Rema Wins Digital Artiste of the Year Award at 16th Headies Awards, Advocates for Industry Support
Afrobeats prodigy Rema delivered an impassioned speech at the 16th Headies Awards on Sunday, September 4, 2023, calling on Nigerian artists to protect the institutions that have propelled them to international acclaim. The 23-year-old artist addressed the audience during the “Celebrating African Renaissance” themed event at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center in Atlanta.
The Headies Awards, an event dedicated to celebrating the creative prowess of Pan-African talent, honours excellence in Afrobeats and African music. Rema himself earned accolades, clinching the titles of ‘Best Male Artiste,’ ‘Digital Artiste of the Year,’ and ‘African Artiste of the Year’ at the 2023 Headies.
Additionally, Rema accepted the ‘Best Music Video’ award for his chart-topping track ‘Calm Down’ on behalf of Director K.
In his stirring speech, the superstar singer emphasized the need to protect Afrobeats and underscored the industry’s risk of losing its global prominence if it neglects the ecosystem in the pursuit of personal acclaim.
Rema stated, “I must say it is very important that I must let everyone know that I am not here because of the award. I am here because it is important to support our institutions. When I say institutions, I mean you know the body that supports you to be able to have these major successes. The media houses, the awards.”
He further stressed the significance of supporting the Nigerian music industry and highlighted that even fans are growing skeptical about purchasing tickets for Nigerian music concerts due to uncertainty about artists’ performances.
Rema remarked, “You can see, even in Lagos or in Nigeria, the fans do not even trust the artistes no more. They buy tickets no more. We own Afrobeats. Until this year, Afro Nation is coming to Nigeria. Afro Nation has been doing Portugal. Afro Nation has been doing Ghana. But that shows that our utilities, I mean our institutions are failing slowly and slowly.”
He concluded by saying, “And it will affect us big time. And that is the reason why I am here. Be it Afro rave, Afro this, Afro that, last last we go jam for Afrobeats award. This is our chance. We are not the first African giant that will make it big. Reggae has done its own. There is a reason why we are doing what we are doing right now. We are bigger. This is our chance to protect what we have.”
Rema’s powerful speech resonated with fans and industry stakeholders alike for its insightfulness and courage in echoing the sentiments of many within the industry.
This speech comes in the wake of Burna Boy’s recent comments that “Afrobeats lacks substance” and his characterization of the genre as “nothing.” Burna Boy’s statements had sparked extensive discussions on social media, with some supporting his viewpoint and others criticizing him for his perceived arrogance.
At the 16th Headies Awards, Rema bested strong contenders like Asake, Kizz Daniel, Ruger, Omah Lay, and Burna Boy to secure the Male Artiste of the Year award. He also bagged the Digital Artiste of the Year Award, delivering yet another memorable speech.
In his acceptance speech, Rema stated, “I remember 2019 when I stepped on the stage and said ‘I’m the future,’ I hope nobody still doubts? Just like Burna Boy said, ‘I told them.'”
He expressed gratitude to his record label boss D-Prince and Mavin Records boss Don Jazzy for their pivotal roles in his journey to stardom. He also thanked his devoted fans for their unwavering support and celebrated his roots in Benin City for nurturing him into a global sensation.
Rema’s remarkable achievements over the past year include his hit song ‘Calm Down,’ featuring Selena Gomez, which reached the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 3 in June 2023. The track made history by becoming the first Nigerian song to spend an entire year (52 weeks) on the Billboard US Afrobeats Songs chart.
Moreover, the remix video of ‘Calm Down’ has garnered an impressive 619 million views on YouTube to date. The single holds the distinction of being the most-viewed Nigerian music video on YouTube, boasting a record 523 million views.
Rema’s meteoric rise continues to captivate the global music scene, earning him accolades, groundbreaking records, and a devoted global fan base.
