IN recent years, the Nigerian music Industry has experienced significant growth and evolution. The emergence of new technology and the rise of digital streaming platforms have made Nigerian artistes reach a global audience.

This has expanded the reach of Nigerian music and also brought about international collaborations and partnerships.

With the global acceptance of Afrobeats, Nigerian artistes have gained international acclaim and collaborations with international artistes, which has helped to further elevate the genre’s profile.

In 2023 alone, these artistes, particularly Burna Boy, Rema, Davido among others have performed at global stages, selling out stadiums and bagging various awards while also maintaining a strong position on streaming platforms.

In this report, The ICIR compiled a list of some notable moments in the Nigerian music industry 2023.

Rema’s wins

Rema whose government name is Divine Ikubor, made a name for himself and a significant mark in the entertainment industry in 2023.  He became the African artistes with the most streamed African album and song on Spotify where he surpassed 1 billion streams on the platform. He also became the first African act to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 for a year, with his song  ‘Calm Down’ making it to the Billboard Hot 100 at number 3.

Rema also clinched various awards, including Best Male Artiste at the 16th Headies Awards, Best Afrobeats category award winner, 2023 MTV VMA and MTV Europe Music Awards (EMA) respectively, among others.

He also sold out and performed at some notable global stages, including his iconic performance at the 67th Ballon D’Or in France.

Davido’s new album and world performances

David Adeleke, widely known as Davido has been a sensation in the Nigerian music industry for over a decade. After the death of his son in 2022, he went on a long break away from the music industry.

He returned in March this year with the release of his fourth studio album ‘Timeless’ which has been a global hit, topping charts and winning various awards including Trace Awards, MTV EMA, among others.

The album also earned him his first Grammy nominations for the categories including, Best Global Music Album, Beat African Music Performance and Best Global Music performance.

In October, Davido and his wife, Chioma welcomed a set of twins in the United States of America (USA).

Asake’s global rise to prominence

Since Asake’s signing to YBNL Records under the ownership of Olamide, he has become a sensation dominating the Nigerian entertainment industry.

In 2022, after the release of his ‘Mr Money with the Vibe’ album, he rose to global prominence, selling out shows at home and abroad.

In 2023, he released an album ’Work of Art’ which topped the charts and earned him numerous awards, including his first Grammy nomination for the category of Best African Music alongside Ayra Starr.

He is also the most streamed artiste in Nigeria on Spotify for 2023 and also among the most streamed artiste in sub-Saharan Africa following Burna Boy who led the list.