Yemi Alade brought both elegance and glamour to the 20th edition of the Trace Awards. The ceremony was the first of its kind by the global TV and multimedia platform in a ceremony aimed at celebrating African and Afro-inspired music and culture around the world.
The Afropop singer walked the red carpet at East Africa’s biggest indoor arena, BK Arena, in Kigali, Rwanda, on Saturday (October 21), looking chic and fabulous in a shimmering aesthetic. Her ensemble was comprised of a dark green metallic gown, featuring billowing dramatic sleeves, and a generous cleavage display with a mesh panel, a cinched waist, and a super thigh-high slit.
Photo: Instagram.com/yemialade She completed the look with silver ankle-strap sandals and just the perfect pieces of jewelry, including elegant, shoulder-bouncing gold earrings and bangles. Her hair, this time around, was styled in a sizeable mohawk with her glam look including pinkish eyeshadow and nude lip.
Photo: Instagram.com/yemialade 
Photo: Instagram.com/yemialade 
Photo: Instagram.com/yemialade Yemi Alade, however, won the “Best Music Video” award for her “Baddie” music, against “2 Sugar” by Wizkid feat. Ayra Starr, and “Kpaflotage” by Ivory Coast’s hip-hop artist, Suspect 95, and more in the same category. She took to social media this afternoon to celebrate the trophy and with a note of gratitude to her members.
“🏆 WINNER : Best Music Video Trace Awards 2023🏆🏆🏆,” Alade shared and captioned her photos from the award ceremony on Instagram, adding “It’s a MARATON, not a SPRINT.”
She continued: “Thank you @tracetvace for HONOURING NOT JUST ME but the entire team of creatives from the music production to ,to mix and master, video script writing, directors, fashion stylist ,make up artist, hair stylist, my amazing dancers all over the world.”
In boiling excitement, Alade seized the opportunity to detail the story surrounding the Baddie song and promised to deliver more goodies to fans.
“I recorded this song BADDIE ,(produced by @vtekdawesome )in the oddest of situations in Paris ,and againt all odds we shot the video in GHANA with @ov.ie with 30 Amazing dancers choreographed by @incrediblezigi with @kizzybeat producing the entire video under the HOT GHANA SUN. Although video shoots are hectic, crazy, and exhausting ! They are master pieces that capture everything I couldn’t put in words in just 3mins … I’m gassed out and ready to give you more.”
Here is the full list of winners and nominees from the 2023 Trace Awards:
Album of the year
- DNK – Aya Nakamura (France)
- WINNER: Love Damini – Burna Boy (Nigeria)
- Maverick – Kizz Daniel (Nigeria)
- More Love, Less Ego – Wizkid (Nigeria)
- Timeless – Davido (Nigeria)
- Work of Art – Asake (Nigeria)
Song of the Year
- “BKBN” – Soraia Ramos (Cape Verde)
- “People” – Libianca (Cameroon)
- “Suavemente” – Soolking (France)
- “Encre” – Emma’a (Gabon)
- “Sugarcane” – Camidoh (Ghana)
- “Last Last” – Burna Boy (Nigeria)
- “Rush” – Ayra Starr (Nigeria)
- WINNER: “Calm Down” – Rema (Nigeria)
- “Peru” – Fireboy DML (Nigeria) with Ed Sheeran (UK)
- “Sete” – K.O (South Africa)
- “Cough” – Kizz Daniel (Nigeria)
- “MORTEL 06” – Innoss’B (DRC)
Best Music Video
- “2 Sugar” – Wizkid (Nigeria) feat. Ayra Starr (Nigeria)
- WINNER: “Baddie” – Yemi Alade (Nigeria)
- “Kpaflotage” – Suspect 95 (Ivory Coast)
- “Loaded” – Tiwa Savage (Nigeria) & Asake (Nigeria)
- “Ronda” – Blxckie (South Africa)
- “Tombolo” – Kalash (Martinique)
- “Yatapita” – Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania)
Best Male
- Asake (Nigeria)
- Burna Boy (Nigeria)
- WINNER: Davido (Nigeria)
- Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania)
- Didi B (Ivory Coast)
- K.O (South Africa)
- Rema (Nigeria)
Best Female
- Ayra Starr (Nigeria)
- Josey (Ivory Coast)
- Nadia Mukami (Kenya)
- Soraia Ramos (Cape Verde)
- Tiwa Savage (Nigeria)
- WINNER: Viviane Chidid (Senegal)
Best Collaboration
- “Many Ways” – BNXN (Nigeria) with Wizkid (Nigeria)
- “Mine” – Show Dem Camp (Nigeria) with Oxlade (Nigeria)
- “Peru” – Fireboy DML (Nigeria) with Ed Sheeran (UK)
- “Second Sermon” – Black Sherif (Ghana) with Burna Boy (Nigeria)
- “Sete” – K.O (South Africa) with Young Stunna (South Africa), Blxckie (South Africa)
- “Stamina” – Tiwa Savage with Ayra Starr (Nigeria) & Young Jonn (Nigeria)
- “Trumpet” – Olamide (Nigeria) with Ckay (Nigeria)
- WINNER: “Unavailable” – Davido (Nigeria) with Musa Keys (South Africa)
Best Newcomer
- Azawi (Uganda)
- Krys M (Cameroon)
- Libianca (Cameroon)
- Nissi (Nigeria)
- Odumodublvck (Nigeria)
- Pabi Cooper (South Africa)
- WINNER: Roseline Layo (Ivory Coast)
Best DJ
- Danni Gato (Cape Verde)
- DJ BDK (Ivory Coast)
- DJ Illans (France)
-
DJ Spinall (Nigeria)
- DJ Spinall (Nigeria)
- WINNER: Michael Brun (Haiti)
- Uncle Waffles (Swaziland)
Best Producer
- DJ Maphorisa (South Africa)
- Juls (Ghana)
- Kabza de Small (South Africa)
- Kel-P (Nigeria)
- WINNER: Tam Sir (Ivory Coast)
Best Gospel Artist
- Benjamin Dube (South Africa)
- Janet Otieno (Kenya)
- WINNER: KS Bloom (Ivory Coast)
- Levixone (Uganda)
- Moses Bliss (Nigeria)
Best Live
- Burna Boy (Nigeria)
- WINNER: Fally Ipupa (DRC)
- Musa Keys (South Africa)
- The Compozers (Ghana)
- Wizkid (Nigeria)
- Yemi Alade (Nigeria)
Best Dancer
- WINNER: Robot Boii (South Africa)
- Tayc (France)
- Uganda Ghetto Kids (Uganda)
- Yemi Alade (Nigeria)
- Zuchu (Tanzania)
Best Artist Africa – Anglophone
- WINNER: Asake (Nigeria)
- Ayra Starr (Nigeria)
- Black Sherif (Ghana)
- Davido (Nigeria)
- Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania)
- Fireboy DML (Nigeria)
Best Artist Africa – Francophone
- WINNER: Didi B (Ivory Coast)
- Emma’a (Gabon)
- Fally Ipupa (DRC)
- KO-C (Cameroon)
- Locko (Cameroon)
- Serge Beynaud (Ivory Coast)
- Viviane Chidid (Senegal)
Best Artist Africa – Lusophone
- Gerilson Insrael (Angola)
- WINNER: Lisandro Cuxi (Cape Verde)
- Perola (Angola)
- Plutonio (Mozambique)
- Soraia Ramos (Cape Verde)
Best Artist – Rwanda
- Ariel Wayz (Rwanda)
- WINNER: Bruce Melodie (Rwanda)
- Bwiza (Rwanda)
- Chriss Eazy (Rwanda)
- Kenny Sol (Rwanda)
Best Artist – East Africa
- Best Artist – East Africa
- Bruce Melodie (Rwanda)
- Zuchu (Tanzania)
- Khaligraph (Kenya)
- Nadia Mukani (Kenya)
- Azawi (Uganda)
Best Artist – France & Belgium
- Aya Nakamura (France)
- Booba (France)
- Nihno (France)
- Ronisia (France)
- Soolking (France)
- WINNER: Tayc (France)
Best Artist – UK
- WINNER: Central Cee (UK)
- Headie One (UK)
- Ms Banks (UK)
- Raye (UK)
- Stormzy (UK)
Best Artist – The Caribbean
- Admiral T (Guadeloupe)
- Bamby (French Guiana)
- Kalash (Martinique)
- Maureen (Martinique)
- Popcaan (Jamaica)
- Princess Lover (Martinique)
- WINNER: Rutshelle Guillaume (Haiti)
- Shenseea (Jamaica)
Best Artist – Indian Ocean
- Donovan BTS (Mauritius)
- GaEi (Madagascar)
- WINNER: Goulam (Comoros)
- Mik’l (Reunion)
- Sega el (Reunion)
- Terrell Elymoor (Mayotte)
Best Artist – Brazil
- Djonga (Brazil)
- Iza (Brazil)
- Leo Santana (Brazil)
- WINNER: Ludmilla (Brazil)
- Luedji Luna (Brazil)
Best Artist – North Africa
- Amira Zouhair (Morocco)
- Artmasta (Tunisia)
- WINNER: Dystinct (Morocco)
- El Grande Toto (Morocco)
- Kader Japonais (Algeria)
- Raja Meziane (Algeria)
