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Gen Z pop star Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe, popularly known as Ayra Starr, velvet-voiced alté artist Temilade Openiyi, famously called Tems, and Afrobeats veteran singer Tiwa Savage snatched top spots at their nomination categories at the 2024 Africa Arts Entertainment Awards (AAEA) held in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sunday, September 1, 2024. The AAEA was established to foster unity amongst Pan-African artists through music tools and to celebrate lovers of eclectic African sounds worldwide.
Ayra Starr bagged two awards – one solo win for Commas as the ‘AAEA Best Afro-West Sound Hit Single’, and a joint win for Hype as the ‘AAEA Best Continental Afro-Central Sound Hit,’ which she shared with Aya Nakamura, the French-Malian sensation.
Tems’ music video for the single Me & U, off of her spiritual-themed debut album Born in the Wild, won an award for ‘AAEA Best Continental Afro-Pop Hit Single.’ She also took home another solo win as the ‘AAEA Diaspora African Female Artist of the Year – USA’, a testament to her trans-cultural influence.
Tiwa Savage was recognised for her excellent pen game, as she was honoured with an ‘AAEA Continental African Female Songwriter of the Decade award.
One-time Project Fame winner and love crooner Chidinma Ekile, who has ventured into the gospel music industry in the last few years, has also made her mark of impact and versatility. On a featured song with Congolese gospel music icon Mike Kalambay, she won an ‘AAEA Best Gospel/Inspirational Single Central/Francophone Africa Award. The song is titled Favor.
In another win for the gospel genre by personal powerhouse brand Mercy Chinwo, she plucked an ‘AAEA Best Gospel/Inspirational Single West & Northern Africa award for her song Wonder.
Fave and Qing Madi are fast-rising young acts in their right, rounding off the sixth and seventh points that made up the star of Nigerian musicians who shone at the Africa Arts Entertainment Awards. Fave earned an ‘AAEA Continental Recording Vocalist of the Year award, and Qing Madi a ‘Discovery Song of the Year – West Africa award.
In the remarkable, evergreen words of Nigerian feminist Jola Ayeye, “One thing about Nigerian women? We achieve!”
