MTV EUROPE MUSIC AWARDS INTRODUCES “AFROBEAT” CATEGORY

The MTV Europe Music Awards, originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV E.M.A are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an alternative to the MTV Video Music Awards, which are hosted annually in the United States.

The Europe Music Awards are held every year in a different country; it has been hosted mostly in the United Kingdom. The annual presentation ceremony features performances by prominent artists, and the presentation of those awards that have a more popular interest. The awards are a reflection of the international and continental music scene. They are representative of geographical origin and of achievement in diverse musical genres and disciplines, indicative of the diversity and scope of the show. Since the 2007 ceremony, viewers are able to vote for their favourite artists in all general categories by visiting MTV’s website. The 1st Europe Music Awards ceremony was held in 1994 at Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, five years after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The annual ceremony broadcast live on MTV Europe, Channel 5 and most of the international MTV channels as well as online.

Organisers of the MTV Europe Music Awards have recently introduced a new category called “Best Afrobeats” in the 2023 event. The category was included in the 2023 MTV E.M.As nominations announced on Wednesday October 4^TH 2023.

The pioneer nominees in the category are French superstar, Aya Nakamura, and Nigerian singers, Asake, Arya Starr, Burna Boy, Davido and Rema.

Meanwhile, Rema’s collaborative hit song with Selena Gomez “Calm Down” was nominated in the “Best Song” and “Best Collaboration” categories.

Asake, Burna Boy, Cameroonian diva, Libianca, Tanzanian star, Diamond Platnumz, and South Africa’s Tyler ICU were nominated in the “Best African Act” category.

Burna Boy was also nominated in the “Best Live Performer” alongside Beyoncé, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, The Weekend, and others.

American singer, Taylor Swift bagged the nominations, including “Best Artist”, “Best Song” and “Best Video”, the latter for her single “Anti-Hero”.

The 2023 MTV EMAs are scheduled for November 5, 2023, in Paris, France.

Delia Nyadi