Burna Boy beat off stiff competition from the likes of Ayra Starr, Black Sherif, Zuchu, Tems and Musa Keys to win the title of Best African Act at the 2022 MTV European Music Awards (EMAs) held at the PSD Bank Dome in Düsseldorf, Germany, on November 13.
This marked the self-proclaimed African giant’s second award at the EMAs following his 2019 win in the same category.
“Thanks for the love @mtvema,” he tweeted shortly after his win. “I’m super bummed I couldn’t be there. We go again! ”
Thanks for the love @mtvema I’m super bummed I couldn’t be there. We go again! 🚀❤️ pic.twitter.com/YCBMtQHCnM
— Burna Boy (@burnaboy) November 14, 2022
The Nigerian Afrobeat star has enjoyed another stellar year off the back of his latest album, “Love Damini”, which fell just short of becoming the first album by a Nigerian artist to debut at number one in the UK in July.
The album’s lead single, “Last Last”, has become a global smash hit in the past few months and is particularly making a mark in the US where it’s high on the charts in major cities such as New York and Los Angeles.
The 2022 #MTVEMAs was a night to remember!
— MTV EMA (@mtvema) November 14, 2022
What was your fave moment? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/2tsktxKQMU
Hosted by Rita Ora and Taika Waititi, the EMAs saw Taylor Swift come out as the top winner with four awards: Best Artist, Best Pop, Best Video and Best Long-form Video.
Harry Styles, who was the top nominee on the night with seven nods, only took home the award for Best Live, which was reintroduced after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
David Guetta, Nicki Minaj and Seventeen took home two awards apiece.
Guetta won Best Collaboration for “I’m Good (Blue)” and Best Electronic. Seventeen won the Best New and Best Push Awards, while Minaj was awarded Best Song for “Super Freaky Girl” and Best Hip Hop.
The show featured performances from the likes of OneRepublic, Ava Max, Stormzy featuring Debbie, Gayle, Lewis Capaldi, Kalush Orchestra, Thundercat, Tate McRae, Spinall, Äyanna and SA’s Nasty C.
Here’s a complete list of winners:
Best Song: Nicki Minaj – “Super Freaky Girl”
Best Video: Taylor Swift – “All Too Well (10-Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)”
Best Artist: Taylor Swift
Best New: Seventeen
Best Collaboration: David Guetta & Bebe Rexha – “I’m Good (Blue)”
Best Live: Harry Styles
Best Pop: Taylor Swift
Best K-Pop: Lisa
Best Latin: Anitta
Best Electronic: David Guetta
Best Hip Hop: Nicki Minaj
Best Rock: Muse
Best Alternative: Gorillaz
Best R&B: Chlöe
Best Long-form Video: Taylor Swift – “All Too Well (10-Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)”
Video For Good: Sam Smith – “Unholy” (feat. Kim Petras)
Biggest Fans: BTS
Best Push: Seventeen
Best Metaverse Performance: Blackpink The Virtual PUBG Mobile
Best Look ‘Personal Style’: Rita Ora
Generation Change: Lina Deshvar, Anna Kutova and Anfisa Yakovina
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