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Still taken from YouTube.

Burna Boy in "Kilometer" music video.

Burna Boy Snags 2021 BET Award for Best International Act

Following the release of his Grammy award-winning album 'Twice As Tall', Burna Boy takes home this year's BET award for Best International Act.

The 2021 BET Awards took place last night in what appears to be a slow return to life as we knew it before the COVID-19 pandemic. Hosted by actress Taraji P. Henson, the live and in-person awards show welcomed a vaccinated audience and a glamorous red carpet.

Among the top winners of the night, whose theme was aptly titled "Year of the Black Woman", were rapper Megan Thee Stallion for Best Female Hip Hop Artist, Queen Latifah for the Lifetime Achievement Award, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion for Best Music Video and Jazmine Sullivan for Best Album of the Year, among several others.


Nigeria's Burna Boy snagged the BET award for Best International Act. The well-deserved award follows after the release of his sophomore album Twice As Talllast year. The album, which won a Grammy for Best Global Music Album, features a number of strong collaborations with the likes of Senegalese musician Youssou N'Dour, Kenyan Afro-pop sensation Sauti Sol, British-Nigerian grime rapper Stormzy, Coldplay's Chris Martin and American hip-hop trio Naughty By Nature. Nominated in the same category alongside Burna Boy was Wizkid and embroiled Tanzanian artist, Diamond Platinumz.

Earlier this year in April, Burna Boy put out the music video for his latest track "Kilometre" which continues to gain considerable streams on YouTube. The visuals depict a luxurious and fast-paced lifestyle replete with the fast (and equally luxurious) cars to match.

Here are all the winners listed below:

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

AFTER HOURS – THE WEEKND
BLAME IT ON BABY – DABABY
GOOD NEWS – MEGAN THEE STALLION
HEAUX TALES – JAZMINE SULLIVAN (WINNER)
KING'S DISEASE – NAS
UNGODLY HOUR – CHLOE X HALLE

BEST COLLABORATION

CARDI B FT. MEGAN THEE STALLION – WAP (WINNER)
DABABY FT. RODDY RICCH – ROCKSTAR
DJ KHALED FT. DRAKE – POPSTAR
JACK HARLOW FT. DABABY, TORY LANEZ & LIL WAYNE – WHATS POPPIN (REMIX)
MEGAN THEE STALLION FT. DABABY – CRY BABY
POP SMOKE FT. LIL BABY & DABABY – FOR THE NIGHT

BEST FEMALE R&B / POP ARTIST

BEYONCÉ
H.E.R. (WINNER)
JAZMINE SULLIVAN
JHENÉ AIKO
SUMMER WALKER
SZA

BEST MALE R&B / POP ARTIST

6LACK
ANDERSON .PAAK
CHRIS BROWN (WINNER)
GIVEON
TANK
THE WEEKND

BEST NEW ARTIST

COI LERAY
FLO MILLI
GIVEON (WINNER)
JACK HARLOW
LATTO
POOH SHIESTY

BEST GROUP

21 SAVAGE & METRO BOOMIN
CHLOE X HALLE
CHRIS BROWN & YOUNG THUG
CITY GIRLS
MIGOS
SILK SONIC (WINNER)

BEST FEMALE HIP HOP ARTIST

CARDI B
COI LERAY
DOJA CAT
MEGAN THEE STALLION (WINNER)
LATTO
SAWEETIE

BEST MALE HIP HOP ARTIST

DABABY
DRAKE
J. COLE
JACK HARLOW
LIL BABY (WINNER)
POP SMOKE

DR. BOBBY JONES BEST GOSPEL/INSPIRATIONAL AWARD

BEBE WINANS – IN JESUS NAME
CECE WINANS – NEVER LOST
H.E.R. – HOLD US TOGETHER
KIRK FRANKLIN – STRONG GOD (WINNER)
MARVIN SAPP – THANK YOU FOR IT ALL
TAMELA MANN – TOUCH FROM YOU

BET HER AWARD

ALICIA KEYS FT. KHALID – SO DONE
BRANDY FT. CHANCE THE RAPPER – BABY MAMA
BRI STEVES – ANTI QUEEN
CHLOE X HALLE – BABY GIRL
CIARA FT. ESTER DEAN – ROOTED
SZA – GOOD DAYS (WINNER)

BEST INTERNATIONAL ACT

AYA NAKAMURA (FRANCE)
BURNA BOY (NIGERIA) (WINNER)
DIAMOND PLATNUMZ (TANZANIA)
EMICIDA (BRAZIL)
HEADIE ONE (UK)
WIZKID (NIGERIA)
YOUNG T & BUGSEY (UK)
YOUSSOUPHA (FRANCE)

VIEWER'S CHOICE AWARD

CARDI B FT. MEGAN THEE STALLION – WAP
CHRIS BROWN & YOUNG THUG – GO CRAZY
DABABY FT. RODDY RICCH – ROCKSTAR
DJ KHALED FT. DRAKE – POPSTAR
DRAKE FT. LIL DURK – LAUGH NOW CRY LATER
LIL BABY – THE BIGGER PICTURE
MEGAN THEE STALLION FT. BEYONCÉ – SAVAGE (REMIX) (WINNER)
SILK SONIC – LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN

VIEWER'S CHOICE: BEST NEW INTERNATIONAL ACT

ARLO PARKS – UNITED KINGDOM
BRAMSITO – FRANCE
BREE RUNWAY – UNITED KINGDOM (WINNER)
ELAINE – SOUTH AFRICA
MC DRICKA – BRAZIL
RONISIA – FRANCE
TEMS – NIGERIA

VIDEO OF THE YEAR

CARDI B – UP
CARDI B FT. MEGAN THEE STALLION – WAP (WINNER)
CHLOE X HALLE – DO IT
CHRIS BROWN & YOUNG THUG – GO CRAZY
DRAKE FT. LIL DURK – LAUGH NOW CRY LATER
SILK SONIC – LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN

VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR

BENNY BOOM
BRUNO MARS AND FLORENT DÉCHARD (WINNER)
COLE BENNETT
COLIN TILLEY
DAVE MEYERS
HYPE WILLIAMS

BEST MOVIE

COMING 2 AMERICA
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH (WINNER)
MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI…
SOUL
THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY

BEST ACTRESS

ANDRA DAY (WINNER)
ANGELA BASSETT
ISSA RAE
JURNEE SMOLLETT
VIOLA DAVIS
ZENDAYA

BEST ACTOR

ALDIS HODGE
CHADWICK BOSEMAN (WINNER)
DAMSON IDRIS
DANIEL KALUUYA
EDDIE MURPHY
LAKEITH STANFIELD

YOUNGSTARS AWARD

ALEX R. HIBBERT
ETHAN HUTCHISON
LONNIE CHAVIS
MARSAI MARTIN (WINNER)
MICHAEL EPPS
STORM REID

SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD

A'JA WILSON
CANDACE PARKER
CLARESSA SHIELDS
NAOMI OSAKA (WINNER)
SERENA WILLIAMS
SKYLAR DIGGINS-SMITH

SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD

KYRIE IRVING
LEBRON JAMES (WINNER)
PATRICK MAHOMES
RUSSELL WESTBROOK
RUSSELL WILSON
STEPHEN CURRY

Music
(Atlantic Records)

Burna Boy Shares New Single ‘Sittin' On Top Of The World’

The African Giant samples Brandy and Ma$e in his new summertime-ready single.

Odogwu is back and sitting on top of the world!

Burna Boy has graced the airwaves once again with his latest single called "Sittin’ On Top Of The World," marking his highly anticipated solo debut in 2023.

The distinguished Nigerian artist, who is currently on tour, has shared this track as a delightful auditory treat for his dedicated fans. The song seamlessly incorporates elements from Brandy and M a$e’ss 1998 hit "Top Of The World.”

Notably, the composition of the song captivates listeners with its summer-ready sample, also showcasing Burna Boy's remarkable vocal range and effortlessly smooth delivery.

Earlier this year, Burna Boy featured on the single "Mera Na," a heartfelt production by the late Indian hip-hop luminary Sidhu Moose Wala, who passed away last year. “Sittin’ On Top Of The World” is yet another demonstration of Burna’s versatility and global appeal as he continues to solidify his position as an influential force in the music world. The single also shows Burna Boy’s ability to bring the signature “Burna vibe” to any record.

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Music
Image courtesy of the artist.

7 Essential Facts About Nonso Amadi's Debut Album

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Any discourse involving Nigeria’s alternative music scene can’t be complete without mentioning Nonso Amadi.

The 27-year-old singer, songwriter, and producer is a key figure in Nigeria’s “alté renaissance” of 2015-2018, a period responsible for the widespread emergence of a crop of alternative artists, producers, and creatives firmly establishing their niche and creating room for themselves and their art in an industry heavily dominated by afrobeats-centered music, sounds, and aesthetics.

2015 saw Nonso release his first project, the Alone EP, officially launching a career that would quickly usher the young talent into the limelight. Following the EP, his subsequent single “Tonight” put Nonso on the map. The self-produced afro-R&B song established Nonso as one of the leading new voices in Nigerian R&B and alternative music, transcending the niche listenership of the alté community and successfully taking the emergent R&B sound mainstream, in a similar fashion to what the likes of R&B veteran Banky W accomplished.

The next few years saw him release a string of singles, high-profile features with the likes of Mr Eazi, Simi, Kwesi Arthur, and more, and two EPs, all capped by a three-year hiatus. In 2022, he returned to the music scene with “Foreigner.” the lead single off the subject of this story: his debut album When It Blooms. The release of “Foreigner” marked the beginning of a brand new career run, backed by label partners UMG Nigeria, Def Jam Records and Universal Music Canada, in a freshly-inked record deal.

Now close to a decade after the singer’s first output, When It Blooms is finally here. It’s a 15-track project packed with blends of afrobeats, R&B, and more, laced with sonic and lyrical references to his Lagos ties. Nonso’s debut album represents everything he is and has become—a “sonic globetrotter” highly=assertive in his sound and identity.

OkayAfrica spoke to Nonso Amadi about his debut album When It Blooms, and he gave us 7 Essential Facts about the project below.

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Uganda's President Will "Go To War" Over New Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill

President Museveni is defending the world's harshest anti-human rights bill, threatening death for being gay.

Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has declared that he will go to war to protect the country's anti-LGBTQ+ bill passed this week. "The NRM (National Resistance Movement) has never had two languages," he said in a statement released by his office on Wednesday, "What we tell you in the day is what we shall say to you at night. The signing of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill is finished; nobody will move us, and we should be ready for a war. Remember, war is not for the soft." Museveni made an onslaught of chaotic comments when he met with lawmakers from his ruling party this week, as he continues to defend signing one of the world's harshest anti-LGBTQ+ bills to date.

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Music
(YouTube)

The Best South African Songs Right Now

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Here are the South African songs and music videos that caught our attention this month.

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