MTV EMAs: Rema takes home ‘Best Afrobeats’ as Burna Boy misses out on three awards

By Victoria Oluwayemi

Divine Ikubor, known as Rema, has secured the inaugural “Best Afrobeats” accolade at the MTV Europe Music Awards held this year.

This new category, “Best Afrobeats,” was introduced at the 2023 event.

The initial nominees included Aya Nakamura from France and Nigerian artistes such as Asake, Ayra Starr, Burna Boy, Davido, and Rema.

Despite the cancellation of the award ceremony due to the Israel-Hamas war, the organizers disclosed the winners on Sunday, November 6, 2023.

Rema was honored as the “Best Afrobeats” winner, while Tanzania’s Diamond Platnumz emerged victorious in the ‘Best African Act’ category.

Nonetheless, Rema and Selena Gomez’s collaboration “Calm Down” lost in the “Best Collaboration” category to Jung Kook and Latto’s track “Seven.”

Grammy-winning Nigerian artiste Burna Boy experienced disappointment by missing out on three awards, which included “Best Afrobeats,” “Best African Act,” and “Best Live Performer.”

This occurred shortly after he received no awards from the seven nominations at the 2023 BET Hip-Hop Awards.

American singer Taylor Swift led the list of winners at the 2023 MTV Europe Music Awards with three wins in the categories of Best Video, Best Artiste, and Best Live.