STAFF REPORTER
FOUR of Africa’s big artists won big at the 2020 edition of the BET Awards, reflecting the ever-growing impact of African music in the world.
Nigerian Afrobeats hitmaker Burna Boy walked away with the first award, the Best International Act presented by supermodel Naomi Campbell. Burna Boy beat out South Africa’s Sho Madjozi, the DRC’s Innoss’B, U.K’s Brit Award winners rappers Dave and Stormzy, as well as France’s S.Pri Noir and Ninho.
Burna Boy, whose most recent work is his 2019 Grammy-nominated African Giant album, thanked his fans from a live stream and added that “In order for black lives to matter, Africa must matter”.
Another African artist who walked away with a large award was Zimbabwean Amapiano vocal queen Sha Sha, who walked away with her first BET award for Viewers’ Choice: Best New International Act.
Sha Sha, born Charmaine Shamiso Mpambiro in Mutare, beat last year’s winner South Africa’s Sho Madjozi, as well as other nominated artists, the U.K. ‘s Celeste and Young T & Bugsey, Nigerian rising star Rema, and French nominated artists Hatik and Stacy.
The third and fourth African winners at the 2020 BET Awards were Nigeria’s Wizkid and South Africa’s Anatii. They won for their feature in Beyonce’s ‘Brown Skin Girl’ from her 2019 homage album ‘Lion King: The Gift’ album which took the first-ever BET Her award.
Sha Sha is known for featuring in some of South Africa’s biggest Amapiano hits such as ‘Love You Tonight’ by MDR Souls, and Samthing Soweto’s ‘Akulaleki’. The Zimbabwean vocalist also released her own EP last year titled ‘Blossom’ which featured her hit single ‘Tender Love’.
THE @NaomiCampbell presents the Best International Act #BETAwards 20 to the amazing @BurnaBoy!
— BET (@BET) June 29, 2020
Congratulations, #BurnaBoy! pic.twitter.com/Lo0j5gtsEb
