Rema, the rising star from Mavin Records, secured the award for Best Afrobeats in the newly introduced category at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards. He received this honor for his remixed single “Calm Down,” featuring Selena Gomez, triumphing over formidable Afrobeats contenders like Burna Boy, Davido, Wizkid, Fire Boy, Ayra Starr, and Labianca.
Remarkably, “Calm Down” achieved a milestone of over one billion streams on Spotify during the weekend.
Rema, while accepting the trophy, expressed his profound appreciation, saying, “This means so much seeing Afrobeats grow this big.”
In the same event, Taylor Swift emerged as the night’s big winner, claiming awards including Best Song, Best Pop, Best Direction, and Video of the Year for her hit “Anti-Hero.” The nostalgic reunion of NSYNC, who presented Swift with the Best Pop award, added to the evening’s excitement.
Swift acknowledged the significance of fan votes in her acceptance speech for Video of the Year, stating, “This is unbelievable. I just want to say that the fact that this is a fan-voted award means so much to me.”
Although Swift didn’t perform during the event, the night featured a lineup of dynamic performances by artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Anitta, and Doja Cat, captivating the audience with its trademark spectacle.
The broadcast took place at Newark’s Prudential Center and frequently showcased Swift, who was seated near the main stage alongside Ice Spice, the viral Bronx rapper who won the award for Best New Artist and has collaborated with the pop sensation.