Nigerian Afrobeats star, Rema, was the biggest winner at the ninth All Africa Music Awards, which was held at the Eko Convention Centre, Lagos, on Sunday night.

The Afrobeats star clinched the coveted ‘Artiste of the Year’ award at the ceremony.

Rema won the ‘Best Male Artiste in Western Africa’ and ‘Best African Artiste, Duo or Group in African RnB & Soul’, underscoring his dominant influence on the continent’s music scene over the past year.

His triple win capped a colourful night that celebrated African music across regional and continental categories and drew top artistes, industry executives and cultural stakeholders from across Africa and beyond.

Meanwhile, Burna Boy won the ‘Album of the Year’ award while Shallipopi’s ‘Laho’ emerged ‘Song of the Year’ and Phyno won ‘Best African Artiste, Duo or Group in African Hip Hop’.

In the regional categories, Singuila of Congo won ‘Best Male Artiste in Central Africa’ while Cindy Le Coeur of the Democratic Republic of Congo clinched ‘Best Female Artiste in Central Africa’.

The East Africa honours went to Jux of Tanzania as ‘Best Male Artiste’, as Denise of Madagascar emerged ‘Best Female Artiste’, while Team Paiya of Côte d’Ivoire emerged ‘Best African Duo, Group or Band’.

Adviser of Mauritania won ‘Best Male Artiste’, with Egypt’s Sherine taking home ‘Best Female Artiste’. Southern Africa saw Yo Maps of Zambia emerge as ‘Best Male Artiste’ while South Africa’s Nontokozo Mkhize won ‘Best Female Artiste’.

In West Africa, Rema claimed ‘Best Male Artiste’ while Ghana’s Wendy Shay emerged as ‘Best Female Artiste’.

In the continental categories, Milo of Côte d’Ivoire won ‘Best Male Artiste in African Inspirational Music’, while compatriot Morijah clinched the female category.

Guinea’s Manamba Kanté won ‘Best African Artiste, Duo or Group in African Pop’, while Benin Republic’s Axel Merryl took ‘Best Artiste, Duo or Group in African Contemporary’.

Yemi Alade clinched ‘Best Soundtrack in a Movie, Series or Documentary’ for ‘You Are’, while Senegal’s Bakhaw Dioum won ‘Songwriter of the Year’ for ‘Choix’.

South Africa’s Ciza clinched ‘Breakout Artiste of the Year’ while Qing Madi of Nigeria won ‘Most Promising Artiste of the Year’.

The night further highlighted African collaboration and diversity, with Shallipopi and Burna Boy’s ‘Laho’ winning ‘Best African Collaboration’.

(NAN)