Nigerian musicians take the lead as they compete for an African music genre, Afrobeats, at the iHeartRadio Music Awards 2023.
Wizkid, Burna Boy, Ckay, Fireboy DML, and Tems have been nominated for the Afrobeats Artist of the Year at the forthcoming 11th edition of the award. These nominated Nigerian singers made significant contributions to the global expansion and acceptance of Afrobeats.
Tems, perhaps the hottest female singer on the continent of Africa, received four other nominations; ‘Best New R&B Artist,’ ‘R&B Song of the Year,’ ‘Hip-Hop Song of the Year,’ and ‘Best Collaboration.’ The 27-year-old’s ‘Wait For You’ collaboration with Future and Drake brought her total nominations to five.
Mavin Records Rema was also nominated for ‘Best Music Video (Socially Voted Category)’ for his popular visuals with Selena Gomez, ‘Calm Down.’
See the full nominees list below;
Song of the Year
“About Damn Time” – Lizzo
“Anti-Hero” – Taylor Swift
“As It Was” – Harry Styles
“Big Energy” – Latto
“Enemy (from the series Arcane League of Legends)” – Imagine Dragons
“First Class” – Jack Harlow
“Ghost”- Justin Bieber
“Heat Waves” – Glass Animals
“INDUSTRY BABY” – Lil Nas X & Jack Harlow
“Woman” – Doja Cat
Artist of the Year
Beyoncé
Doja Cat
Drake
Dua Lipa
Harry Styles
Jack Harlow
Justin Bieber
Lizzo
Taylor Swift
The Weeknd
Best Duo/Group of the Year
AJR
Black Eyed Peas
BLACKPINK
Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic
Glass Animals
Imagine Dragons
Måneskin
OneRepublic
Parmalee
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Best Collaboration
“Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)” – Elle King & Miranda Lambert
“Cold Heart” – Elton John & Dua Lipa
“half of my hometown” – Kelsea Ballerini ft. Kenny Chesney
“I Like You (A Happier Song)” – Post Malone ft. Doja Cat
“INDUSTRY BABY” – Lil Nas X & Jack Harlow
“One Right Now” – Post Malone & The Weeknd
“Sweetest Pie” – Megan Thee Stallion & Dua Lipa
“Unholy” – Sam Smith & Kim Petras
“WAIT FOR U” – Future ft. Drake & Tems
“You Right” – Doja Cat ft. The Weeknd
Best New Pop Artist
Dove Cameron
GAYLE
Jax
Nicky Youre
Steve Lacy
Country Song of the Year
“Buy Dirt” – Jordan Davis ft. Luke Bryan
“half of my hometown” – Kelsea Ballerini ft. Kenny Chesney
“She Had Me At Heads Carolina” – Cole Swindell
“The Kind of Love We Make” – Luke Combs
“Wasted On You” – Morgan Wallen
Country Artist of the Year
Carrie Underwood
Jason Aldean
Kane Brown
Luke Combs
Morgan Wallen
Best New Country Artist
Bailey Zimmerman
Cody Johnson
Elle King
Elvie Shane
Priscilla Block
Afrobeats Artist of the Year
Burna Boy
CKay
Fireboy DML
Tems
Wizkid
Hip-Hop Song of the Year
“F.N.F. (Let’s Go)”- Hitkidd & GloRilla
“First Class” – Jack Harlow
“Girls Want Girls” – Drake ft. Lil Baby
“Super Gremlin”- Kodak Black
“WAIT FOR U” – Future ft. Drake & Tems
Hip-Hop Artist of the Year
Drake
Future
Kodak Black
Lil Baby
Moneybagg Yo
Best New Hip-Hop Artist
B-Lovee
GloRilla
Latto
Nardo Wick
SleazyWorld Go
R&B Song of the Year
“BREAK MY SOUL” – Beyoncé
“Free Mind” – Tems
“Hrs And Hrs” – Muni Long
“I Hate U”- SZA
“Smokin Out The Window” – Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic
R&B Artist of the Year
Blxst
Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic
Muni Long
SZA
Yung Bleu
Best New R&B Artist
Blxst
Brent Faiyaz
Muni Long
Steve Lacy
Tems
Alternative Song of the Year
“Black Summer”- Red Hot Chili Peppers
“EDGING”- Blink-182
“Enemy (from the series Arcane League of Legends)”- Imagine Dragons
“Heat Waves”- Glass Animals
“Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)”- Kate Bush
Alternative Artist of the Year
Imagine Dragons
Måneskin
Red Hot Chili Peppers
twenty one pilots
Weezer
Best New Artist (Alternative & Rock)
Beach Weather
BoyWithUke
Giovannie and the Hired Guns
Turnstile
Wet Leg
Rock Song of the Year
“Black Summer”- Red Hot Chili Peppers
“Patient Number 9”- Ozzy Osbourne ft. Jeff Beck
“Planet Zero”- Shinedown
“So Called Life”- Three Days Grace
“Taking Me Back”- Jack White
Rock Artist of the Year
Ghost
Papa Roach
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Shinedown
Three Days Grace
Dance Song of the Year
“Cold Heart”- Elton John & Dua Lipa
“Escape”- KX5, Kaskade, Deadmau5 ft. Hayla
“Heaven Takes You Home”- Swedish House Mafia & Connie Constance
“Hot In It”- Tiësto & Charli XCX
“I’m Good (Blue)”- David Guetta & Bebe Rexha
Dance Artist of the Year
Anabel Englund
Joel Corry
SOFI TUKKER
Swedish House Mafia
Tiësto
Latin Pop/Reggaeton Song Of The Year
“El Incomprendido” – Farruko/ Víctor Cárdenas/ DJ Adoni
“MAMIII”- Becky G & Karol G
“Me Porto Bonito”- Bad Bunny ft. Chencho Corleone
“Moscow Mule” – Bad Bunny
“PROVENZA”- Karol G
Latin Pop/Reggaeton Artist of the Year
Bad Bunny
Daddy Yankee
Farruko
Karol G
Rauw Alejandro
Regional Mexican Song of the Year
“Cada Quien”- Grupo Firme ft. Maluma
“Cómo Te Olvido” – La Arrolladora Banda El Limón de René Camacho
“Si Te Pudiera Mentir”- Calibre 50
“Ya Solo Eres Mi Ex” – La Adictiva
“Ya Supérame”- Grupo Firme
Regional Mexican Artist of the Year
Calibre 50
Christian Nodal
El Fantasma
Grupo Firme
La Adictiva
Best New Latin Artist
Blessd
Kali Uchis
Quevedo
Ryan Castro
Venesti
Best Lyrics: *Socially Voted Category
“About Damn Time” – Lizzo
“abcdefu” – GAYLE
“Anti-Hero” – Taylor Swift
“Buy Dirt”- Jordan Davis ft. Luke Bryan
“Glimpse Of Us”- Joji
“Lift Me Up”- Rihanna
“N95” – Kendrick Lamar
“pushin P” – Gunna ft. Future, Young Thug
“Super Freaky Girl” – Nicki Minaj
“Wasted On You” – Morgan Wallen
“We Don’t Talk About Bruno”- Lin-Manuel Miranda performed by the Cast of Encanto
Best Music Video: *Socially Voted Category
“Anti-Hero”- Taylor Swift
“As It Was” – Harry Styles
“Calm Down”- Rema & Selena Gomez
“Don’t Be Shy”- Tiësto & Karol G
“DON’T YOU WORRY”- Black Eyed Peas, Shakira, David Guetta
“Envovler” – Anitta
“Left and Right”- Charlie Puth ft. Jung Kook of BTS
“Pink Venom”- BLACKPINK
“Tití Me Preguntó” – Bad Bunny
“Yet To Come” – BTS
Best Fan Army: *Socially Voted Category
“Barbz”- Nicki Minaj
“Beliebers”- Justin Bieber
“BeyHive” – Beyoncé
“Blinks”- BLACKPINK
“BTSArmy”- BTS
“Harries” – Harry Styles
“Hotties”- Megan Thee Stallion
“Louies”- Louis Tomlinson
“RihannaNavy”- Rihanna
“Rushers”- Big Time Rush
“Selenators” – Selena Gomez
“Swifties”- Taylor Swift
Social Star Award: *Socially Voted Category
Bailey Zimmerman
Charli D’Amelio
Em Beihold
GAYLE
GloRilla
JVKE
Lauren Spencer-Smith
Yung Gravy
Favorite Tour Photographer: *Socially Voted Category
Bad Bunny – SIEMPRERIC
Demi Lovato – Angelo Kritikos
Dua Lipa – Elizabeth Miranda
Halsey – Yasi
Harry Styles – Lloyd Wakefield
Louis Tomlinson – Joshua Halling
Luke Combs – David Bergman
Machine Gun Kelly – Sam Cahill
Olivia Rodrigo – DONSLENS
Post Malone – Adam DeGross
twenty one pilots – Ashley Osborn
YUNGBLUD – Tom Pallant
TikTok Bop of the Year: *Socially Voted Category
“About Damn Time”- Lizzo
“As It Was” – Harry Styles
“Bad Habit” – Steve Lacy
“Bejeweled”- Taylor Swift
“Big Energy”- Latto
“CUFF IT”- Beyoncé
“Envolver”- Anitta
“Just Wanna Rock” – Lil Uzi Vert
“Made You Look”- Meghan Trainor
“Super Freaky Girl” – Nicki Minaj
“Unholy”- Sam Smith & Kim Petras
“World’s Smallest Violin”- AJR
Favorite Documentary: *Socially Voted Category
“Halftime” – Jennifer Lopez
“Life in Pink” – Machine Gun Kelly
“Love, Lizzo”- Lizzo
“Niall Horan’s Homecoming: The Road to Mullingar with Lewis Capaldi” – Niall Horan + Lewis Capaldi
“Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me” – Selena Gomez
“Shania Twain: Not Just a Girl” – Shania Twain
“Sheryl” – Sheryl Crow
“Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby” – Lil Baby
Favorite Tour Style: *Socially Voted Category
Bad Bunny
Carrie Underwood
Dua Lipa
Elton John
Harry Styles
Lady Gaga
Lil Nas X
Lizzo
Machine Gun Kelly
Olivia Rodrigo
Rosalía
The Weeknd
Favorite Residency: *Socially Voted Category
“An Evening with Silk Sonic” – Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic
“Enigma + Jazz & Piano” – Lady Gaga
“Let’s Go!” – Shania Twain
“Love In Las Vegas”- John Legend
“Love On Tour” – Harry Styles
“Play”- Katy Perry
“REFLECTION: The Las Vegas Residency” – Carrie Underwood
“Usher: My Way – The Las Vegas Residency” – Usher
“Weekends with Adele” – Adele
Favorite Use of a Sample: *Socially Voted Category
Beyoncé’s “SUMMER RENAISSANCE” – sampled Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” BLACKPINK’s “Pink Venom” – sampled 50 Cent’s “P.I.M.P,” Rihanna’s “Pon de Replay,” and Biggie’s “Kick In The Door”
Chlöe’s “Treat Me” – sampled Bubba Sparxxx & Ying Yang Twins’ “Ms. New Booty”
David Guetta & Bebe Rexha’s “I’m Good (Blue)” – sampled Eiffel 65’s “Blue (Da Ba Dee)”
DJ Khaled & Drake’s “Staying Alive” – sampled The Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive”
Doja Cat’s “Vegas” – sampled Shonka Dukureh’s “Hound Dog”
Jack Harlow’s “First Class” – sampled Fergie’s “Glamorous”
Latto’s “Big Energy” – sampled Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy”
Lizzo’s “Break Up Twice” – sampled Lauryn Hill’s “Doo Wop (That Thing)”
Nicki Minaj’s “Super Freaky Girl” – sampled Rick James’ “Super Freak”
Taylor Swift’s “Question…?” – sampled Taylor Swift’s “Out Of The Woods”
Yung Gravy’s “Betty (Get Money)” – sampled Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up”