Kenyan musicians Nadia Mukami and Janet Otieno have been nominated for the inaugural Trace Awards set to place at the BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda, on 21 October 2023.
The two are the only Kenyans nominated under the category of Best Female Artist for Mukami and Best Gospel artiste for Janet.
The award ceremony will celebrate artistes from across Africa in the genres of Afrobeats, dancehall, hip hop, mbalax, amapiano, zouk, kizomba, genge, coupé décalé, bongo flava, soukous, gospel, rap, rai, kompa, R&B and rumba.
It should come as no surprise, given the continuous global rise of Afrobeats that Nigerian artistes lead the nominations with 40 nominations. The artistes include Burna Boy, Ayra Starr, Davido, WizKid, Tiwa Savage, Yemi Alade, Fireboy DML and Rema who have received multiple nominations.
The nomination list also includes several musicians from the diaspora including Stormzy (UK), Aya Nakamura (France), Leo Santana (Brazil) and Shenseea (Jamaica).
Speaking about the company’s first award ceremony, 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 21 October. It will be an unmissable experience for lovers of African and Afro-inspired music.”
See the full list of nominees below.
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)
