Rema wins Best Afrobeats award at 2023 MTV EMAs

Divine Ikubor, popularly known as Rema, has won the Best Afrobeats category at the 2023 MTV Europe Music Awards (EMAs).

Rema surpassed Afrobeats heavyweights Davido and Burna Boy and secured the award in the newly-added best Afrobeats category. The nominees included Asake, Aya Nakamura, and Ayra Starr.

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

In a move to acknowledge the evolving landscape of Afrobeats, the event organisers 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 organisers revealed the winners on Sunday, November 5, 2023. Rema claimed the title of “Best Afrobeats,” and Tanzania’s Diamond Platnumz secured the ‘Best African Act’ category.

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

See the full list of winners below:

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: 

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