Ghana's Kuami Eugene wins 2020 Africa Youth Award

Launched in 2014, the Pan African awards are run by Ghanaian PR and rating company Avance Media with the goal of celebrating outstanding young Africans contributing to the development of the continent across various disciplines. It was held in partnership with Kenley College in the UK and winners were chosen after public votes.

The singer-songwriter beat competition from colleague musicians Fireboy DML and Joeboy (Nigeria), Nasty C and Sho Madjozi (South Africa), Carmen Soliman (Egypt) and Souhila Ben Lachhab (Algeria), among others.

The award adds to high-profile 2020 honours for the ‘Open Gate’ singer, who is also the reigning VGMAs Artist of the Year. In 2019, the musician was also named among Africa 35.35’s list of ‘Young Innovators Making Africa Great’.

“The 2020 awards involved 129 nominees from across the continent and did inspire us to know that a lot of young people in Africa are contributing in various ways to inspire the next generation," Africa Youth Awards president Prince Akpah told Music In Africa. “All winners will be engaged in various activities including taking up studies with Kenley College in the UK on scholarship and participate in other training activities throughout the year."

Other winners from the awards include Eco-Pads Uganda founder Lucy Mary Athieno, biomedical engineer and design expert Habtamu Abafogi, YouTuber Kwadwo Sheldon and The Hummingbird Foundation founder, Claire Nasike Akello. 

Meanwhile, African musicians including Simi, Burna Boy, Diamond Platnumz and Bobi Wine made Avance Media’s list of 100 Most Influential Young Africans for 2020, which was announced on 4 November.