Trace, the Afro-urban music and culture platform, has announced that it will hold its next award ceremony in Zanzibar, Tanzania.

The event will take place from February 24 to 26, 2025, at the luxurious Mora 5-star resort.

The ceremony will begin with a two-day summit featuring panel sessions and masterclasses on African creative industries, technology, and branding.

The award night, scheduled for February 26, will broadcast live across 25 Trace channels and in over 200 English, French, and Portuguese-speaking countries.

Olivier Laouchez, Trace co-founder and executive chairman, said the summit aims to empower African artistes with essential tools for success in the global music landscape.

“We are excited to celebrate Africa’s creative heartbeat by spotlighting music legends and rising stars,” Laouchez said.

“The awards and summit seek to empower artists with essential tools for success in today’s global landscape. The event will transform Zanzibar into a vibrant epicentre of music, culture, and innovation.”

Mudrik Ramadhan Soraga, Zanzibar’s minister of tourism, expressed pride in hosting the prestigious event, highlighting the island’s unique blend of nature, culture, and innovation.

“Zanzibar is proud to host the Trace Awards and Summit, a celebration of Africa’s vibrant music and culture on the global stage,” he said.

“This event strengthens our commitment to sustainable tourism and promotes Zanzibar as a premier MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) destination.

“It will showcase our island’s beauty and diversity, while highlighting our efforts to preserve its unique environment and culture. We invite the world to experience Zanzibar’s exceptional charm, where nature, culture, and innovation come together.”

The 2025 Trace Awards will feature 28 categories representing popular African music genres, including Afrobeats, Amapiano, Dancehall, Afro-pop, and more. The list of nominees will be unveiled on December 4, with voting to begin on December 18.

By hosting the Trace Awards, Zanzibar aims to position itself as a premier destination for music, culture, and innovation, promoting sustainable tourism and preserving its unique environment and culture.

Amid the chaos of war raging in the Middle East and in other parts of the world, another critical battle is unfolding online where embattled communities are uniting and forging a powerful resistance, sometimes against oppressive regimes.

In Bangladesh, digital activists organised protests that led to regime change in August 2024. In Kenya and in other African countries online and real-life protests have shaped people’s participation and created a movement against corrupt and unlawful leaders. In Europe including the Western Balkans, and in the Middle East and North African region projects driving youth activism and civic participation are being implemented to promote online media literacy and defend the value of constructive and responsible activism.

Register now, join MDI online event,on 31 October from 17.00-18.15 Jordan time (UTC+3) to meet young digital activists from Asia, Europe and Africa as well as other experts to discuss the power of social media to keep decision makers accountable and using digital tools in a responsible way.

Our speakers will share insights into the protests and the online media projects they are/have been involved with. 

“We are grateful to UNESCO for giving the MDI the opportunity to share experiences of involving young people’s voices in shaping their future.” – Milica Pesic, panel moderator, MDI Executive Director.  

“Rather than saying ‘Give me a place to stand and I will move the earth’ as boasted by the great Scientist, Archimedes, youths from GenZ have a social media place to stand, a digital identity to uphold and with it, they intend to shake the world” Olunifesi Suraj, speaker, Associate Professor of Mass Communication, University of Lagos. 

“Digital activism is not just about hashtags; it’s about diverse voices translating virtual solidarity into real-world change.” – Hana Kojakovic, speaker, MDI Get The Trolls Out ! Project Manager. 

“Online innovative storytelling allows for a wide range of voices to be heard, particularly from underrepresented communities.”- Yazan Abu al Rous, speaker, Salam Online Project Manager. 

“Chaite gelam odhikar, hoye gelam Razakar.” (Demanded rights, only to become Razakar.) – The July Uprising in Bangladesh began as a peaceful student protest for quota reform in government jobs but escalated into a national non-cooperation movement, ultimately leading to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation and flight to India.” – Raheed Ejaz, speaker, diplomatic correspondent at Daily Prothom Alo.  

This online event is organised in the framework of the Global Media and Information Literacy Week Conference will be hosted by UNESCO and the Hashemite Kingdom on 30-31 October 2024 in Amman, Jordan. 

To interview our speakers, please contact Anthea Kasonga, MDI Communications team: anthea.kasonga@media-diversity.org 

Grammy-nominated Nigerian music artist Ayra Starr will perform a special YouTube Live concert streamed globally from Nairobi, Kenya.

This concert will offer fans an intimate experience as Ayra Starr will perform new tracks from ‘The Year I Turned 21” alongside other fan favourites.

The event, produced in partnership with Raha Fest, will celebrate the release of her sophomore album, ‘The Year I Turned 21”, and will be available for fans worldwide to experience on her official YouTube channel.

The event will be livestreamed on YouTube, giving audiences around the world, the chance to be part of this special moment. Fans, Mobstarrs, as she calls them will also have the opportunity to engage directly with Ayra Starr through the ‘Woman Commando” YouTube Shorts challenge, allowing them to create and share their interpretations of her hit single.

Additionally, exclusive behind-the-scenes content will be captured, adding another layer of excitement to the experience, which will be shared on YouTube.

Nairobi, with its vibrant music scene, deep roots in African culture, and a youth population that adores Ayra Starr, was chosen as the perfect setting for this electrifying performance. Ayra’s growing fan base across Kenya and East Africa makes the city a fitting backdrop for her first YouTube Live concert.

Speaking about the concert, Ayra Starr said, ‘Performing live is where I get to connect deeply with my fans, and I’m so excited to do this on a global scale from Nairobi. This album means so much to me, and I’m looking forward to sharing it with everyone through YouTube.”

Fans all over the world can tune in to watch the concert live on October 20, 2024, at 9 PM EAT on Ayra Starr’s official YouTube channel: YouTube.com/AyraStarr.