/ 16 January 2025

Bold innovations for this year’s Trace Awards — and beyond

Olivier Laouchez 7576
Olivier Laouchez (Photo supplied)

The Trace Awards & Summit, taking place in Zanzibar from 24 to 26 February, promise to showcase the best and brightest in African music from across the continent and the diaspora. 

The awards feature a fan-driven voting system that accounts for half of the final decision, ensuring that audiences have a voice in recognising their favourite artists. 

Voting, which is open, will close on 15 February.

This year, the Trace Awards will feature a range of categories celebrating musical excellence across different regions and genres. 

Global awards will include song of the year, album of the year, best collaboration, best music video and best DJ, as well as best dancer and best hip hop, while the pan-African awards will recognise the best global African and best male and female artists. 

Regional awards will honour standout talent from Anglophone, Francophone and Lusophone Africa. In addition, there will be international and diaspora awards celebrating artists from Europe, Brazil, the Caribbean and Indian Ocean nations.

In an exclusive interview with the Mail & Guardian, chief executive and co-founder Olivier Laouchez shares insights on why music awards like Trace continue to matter, despite the rapidly evolving industry. 

We also delve into what fans can expect from this year’s edition, including how the awards will reflect the current trends and voices shaping African music today.

In an era where digital platforms allow artists to connect with audiences directly, what role do award shows such as the Trace Awards play in promoting African and Afro Urban music?

Two key factors stand out. First, people still crave unique experiences beyond digital content. 

While the event will be streamed on TV and social media, the live experience of seeing multiple major artists perform together in one location remains special. Award show performances often differ from music videos, with surprise collaborations that you won’t find on YouTube or TV.

The second is Trace’s Afro-Urban DNA. When I founded Trace 22 years ago, my vision was to create a platform uniting all music genres of African descent. At the Trace Awards, we feature artists from the Caribbean, Brazil, South Africa, Nigeria, the UK and France, each representing different musical styles like amapiano, Afrobeat, reggae, zouk and bongo flava. 

There are very few large-scale events in Africa due to high costs and funding challenges. 

Thanks to our global partnerships and financial strength, we are able to bring this unique, multicultural event to life, offering something no one else in the world does.

With so many award shows on the calendar, what sets Trace apart in terms of vision, impact and relevance to artists and audiences?

The Trace Awards stand out for their global reach and impact. While TV ratings may have dipped due to the rise of multiple platforms, the awards continue to attract significant viewership. The first edition reached nearly 500 million people worldwide, with strong exposure on TV and social media. 

This year, we’ve partnered with MediaCo, the parent company of [New York radio station] Hot 97, to expand our reach in the US. We have also cemented partnerships with YouTube and other African broadcasters for broader visibility.

While TV viewership has declined slightly, digital engagement has grown, especially among younger audiences who love the competition and the artists’ style. 

However, the rise of global superstars such as Burna Boy, Tyla and Rema has made it more challenging to secure their participation, as they now demand international recognition.

The global appetite for African music, from Afrobeats to amapiano, has exploded, with artists like Rema topping charts worldwide. 

Trace was founded with the vision of showcasing African culture globally and we’re excited about the increasing impact of the awards. 

We receive daily requests from fans eager to attend, demonstrating the growing demand for African music and culture.

How does Trace support the careers of award nominees and winners beyond the ceremony, especially in terms of international recognition and long-term growth?

Trace goes beyond traditional media exposure through its 26 TV channels and digital platforms, allowing us to promote artists across many countries. This extensive reach enables us to support artists beyond local markets.

We also have Trace Academia, a programme offering free online courses on the music industry. These help artists understand their rights, monetise their work and protect their interests — an essential resource since many artists are unaware of the complexities of the industry.

Trace for Artists, provides solutions for independent musicians to distribute music on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon. 

This service includes promotional tools to help artists stand out in a crowded market, with more than 120 000 new songs released daily.

With 22 million fans on social media and 250 million viewers across our TV channels worldwide, Trace is a key contributor to the global success of African artists, offering not only exposure, but also the resources needed for long-term growth and international recognition.

The voting system for the Trace Awards is split 50/50 between fans and an expert jury. Why is this balance important? Trace has not publicly disclosed the identities of its judges in previous years, leading to some criticism. Can you explain the rationale behind this?

We decided not to give 100% of the vote to the public because of the disparity in population sizes across African countries. For instance, Nigeria has 200 million people, while Cabo Verde has only two to three million. Without balance, countries with larger populations could dominate the vote unfairly. 

To address this, we introduced expert judges, who help ensure fairness and reduce the risk of vote manipulation or bribery. Trace has about 40 experts who programme and curate music. These individuals, who are part of the team that decides on the music played on Trace, make up the majority of our jury. 

Their experience ensures credibility but we choose not to disclose their identities to protect them from pressure, including corruption attempts, which could occur in some countries. As part of this process, I help ensure everything is balanced and fair.

There have been criticisms regarding the Trace Awards’ recognition of certain contributors, such as video directors. How has the organisation addressed these concerns to ensure more inclusive recognition of all contributors to the music industry?

We’ve addressed this by awarding the best music video trophy to both the artist and the director. So, there will now be two trophies.

As for credits, the director’s name is now included in most music videos, often appearing at the beginning with phrases like “a film by …” or similar. While we could have removed that, we chose to keep it in order to ensure the work of the director — the talent behind the video’s conception and production — is recognised. 

That said, the artist’s input is also crucial, as they play a key role in shaping their image in the video. It’s a collaboration between the director and the artist, which is why we decided to reward both.

How does Trace plan to continue evolving the awards to stay relevant and supportive of emerging trends and artists in the Afro-urban music scene?

This year, we’re bringing a major innovation to the award ceremony. 

Most awards globally consist of performances and awards without much consistency or storytelling. This year, we’re working with a creative team to introduce a new dimension to the awards, something that’s never been done before. 

Given our DNA, and the diversity of Afro-centric music, we want to tell the story of these different musical genres and their African roots.

We want attendees to experience the show as more than just a ceremony, but as a kind of documentary or film, with a clear storyline, allowing them to learn about the connections between samba from Brazil, rumba from Congo, zouk from the Caribbean and amapiano from South Africa. 

We’re working to translate this vision into the show, offering an editorial dimension beyond entertainment.

Additionally, the awards will take place in Zanzibar this year, renowned for its beautiful beaches. Instead of a traditional venue, we’re building a stage outdoors, with special production elements like drones.

Finally, we ensure that all artists attending the awards will perform, so no one leaves empty-handed. 

This will also foster more collaborations than usual, making this year’s awards stand out in terms of production, location and collaboration.

Are there any initiatives or partnerships that Trace is exploring to further enhance the impact of the awards and support for African artists globally, such as mentorship programmes and  funding opportunities?

Trace is launching a new platform, Trace + (www.trace.plus), during the awards, offering a comprehensive view of everything we do. This platform will include all our TV channels, a TV guide, on-demand content, documentaries, radio stations and Trace Academia courses for artists. 

Additionally, we are partnering with Canal+ to premiere a documentary series on African superstars, starting with South Africa.

Before the awards, we’ll host a two-day summit with conferences, masterclasses and workshops on the future of the African music industry. 

This event will allow industry leaders and artists to share knowledge and engage with young talent.

The summit will take place from 24 to 26 February and, leading up to the awards, we will organise a tour in 10 countries to present the nominees, in partnership with sponsors like Johnnie Walker and Airtel.

How do the Trace Awards foster deeper connections between artists and their fan bases through initiatives such as voting, social media engagement and other interactive experiences?

Artists today are media entities in their own right, with millions of followers. However, Trace provides an important function by curating and validating content, helping fans navigate the overwhelming amount of new music. 

With so much content out there, we ensure that artists and songs of quality stand out.

Trace Awards offer vital recognition for artists who may not have the opportunity to win major global awards like the Grammys. The pride artists feel when they are recognised by Trace is significant. 

Last year, for instance, when Davido won an award alongside Musa Keys, both shared the moment across social media, showcasing how much Trace’s recognition means to them.

In addition to the traditional categories, this year, we’ve introduced a best producer award. 

While some artists are multi-talented and produce their own music, many work closely with talented producers and collaborators. 

These professionals work tirelessly behind the scenes to craft hits and we want to acknowledge their essential contributions. 

Recognising producers emphasises the importance of the entire team behind an artist’s success.

Trace has always focused on elevating African artists and music and we understand the value of highlighting the full creative ecosystem that supports these stars. 

Our goal is to continue providing recognition and creating a platform where all contributors — from artists to producers — are celebrated for their role in shaping music that connects with fans globally.

Can you share any initiatives that Trace is working on to support the management of music rights in Africa and how they might affect the industry?

Yes, there’s one more thing. We are in the process of launching a solution to help better manage music rights in Africa. 

In many African countries, people don’t pay for music rights — rights for composers, writers and so on —because it’s extremely complicated. 

We are set to announce the launch of a platform called TRM — Trace Right Management — during the awards. 

We’ve signed a deal with the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo for the next 15 years. With this platform, we will manage all the music rights in the DRC — and we’re also in talks with Nigeria, Tanzania and other countries to expand.

The platform aims to support Collective Management Organisations, like those that manage royalties for artists. 

These organisations need a digital engine and ecosystem to collect funds and pay artists but many can’t afford to develop these systems on their own. We’ve designed and developed this solution with partners to address this gap.

To give you an idea, last year, less than $70 million in music rights were paid across Africa, while the market’s potential is estimated to be between $1 billion and $2 billion. 

This is due to the lack of infrastructure in most countries to identify, collect and distribute music rights. 

So, in partnership with key players, we are working to bring a solution to this challenge.