Headies 2023: Our Institutions Must be Supported, Rema Says as He Receives Award

In a night filled with celebration, music sensation, Rema, emerged victorious as the recipient of the prestigious Best Male Artiste award at the 16th edition of The Headies.

The 23-year-old artiste delivered an inspiring speech about the Nigerian music industry during the awards ceremony held on Sunday, September 4, 2023.

In his acceptance speech, Rema emphasised the significance of supporting Nigerian music institutions.

He stated, “I am not here because of the award; I am here because it is important to support our institutions. And when I say institutions, I mean the bodies that provide support to be able to achieve these major successes—the media houses, the awards.

“We’re in a very sensitive period, and if we don’t give attention to our institutions with this chance that we have if we miss this chance, we will never have it again.

“As you can see in Lagos or Nigeria, the fans don’t even trust the artiste anymore; they don’t buy the tickets. We own Afrobeats. That’s the reason I’m here.”

His words resonated with the audience, highlighting the importance of nurturing and sustaining the growth of the music industry in Nigeria.

Rema’s triumph came after facing stiff competition from notable artistes such as Asake, Kizz Daniel, Ruger, Omah Lay, and Burna Boy, marking a significant milestone in his burgeoning career.

His win is a testament to his incredible achievements in the music industry over the past year, as well as several groundbreaking records he set.

One of the notable milestones contributing to Rema’s victory was his record-breaking entry onto the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

In March 2023, his single ‘Calm Down, featuring Selena Gomez, reached the Top 10 Hot 100 chart and eventually peaked at an impressive No. 5, making it the highest-peaking Nigerian song on the Billboard Hot 100 to date and has garnered a total of 613 million views on youtube as of today.

Additionally, Rema achieved the remarkable feat of becoming the first Nigerian Pop artiste to secure the No. 1 spot on US Pop Radio with his hit single ‘Calm Down, featuring American singer, Selena Gomez.