Music star Divine Ikubor aka Rema, on Tuesday emerged winner of the first Best Afrobeats award, a new category, at the MTV Video Music Award in the United States of America.
He won the prize for his remixed single “Calm Down” featuring Selena Gomez.
He beat other Afrobeats heavyweights such as Burna Boy, Davido, Wizkid, Fire Boy, Ayra Starr and Labianca to emerge winner in the category.
The “Calm Down” song has surpassed a billion streams on Spotify.
Elated Rema while accepting the trophy said: “This means so much seeing Afrobeats grow this big.”
Here is the full list of winners:
Best New Artist
GloRilla
WINNER: Ice Spice
Kaliii
Peso Pluma
PinkPantheress
Reneé Rapp
Best Direction
Doja Cat – Attention (dir. Tanu Muño)
Drake – Falling Back (dir. Director X)
Kendrick Lamar – Count Me Out (dir. Dave Free & Kendrick Lamar)
Megan Thee Stallion – Her (dir. Colin Tilley)
Sam Smith & Kim Petras – Unholy (dir. Floria Sigismondi)
SZA – Kill Bill (dir. Christian Breslauer)
WINNER: Taylor Swift – Anti-Hero (dir. Taylor Swift)
Best Collaboration
David Guetta & Bebe Rexha – I’m Good (Blue)
Post Malone & Doja Cat – I Like You (A Happier Song)
Diddy Featuring Bryson Tiller, Ashanti & Yung Miami – Gotta Move On
WINNER: Karol G & Shakira – TQG
Metro Boomin Featuring The Weeknd, 21 Savage and Diddy – Creepin’ (Remix)
Rema & Selena Gomez – Calm Down
Best Hip-Hop
Diddy Featuring Bryson Tiller, Ashanti & Yung Miami – Gotta Move On
DJ Khaled Featuring Drake & Lil Baby – Staying Alive
Glorilla & Cardi B – Tomorrow 2
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Lil Uzi Vert – Just Wanna Rock
Lil Wayne Featuring Swizz Beatz & DMX – Kant Nobody
Metro Boomin Featuring Future – Superhero (Heroes and Villains)
WINNER: Nicki Minaj – Super Freaky Girl
Best Afrobeats
Ayra Starr – Rush
Burna Boy – It’s Plenty
Davido ft. Musa Keys – Unavailable
Fireboy DML & Asake – Bandana
Libianca – People
WINNER: Rema & Selena Gomez – Calm Down
Wizkid Featuring Ayra Starr – 2 Sugar
Best Latin
WINNER: Anitta – Funk Rave
Bad Bunny – Where She Goes
Eslabon Armado & Peso Pluma – Ella Baila Sola
Grupo Frontera & Bad Bunny – Un X100to
Karol G & Shakira – TQG
Rosalía – Despechá
Shakira – Acróstico
Best R&B
Alicia Keys Featuring Lucky Daye – Stay
Chlöe Featuring Chris Brown – How Does It Feel
Metro Boomin Featuring The Weeknd, 21 Savage & Diddy – Creepin’ (Remix)
WINNER: SZA – Shirt
Toosii – Favorite Song
Yung Bleu & Nicki Minaj – Love in the Way
Song of the Year
Miley Cyrus – Flowers
Olivia Rodrigo – Vampire
Rema & Selena Gomez – Calm Down
Sam Smith & Kim Petras – Unholy
Steve Lacy – Bad Habit
SZA – Kill Bill
WINNER: Taylor Swift – Anti-Hero
Best K-Pop
Aespa – Girls
Blackpink – Pink Venom
Fiffty Fifty – Cupid
Seventeen – Super
WINNER: Stray Kids – S-Class
Tomorrow X Together – Sugar Rush Ride
Best Pop
Demi Lovato – Swine
Dua Lipa – Dance the Night
Ed Sheeran – Eyes Closed
Miley Cyrus – Flowers
Olivia Rodrigo – Vampire
P!nk – Trustfall
WINNER: Taylor Swift – Anti-Hero
Video for Good
Alicia Keys – If I Ain’t Got You (Orchestral)
Bad Bunny – El Apagón – Aquí Vive Gente
Demi Lovato – Swine
WINNER: Dove Cameron – Breakfast
Imagine Dragons – “Crushed
Maluma – La Reina
Push Performance of the Year
August 2022: Saucy Santana – Booty
September 2022: Stephen Sanchez – Until I Found You
October 2022: Jvke – Golden Hour
November 2022: Flo Milli – Conceited
December 2022: Reneé Rapp – Colorado
January 2023: Sam Ryder – All the Way Over
February 2023: Armani White – Goated
March 2023: Fletcher – Becky’s So Hot
WINNER: April 2023: Tomorrow X Together – Sugar Rush Ride
May 2023: Ice Spice – Princess Diana
June 2023: Flo – Losing You
July 2023: Lauren Spencer Smith – That Part