Nigerian music continues its remarkable ascent on the global stage, with Burna Boy and Rema emerging as key contributors to the international success of Nigerian musical exports.
In the inaugural 2023 Billboard Music Awards (BBMA), Rema and Burna Boy clinched significant victories in the newly introduced categories of Best Afrobeats Song and Best Afrobeats Act, respectively. Their collaborative effort on ‘Calm Down’ with Selena Gomez secured Rema the title of Best Afrobeats Song, while Burna Boy’s unparalleled contributions to the genre earned him the coveted title of Best Afrobeats Act.
For a comprehensive list of all the winners at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards, please see below.
Top Artist
Taylor Swift
Top New Artist
WINNER: Zach Bryan
Top Male Artist
Morgan Wallen
Top Female Artist
Taylor Swift
Top Duo/Group
Fuerza Regida
Top Billboard 200 Artist
Taylor Swift
Top Hot 100 Artist
Morgan Wallen
Top Hot 100 Songwriter (NEW)
Taylor Swift
Top Hot 100 Producer (NEW)
Jack Antonoff
WINNER: Joey Moi
Metro Boomin
Taylor Swift
Zach Bryan
Top Streaming Songs Artist
Drake
WINNER: Morgan Wallen
SZA
Taylor Swift
Zach Bryan
Top Radio Songs Artist
Miley Cyrus
Morgan Wallen
SZA
WINNER: Taylor Swift
The Weeknd
Top Song Sales Artist
Jason Aldean
Miley Cyrus
Morgan Wallen
Oliver Anthony Music
WINNER: Taylor Swift
Top Billboard Global 200 Artist
Bad Bunny
Morgan Wallen
SZA
WINNER: Taylor Swift
The Weeknd
Top Billboard Global (Excl. U.S.) Artist
Bad Bunny
Ed Sheeran
NewJeans
WINNER: Taylor Swift
The Weeknd
Top R&B Artist
Beyoncé
Chris Brown
Rihanna
WINNER: SZA
The Weeknd
Top R&B Male Artist
Chris Brown
Miguel
WINNER: The Weeknd
Top R&B Female Artist
Beyoncé
Rihanna
WINNER: SZA
Top R&B Touring Artist
WINNER: Beyoncé
Bruno Mars
The Weeknd
Top Rap Artist
21 Savage
WINNER: Drake
Lil Baby
Metro Boomin
Travis Scott
Top Rap Male Artist
21 Savage
WINNER: Drake
Travis Scott
Top Rap Female Artist
Doja Cat
Ice Spice
WINNER: Nicki Minaj
Top Rap Touring Artist
50 Cent
WINNER: Drake
Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa
Top Country Artist
Bailey Zimmerman
Luke Combs
WINNER: Morgan Wallen
Taylor Swift
Zach Bryan
Top Country Male Artist
Luke Combs
WINNER: Morgan Wallen
Zach Bryan
Top Country Female Artist
Lainey Wilson
Megan Moroney
WINNER: Taylor Swift
Top Country Duo/Group
Old Dominion
Parmalee
WINNER: Zac Brown Band
Top Country Touring Artist
George Strait
Luke Combs
WINNER: Morgan Wallen
Top Rock Artist
Jelly Roll
Noah Kahan
Stephen Sanchez
Steve Lacy
WINNER: Zach Bryan
Top Rock Duo/Group (NEW)
WINNER: Arctic Monkeys
Foo Fighters
Metallica
Top Rock Touring Artist
WINNER: Coldplay
Depeche Mode
Elton John
Top Latin Artist
WINNER: Bad Bunny
Eslabon Armado
Fuerza Regida
Karol G
Peso Pluma
Top Latin Male Artist
WINNER: Bad Bunny
Peso Pluma
Rauw Alejandro
Top Latin Female Artist
WINNER: Karol G
ROSALÍA
Shakira
Top Latin Duo/Group
Eslabon Armado
WINNER: Fuerza Regida
Grupo Frontera
Top Latin Touring Artist
Daddy Yankee
WINNER: Karol G
RBD
Top Global K-Pop Artist (NEW)
Jimin
WINNER: NewJeans
Stray Kids
TOMORROW X TOGETHER
TWICE
Top K-Pop Touring Artist (NEW)
WINNER: BLACKPINK
SUGA
TWICE
Top Afrobeats Artist (NEW)
WINNER: Burna Boy
Libianca
Rema
Tems
Wizkid
Top Dance/Electronic Artist
WINNER: Beyoncé
Calvin Harris
David Guetta
Drake
Tiësto
Top Christian Artist
Brandon Lake
Elevation Worship
for KING & COUNTRY
WINNER: Lauren Daigle
Phil Wickham
Top Gospel Artist
CeCe Winans
Elevation Worship
WINNER: Kanye West
Kirk Franklin
Maverick City Music
ALBUM AWARDS
Top Billboard 200 Album
Drake & 21 Savage, Her Loss
Metro Boomin, HEROES & VILLAINS
WINNER: Morgan Wallen, One Thing at a Time
SZA, SOS
Taylor Swift, Midnights
Top Soundtrack
WINNER: Barbie: The Album
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Music From and Inspired By
ELVIS
Metro Boomin Presents Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Soundtrack From and Inspired by the Motion Picture)
Top Gun: Maverick
Top R&B Album
Beyoncé, RENAISSANCE
Brent Faiyaz, WASTELAND
Drake, Honestly, Nevermind
Steve Lacy, Gemini Rights
WINNER: SZA, SOS
Top Rap Album
WINNER: Drake & 21 Savage, Her Loss
Future, I Never Liked You
Lil Baby, It’s Only Me
Metro Boomin, HEROES & VILLAINS
Travis Scott, UTOPIA
Top Country Album
Luke Combs, Gettin’ Old
Luke Combs, Growin’ Up
WINNER: Morgan Wallen, One Thing at a Time
Taylor Swift, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)
Zach Bryan, American Heartbreak
Top Rock Album
HARDY, the mockingbird & THE CROW
Jelly Roll, Whitsitt Chapel
Noah Kahan, Stick Season
Steve Lacy, Gemini Rights
WINNER: Zach Bryan, American Heartbreak
Top Latin Album
WINNER: Bad Bunny, Un Verano Sin Ti
Eslabon Armado, DESVELADO
Ivan Cornejo, Dañado
Karol G, MAÑANA SERÁ BONITO
Peso Pluma, GÉNESIS
Top K-Pop Album (NEW)
Jimin, FACE
NewJeans, 2nd EP ‘Get Up’
WINNER: Stray Kids, 5-STAR
TOMORROW X TOGETHER, The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION
TWICE, READY TO BE: 12th Mini Album
Top Dance/Electronic Album
WINNER: Beyoncé, RENAISSANCE
Drake, Honestly, Nevermind
ILLENIUM, ILLENIUM
Kim Petras, Feed the Beast
Tiësto, DRIVE
Top Christian Album
WINNER: Anne Wilson, My Jesus
Brandon Lake, House of Miracles
CAIN, Rise Up
Elevation Worship, LION
Lauren Daigle, Lauren Daigle
Top Gospel Album
Jonathan McReynolds, My Truth
WINNER: Maverick City Music x Kirk Franklin, Kingdom Book One
Tye Tribbett, All Things New
Whitney Houston, I Go to the Rock: The Gospel Music of Whitney Houston
Zacardi Cortez, Imprint (Live in Memphis)
SONG AWARDS
Top Hot 100 Song
Metro Boomin, The Weeknd & 21 Savage, “Creepin’”
Miley Cyrus, “Flowers”
WINNER: Morgan Wallen, “Last Night”
SZA, “Kill Bill”
Taylor Swift, “Anti-Hero”
Top Streaming Song
Miley Cyrus, “Flowers”
WINNER: Morgan Wallen, “Last Night”
SZA, “Kill Bill”
Taylor Swift, “Anti-Hero”
Zach Bryan, “Something in the Orange”
Top Radio Song
Metro Boomin, The Weeknd & 21 Savage, “Creepin’”
WINNER: Miley Cyrus, “Flowers”
Rema & Selena Gomez, “Calm Down”
Taylor Swift, “Anti-Hero”
The Weeknd & Ariana Grande “Die for You”
Top Selling Song
Jason Aldean, “Try That in a Small Town”
Jimin, ‘Like Crazy”
Miley Cyrus,“Flowers”
Oliver Anthony Music, “Rich Men North of Richmond”
WINNER: Taylor Swift, “Anti-Hero”
Top Collaboration
David Guetta & Bebe Rexha, “I’m Good (Blue)”
WINNER: Metro Boomin, The Weeknd & 21 Savage, “Creepin’”
Rema & Selena Gomez, “Calm Down”
Sam Smith & Kim Petras, “Unholy”
The Weeknd & Ariana Grande, “Die for You”
Top Billboard Global 200 Song
WINNER: Miley Cyrus, “Flowers”
Rema & Selena Gomez, “Calm Down”
SZA, “Kill Bill”
Taylor Swift, “Anti-Hero”
The Weeknd & Ariana Grande, “Die for You”
Top Billboard Global (Excl. U.S.) Song
David Guetta & Bebe Rexha, “I’m Good (Blue)”
Harry Styles, “As It Was”
WINNER: Miley Cyrus, “Flowers”
Rema & Selena Gomez, “Calm Down”
The Weeknd & Ariana Grande, “Die for You”
Top R&B Song
Metro Boomin, The Weeknd & 21 Savage, “Creepin’”
Miguel, “Sure Thing”
The Weeknd & Ariana Grande, “Die for You”
WINNER: SZA, “Kill Bill”
SZA, “Snooze”
Top Rap Song
Coi Leray, “Players”
WINNER: Drake & 21 Savage, “Rich Flex”
Gunna, “fukumean”
Lil Durk ft. J. Cole, “All My Life”
Toosii, “Favorite Song”
Top Country Song
Bailey Zimmerman, “Rock and a Hard Place”
Luke Combs, “Fast Car”
WINNER: Morgan Wallen, “Last Night”
Morgan Wallen, “You Proof”
Zach Bryan, “Something in the Orange”
Top Rock Song
Jelly Roll, “Need A Favor”
Stephen Sanchez, “Until I Found You”
Steve Lacy, “Bad Habit”
Zach Bryan ft. Kacey Musgraves, “I Remember Everything”
WINNER: Zach Bryan, “Something in the Orange”
Top Latin Song
WINNER: Eslabon Armado x Peso Pluma, “Ella Baila Sola”
Fuerza Regida x Grupo Frontera, “Bebe Dame”
Grupo Frontera x Bad Bunny, “un x100to”
Karol G & Shakira, “TQG”
Yng Lvcas x Peso Pluma, “La Bebe”
Top Global K-Pop Song (NEW)
Fifty Fifty, “Cupid”
Jimin, “Like Crazy”
WINNER: Jung Kook ft. Latto, “Seven”
NewJeans, “Ditto”
NewJeans, “OMG”
Top Afrobeats Song (NEW)
Ayra Starr, “Rush”
Libianca, “People”
Oxlade, “KU LO SA”
WINNER: Rema & Selena Gomez, “Calm Down”
Victony, Rema, & Tempoe ft. Don Toliver, “Soweto”
Top Dance/Electronic Song
Bizarrap & Shakira, “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53”
David Guetta, Anne-Marie & Coi Leray, “Baby Don’t Hurt Me”
WINNER: David Guetta & Bebe Rexha, “I’m Good (Blue)”
Elton John & Britney Spears, “Hold Me Closer”
Tiësto ft. Tate McRae, “10:35”
Top Christian Song
WINNER: Brandon Lake, “Gratitude”
Chris Tomlin, “Holy Forever”
for KING & COUNTRY with Jordin Sparks, “Love Me Like I Am”
Lauren Daigle, “Thank God I Do”
Phil Wickham, “This Is Our God”
Top Gospel Song
WINNER: CeCe Winans, “Goodness of God”
Crowder & Dante Bowe ft. Maverick City Music, “God Really Loves Us”
Elevation Worship ft. Chandler Moore & Tiffany Hudson, “More Than Able”
Maverick City Music & Kirk Franklin ft. Brandon Lake & Chandler Moore, “Fear is Not My Future”
Zacardi Cortez, “Lord Do It for Me (Live in Memphis)”
Chart Achievement Award
WINNER: Mariah Carey, “All I Want for Christmas Is You”
As Nigerian artists continue to make waves globally, these wins at the BBMA underscore the growing influence and recognition of Afrobeats music on the international stage. Burna Boy and Rema’s success serves as a testament to the diversity and richness of Nigerian musical talent, capturing the attention of global audiences and establishing a solid foothold in the global music landscape.
Stay tuned for more updates on the latest achievements and milestones in the thriving Nigerian music industry.
