Rema beats Burnaboy, Davido to win ‘Best Afrobeats’ Award at 2023 MTV EMAs

Rema surpassed Afrobeats heavyweights such as David Adeleke aka Davido and Damini Ogulu aka Burna Boy to secure the award in the newly-added best Afrobeats category.

Other nominees included Ahmed Ololade aka Asake, Aya Nakamura, and Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe aka Arya Starr.

The event took place on Sunday, November 5, at the Paris Nord Villepinte, France.

In a move to diversity and acknowledge the evolving landscape of Afrobeats, the event organizers made a significant addition to the 2023 lineup by introducing the innovative category, ‘Best Afrobeats’ which reflects a keen awareness of the genre’s dynamic nature and a commitment to staying at the forefront of the industry’s developments.

Despite the cancellation of the award ceremony amid the Israel-Hamas war, the organizers revealed the winners on Sunday, November 6, 2023.

Rema claimed the title of ‘Best Afrobeats’, while Tanzania’s Naseeb Abdul Juma Issack aka Diamond Platnumz secured the ‘Best African Act’ category.

Although, Rema and Selena Gomez’s collaboration, ‘Calm Down,’ fell short in the ‘Best Collaboration’ category, losing to Jung Kook and Latto’s ‘Seven.’

See below the full list of winners

Best Song – Jung Kook feat. Latto – “Seven” Best Video – Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero” Best Artist – Taylor Swift Best Collaboration – KAROL G, Shakira – “TQG” Best New – Peso Pluma Best Pop – Billie Eilish Best Afrobeats – Rema Best Rock – Måneskin Best Latin – Anitta Best K-pop – Jung Kook Best Alternative – Lana Del Rey Best Electronic – David Guetta Best Hip Hop – Nicki Minaj Best R&B – Chris Brown Best Live – Taylor Swift Best Push – April 2023: TOMORROW X TOGETHER Best African Act – Diamond Platnumz Best Asia Act – BE:FIRST Best Australian Act – Kylie Minogue Best Brasilian Act – Marie Best Canadian Act – Shania Twain Best Caribbean Act – Young Miko Best Dutch Act – FLEMMING Best French Act – Bigflo & Oli Best German Act – Kontra K Best Hungarian Act – ajsa luna Best India Act – Tsumyoki Best Italian Act – Måneskin Best Lat Am North Act – Kenia OS Best Lat Am Central Act – Reid Best Lat Am South Act – Lali Best New Zealand Act – SIX60 Best Nordic Act – Käärijä Best Polish Act – Doda Best Portuguese Act – Bisho Best Spanish Act – Samantha Hudson Best Swiss Act – Gjon’s Tears Best UK & Ireland Act – Tom Grennan Best US Act – Nicki Minaj