Rema wins first Afrobeat Award

The Duo won the award beating other music heavyweights in the category. Twitter/@MTV

Rema has won the award for Best Afrobeats, a new category at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards.

Rema, who collaborated with Selena Gomez in “Calm Down”, made history, beating Burna Boy, Davido, Wizkid, Fire Boy, Ayra Starr and Labianca to emerge winner in the category.

This win follows Rema’s historic feat as the first African artist to reach a billion streams on Spotify with his song “Calm Down”, featuring Selena Gomez.

The duo’s “Calm Down” had already made waves by earning three nominations in the categories of Best Collaboration, Song of the Year, and Best Afrobeats.

Rema, in a speech after receiving the award, thanked his fans, his team, Selena Gomez, and Nigerian music icons, such as don jazzy, 2 baba and others for their pioneering work in Afrobeats, and also thanked the new generation for their efforts in pushing Afrobeats to greater heights.

“This means so much seeing Afrobeats grow this big,” Rema said while accepting the trophy.

The star-studded event took place on Tuesday at the Prudential Centre in Newark, New Jersey, celebrating the exceptional musical talents that have graced the global stage.

Writing by Omolola Ameen and Okeiyi Emmanuella; Editing by Adeniyi Bakare and Tony Okerafor

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