Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania)

Best Newcomer (Sponsored by Maison Martell)

Azawi (Uganda)
Krys M (Cameroon)
Libianca (Cameroon)
Nissi (Nigeria)
Odumodublvck (Nigeria)
Pabi Cooper (South Africa)
Roselyne Layo (Ivory Coast)

Best Collaboration (Sponsored by Maison Martell)

Many Ways: BNXN (Nigeria) with Wizkid (Nigeria)
Mine – Show Dem Camp (Nigeria) with Oxlade (Nigeria)
Peru – Fireboy DML (Nigeria) with Ed Sheeran (UK)
Second Sermon – Black Sherif (Ghana) with Burna Boy (Nigeria)
Sete – K.O (South Africa) with Young Stunna (South Africa), Blxckie (South Africa)
Stamina – Tiwa Savage with Ayra Starr (Nigeria) & Young Jonn (Nigeria)
Trumpet – Olamide (Nigeria) with Ckay (Nigeria)
Unavailable – Davido (Nigeria) with Musa Keys (South Africa)

Best DJ

Danni Gato (Cape Verde)
DJ BDK (Ivory Coast)
DJ Illans (France)
DJ Spinall (Nigeria)
Michael Brun (Haiti)
Uncle Waffles (Swaziland)

Best Producer

DJ Maphorisa (South Africa)
Juls (Ghana)
Kabza De Small (South Africa)
Kel-P (Nigeria)
Tamsir (Ivory Coast)

Best Gospel Artist

Benjamin Dube (South Africa)
Janet Otieno (Kenya)
KS Bloom (Ivory Coast)
Levixone (Uganda)
Moses Bliss (Nigeria)

Best Live

Burna Boy (Nigeria)
Fally Ipupa (DRC)
Musa Keys (South Africa)
The Compozers (Nigeria)
Wizkid (Nigeria)
Yemi Alade (Nigeria)

Best Dancer

Robot Boii (South Africa)
Tayc (France)
Uganda Ghetto Kids (Uganda)
Yemi Alade (Nigeria)
Zuchu (Tanzania)

Best Artist Africa – Anglophone

Asake (Nigeria)
Ayra Starr (Nigeria)
Black Sherif (Ghana)
Davido (Nigeria)
Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania)
Fireboy DML (Nigeria)

Best Artist Africa – Francophone

Didi B (Ivory Coast)
Emma’a (Gabon)
Fally Ipupa (DRC)
KO-C (Cameroon)
Locko (Cameroon)
Serge Beynaud (Ivory Coast)
Viviane Chidid (Senegal)

Best Artist Africa – Lusophone

Gerilson Insrael (Angola)
Lisandro Cuxi (Cape Verde)
Perola (Angola)
Plutonio (Mozambique)
Soraia Ramos (Cape Verde)

Best Artist – Rwanda

Ariel Wayz (Rwanda)
Bruce Melodie (Rwanda)
Bwiza (Rwanda)
Chriss Eazy (Rwanda)
Kenny Sol (Rwanda)

Best Artist – France & Belgium

Aya Nakamura (France)
Booba (France)
Nihno (France)
Ronisia (France)
Soolking (France)
Tayc (France)

Best Artist – UK

Central Cee (UK)
Headie One (UK)
Ms Banks (UK)
Raye (UK)
Stormzy (UK)

Best Artist – The Caribbean

Admiral T (Guadeloupe)
Bamby (French Guiana)
Kalash (Martinique)
Maureen (Martinique)
Popcaan (Jamaica)
Princess Lover (Martinique)
Rutshelle Guillaume (Haiti)
Shenseea (Jamaica)

Best Artist – Indian Ocean

Donovan BTS (Mauritius)
GaEi (Madagascar)
Goulam (Comoros)
Mikl (Reunion)
Sega el (Reunion)
Terell Elymoor (Mayotte)

Best Artist – North Africa

Amira Zouhair (Morocco)
Artmasta (Tunisia
Dystinct (Morocco
ElGrandeToto (Morocco)
Kader Japonais (Algeria)
Raja Meziane (Algeria)

Who do you think deserves to win in their respective categories? Vote for your favourite via the link below.

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