Photo Credit: WeAreRavershq/Instagram
Sunday night in Lagos belonged to Rema, as the 25-year-old artiste emerged as the night’s biggest winner at the 9th All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA). Held yesterday evening at the Eko Hotels Convention Centre, the ceremony saw the Mavin Records superstar claim three of the evening’s most prestigious honours.
Rema’s haul began with the title of Best Male Artiste in Western Africa, a highly competitive category where he edged out fellow heavyweights including Burna Boy, Davido, and Wizkid. His dominance continued as he was named Artiste of the Year, the ceremony’s top prize, and took home Best African Artiste in RnB/Soul for his global hit, “Calm Down.”
During a poignant acceptance speech, Rema reflected on his journey since his 2019 debut. Now 25, he joked about “getting old” while celebrating seven years of consistency in the industry. “I’m 25 now, I’m getting old,” he joked with the audience, “but it is beautiful to be here again and still receiving awards seven years in the game.” However, his message soon turned to the future of the genre. Echoing his viral 2023 Headies speech, he urged his peers to continue supporting African-owned platforms and institutions to ensure the long-term global success of Afrobeats.
“Tonight, I am here most especially because as I said at the Headies Award, I always think it’s important to always support our utilities of Afrobeats. Our platforms. Especially platforms that would not divide or put down or split this unity that we have in the room,” he said.
The 9th AFRIMA, which celebrated African musical excellence across 40 categories, also saw significant wins for Burna Boy, who won Album of the Year for “No Sign of Weakness,” and Shallipopi, who walked away with Song of the Year for “Laho.”
