|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Musical talent Rema achieved another international milestone last night after grabbing his first-ever MTV Video Music Award for Best Afrobeats with his global hit song, “Calm Down” which features American pop star Selena Gomez.
He clinched the award from other nominees such as Davido, Burna Boy, Wizkid, Ayra Starr, Asake, Fireboy, and Libianca to win the highly contested category.
Accompanied by Selena Gomez for his acceptance speech, Rema paid homage to great Afrobeats musicians who have inspired his journey and have revolutionized the genre, contributing to its current global influence.
“This means so much, seeing Afrobeats grow this big and being here on this stage representing Afrobeats tonight. I’m so happy,” he said.
“One thing I would not forget tonight is to shout out the people who opened doors for me. Big shout out to Fela, who started Afrobeats in the place. 2Baba, Don Jazzy, D’Banj, D Prince, Runtown, Timaya, Wizkid, Burna Boy, Davido,” he continued.
“And I want to give a shout out to the new generation of Afrobeats. We’re here to take it to the rest of the world,” he added.
Rema’s name and music have undoubtedly been woven into the fabric of Nigerian music and the Afrobeats genre as he continues to garner wide international attention.
Meanwhile, his song “Calm Down” has made history as the first Afrobeats song to surpass a billion streams on Spotify, solidifying the singer’s status as an extraordinary artist elevating Afro-music to new heights.
Watch his acceptance speech below:
