Trace Awards and Summit: Who are the nominees

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Voting is now open for the Trace Awards 2025, as the awards ceremony is set to take place in Zanzibar on 26 February.

TRACE AWARDS 2025

This year’s Trace Awards ceremony will take place on the beautiful island of Zanzibar in Tanzania. The awards ceremony will bring together a selection of the continent’s and its diaspora’s greatest musical talents. Fans can now vote for their favouritesto take home the award.

How does this work? Public votes accounts for 50% of the final decision and 50% of the votes will be determined by a panel of entertainment industry players.

WHO ARE THE NOMINEES?

GLOBAL AWARDS

Song of the Year (sponsored by Johnnie Walker)

Tyla – Jump (South Africa)
Tyler ICU – Mnike (South Africa)
Titom & Yuppe – Tshwala Bam (South Africa)
Tamsir x Team Paiya – Coup du Marteau (Ivory Coast)
Asake & Travis Scott – Active (Nigeria)
Tems – Love me Jeje (Nigeria)
Burna Boy – Higher (Nigeria)
Rema & Shallipopi – Benin Boys (Nigeria)
Diamond Platnumz – Komasawa (Tanzania)

Album of the Year

Burna Boy – I Told Them (Nigeria)
Asake – Lungu Boy (Nigeria)
Rema – Heis (Nigeria)
Josey – Vibration Universelle (Ivory Coast)
Amaarae – Fountain Baby (Ghana)
King Promise – True To Self (Ghana)
Stonebwoy – 5th Dimension (Ghana)
Toofan – Stamina (Togo)

Best Collaboration

Titom & Yuppe & Burna Boy – Tshwala Bam (Remix) (South Africa/Nigeria)
Neyna & MC Acondize – Nu Ka Sta Para (Cape Verde)
Kocee ft. Patoranking – Credit Alert (Cameroon/Nigeria)
Asake & Wizkid – MMS (Nigeria)
Rema & Shallipopi – Benin Boys (Nigeria)
Odumodublvck & Black Sherif – Woto Woto Seasoning (Ghana)
Tamsir & Team Paiya – Coup du Marteau (Ivory Coast)

Best Music Video

Meji Alabi for Rema “DND” (Nigeria)
TG Omori for Kizz Daniel & Davido “Twe Twe” (Nigeria)
Director folex for Zuchu feat Innoss’ B “Nani” (Remix) (Tanzania/DRC)
Nabil Elderking for Tyla “Jump” (South Africa)
Mikey Oshai for Ayra Starr “Commas” (Nigeria)
Seoute Emmanuel for Toofan “C Pas Normal” (Togo)
Ach’B for Innoss’ B “Sete” (DRC)
Edgar Esteve for Asake & Wizkid “MMS” (Nigeria)
Kmame for Titom & Yuppe “Tshwala Bam” (South Africa)

Best Dancer

Ikorodu Boys (Nigeria)
Dancegod Lloyd (Ghana)
Incredible Zigi (Ghana)
Kamo Mphela (South Africa)
Telminho (Angola)
Makhadzi (South Africa)
Ordinateur (Ivory Coast)
Issac Kalonji (Democratic Republic of Congo)

Best DJ

Tyler ICU – Mnike (South Africa)
Uncle Waffles – Wadibusa (South Africa)
DJ Tunez – Apala Disco Remix (Nigeria)
DJ Nelasta – Eros (Angola)
DJ Spinall ft. Tyla & Omah Lay – One Call (Nigeria)
DJ Neptune ft. Qing Madi – Honest (Nigeria)
DJ Moh Green – Kelele (Algeria)
DJ Maphorisa – Mnike (South Africa)
Kabza De Small – Imithandazo (South Africa)

Best Hip-Hop Artist (sponsored by Hot 97)

Nasty C (South Africa)
Didi B (Ivory Coast)
Odumodublvck (Nigeria)
Suspect 95 (Ivory Coast
Sarkodie (Ghana)
Young Lunya (Tanzania)
Maglera Doe Boy (South Africa)

PAN – AFRICAN AWARDS

Best Global African Artist

Tyla (South Africa)
Tyler ICU (South Africa)
Fally Ipupa (Democratic Republic of Congo)
Burna Boy (Nigeria)
Asake (Nigeria/USA)
Rema (Nigeria)
Ayra Starr (Nigeria)
Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania)

Best Male Artist

Dlala Thukzin (South Africa)
Fally Ipupa (Democratic Republic of Congo)
Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania)
Asake (Nigeria)
Burna Boy (Nigeria)
Rema (Nigeria)
Wizkid (Nigeria)
Stonebwoy (Ghana)

Best Female Artist

Tyla (South Africa)
Makhadzi (South Africa)
Chelsea Dinorath (Angola)
Josey (Ivory Coast)
Ayra Starr (Nigeria)
Tems (Nigeria)
Yemi Alade (Nigeria)

Best Newcomer (sponsored by Johnnie Walker)

Nkosazana Daughter (South Africa)
Himra (Ivory Coast)
Sabrina (Cameroon)
Mia Guissé (Senegal)
Shallipopi (Nigeria)
Qing Madi (Nigeria)
Abigail Chams (Tanzania)

Best Live Performance

Fally Ipupa (DRC)
Ayra Starr – 21: The World Tour (Nigeria)
Burna Boy – I Told Them (Nigeria)
Tyla (South Africa)
Yemi Alade – African Rebel Tour (Nigeria)
Didi B – Mojo Trone Tour (Ivory Coast)
Diamond Platnumz – Wasafi Festival (Tanzania)

Best Producer

Kelvin Momo – Sewe(South Africa)
P.Priime – MMS(Nigeria)
DJ Maphorisa – Mnike (South Africa)
Tam Sir – Coup du Marteau (Ivory Coast)
Sarz – Happiness (Nigeria)
Jae 5 – Perfect Combi (Ghana)
KDDO f For Certain (Party Next Door) (Nigeria)
London – Ozeba (Nigeria)
Kabza De Small – Imithandazo (South Africa)

Best Gospel Artist

Spirit of Praise 10 (South Africa)
KS Bloom (Ivory Coast)
Mercy Chinwo (Nigeria)
Ada Ehi (Nigeria)
Bella Kombo (Tanzania)
Israël Mbonyi (Rwanda)

REGIONAL AWARDS

Best Artist – Eastern Africa

Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania)
Bien (Kenya)
Joshua Baraka (Uganda)
Harmonize (Tanzania)
Rophnan (Ethiopia)
Marioo (Tanzania)
Zuchu (Tanzania)
Nandy (Tanzania)

Best Artist Western Africa Anglophone

Seyi Vibez (Nigeria)
Adekunle Gold (Nigeria)
Ayra Starr (Nigeria)
Tems (Nigeria)
Chike (Nigeria)
Simi (Nigeria)
KiDi (Ghana)

Best Artist – Southern Africa

Titom & Yuppe (South Africa)
De Mthuda (South Africa)
Inkabi Zezewe (South Africa)
Dlala Thukzin (South Africa)
Tyla (South Africa)
Uncle Waffles (South Africa)
Tyler ICU (South Africa)

Best Artist Francophone Africa

Didi B (Ivory Coast)
Josey (Ivory Coast)
Tidiane Mario (Congo)
Gaz Mawete (Democratic Republic of Congo)
Wally B. Seck (Senegal)
PhillBill (Cameroon)

Best Artist Lusophone Africa

Calema (São Tomé and Príncipe)
Landrick (Angola)
Chelseaa Dinorath (Angola)
Twenty Fingers (Mozambique)
Mr Bow (Mozambique)
Soraia Ramos (Cape Verde)

Best Artist – Tanzania

Mbosso (Zanzibar)
Diamond Platnumz�(Tanzania)
Zuchu (Zanzibar)
Marioo (Tanzania)
Nandy(Tanzania)
Alikiba�(Tanzania)
Jux (Tanzania)
Harmonize (Tanzania)

INTERNATIONAL AND DIASPORA AWARDS

Best Artist – Europe

Central Cee (United Kingdom)
Kalash (France/Martinique)
Darkoo (United Kingdom)
Joe Dwet File (France/Haiti)
Jungeli (France)
Franglish (France)
Aya Nakamura (France/Mali)

Best Artist – Brazil

Racionais MC’s (Brazil)
MC IG (Brazil)
Péricles (Brazil)
Tasha & Tracie (Brazil)
Ludmilla (Brazil)
Duquesa (Brazil)

Best Artist – Caribbean

Venssy (French Guiana)
Mathieu White (Guadeloupe)
Meryl (Martinique)
Nesly (French Guiana)
Shenseea (Jamaica)
Kenny Haiti (Haiti)
Krys (Guadeloupe)

Best Artist

Indian Ocean: Barth (Reunion)
Goulam (Comoros)
PLL (Reunion)
Kalipsxau (Reunion)
Léa Churros (Reunion)
Jamily Jeanne (Mauritius)

Here’s how you can use 20 days off annual leave to get 47 days off in 2025.