Burna Boy and Rema win inaugural Billboard Afrobeats awards

Nigerian star Burna Boy now has a Billboard Music Award to add to his growing collection.

The singer, who won his first Grammy earlier this year, has been named the best Afrobeats act by Billboard in the US.

“This is dedicated to Africa and every artist coming out of Africa now,” he said, accepting the award on Sunday.

Billboard is the latest body to add an Afrobeats category, reflecting the genre’s huge global popularity.

Speaking in a recorded video message, Burna Boy said “the future’s bright… This is just the tip of the iceberg but you’re gonna see the whole vision soon”.

Fellow Nigerian artist Rema was also recognised at the event with a gong for his near-ubiquitous song Calm Down, which has smashed multiple streaming and chart records.

Accepting the award for best Afrobeats song on Sunday, Rema thanked his fans and called the prize “a celebration of unity and the global dominance of Afrobeats”.