Burna Boy 4, Wizkid 2 and Ice Prince: 6 Nigerian Artists Who Have Won BET Awards and How Many Times
For many Nigerians born in the late 1980s and early 1990s, watching the Black Entertainment Television (BET) Awards on TV and seeing African-American stars win the awards, it became a huge deal to see African artists win at the awards.
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However, since 2011 when Nigeria's 2face Idibia and his colleague D'banj shared the stage and won the BET award for Best African/International Act, Afrobeat artists have dominated the category supremely.
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Between 2011 and 2023, six Nigerian artists won a BET award, with Burna Boy setting a record of winning it four times in a row.
Legit.ng in this article highlighted the six Nigerian artists who have won a BET award, when and how many times they bagged an award.
1. D'banj and 2face were the first Nigerians to win a BET award
In 2011, ace Nigerian musicians D'banj and 2face shattered the ceiling as they shared the stage and became the first Afrobeat music stars to win a BET award for the best African act.
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As a result, many young Nigerian singers regard them as the pioneers of the current global recognition Afrobeat enjoys.
2. Wizkid has won a BET award twice, in 2012 & 2017
Grammy Award winner Wizkid Ayo Balogun made history in 2012 by winning the next BET award after D'banj and 2face's pioneering win.
But Wizkid had to share the honours of winning the award with Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie.
However, Big Wiz made history after the award show and called out the BET award organisers for disrespecting African artists. He slammed the show for presenting African artists their awards backstage and not in full glare like other artists.
3. Ice Prince came through in 2013 with Oleku
Ice Prince is the only African Hip-hop artist to have won a BET award in grand style.
The Plateau state rapper rocked the Nigerian and African music industry to its core in 2013, and for the first time, he won a BET award as a single artist not sharing with any other musician.
Ice Prince's Oleku in 2013 is still regarded as one of Africa's biggest hip-hop tracks as it went platinum in Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa.
4. Davido has two BET awards, one in 2014 and one in 2018
Another Afrobeat superstar that has been massively consistent on the music scene across borders in Africa is Davido.
He gave such a spectacular performance at the 2023 BET Award show that it has been certified as gold.
Over the last decade, Davido has won a BET award twice, once as the Best African Act in 2014 and as the Best International Act in 2018.
5. Burna Boy set a record as the first African artist to win four BET Awards
Ace Nigerian Afro-fusion singer Burna Boy is regarded by many as the king in a realm of his own who recently made history as the first African artist to win four BET Awards.
Burna Boy has won the BET Award for Best International Act in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2023. He only missed out on it in 2022 to another Nigerian gem, Tems.
6. Tems is the first female African artist to win the BET Awards
Nigerian songstress and Afrobeat vocal powerhouse, Tems broke the jinx as she became the first female artist to win a BET award.
The Rebel leader wrestled the award from the African Giant Burna Boy in 2022 as she claimed her first international accolade before winning the Grammy Awards.
Cameroonian singer Libianca beats Asake to BET Award
Meanwhile, Legit.ng recalls reporting that internationally recognised Nigerian singer Burna Boy set a new record at the 2023 BET Awards as the first artist to win the Best International Act four times in a row; no Nigerian artist joined him on the winner's podium this year.
The other Nigerian artist who was in the running for an award was Asake. However, the YBNL star lost out to Cameroonian vocal diva Libianca.
Libianca won the 2023 BET Best International New Act award ahead of Nigerian singer Asake and other African artists.
Source: Legit.ng
