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Afros in tha City

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2023 Billboard Music Awards: The Complete Winners List

November 20, 2023 in Entertainment, Music

The 2023 Billboard Music Awards have rocked the lines and we are proud of Afrobeats for shining bright at the annual awards show!

The annual music awards show, presented by Marriott Bonvoy, aired Sunday via BBMAs. This year's show introduced nine new categories: top Hot 100 songwriter, top Hot 100 producer, top rock duo/group, top global K-pop artist, top K-pop tour, top K-pop album, top global K-pop song, top Afrobeats artist and top Afrobeats song.

Performers at the 2023 BBMAs included Mariah Carey, Tate McRae, David Guetta and Bebe Rexha, Stray Kids, Karol G, NewJeans, Peso Pluma and Morgan Wallen.

See below for the full list of 2023 BBMAs winners.

ARTIST AWARDS

Top Artist

  • Drake

  • Luke Combs

  • Morgan Wallen

  • SZA

  • Taylor Swift

 Top New Artist

  •  Bailey Zimmerman

  • Ice Spice

  •  Jelly Roll

  •  Peso Pluma

  •  WINNER: Zach Bryan

 Top Male Artist

  •  Drake

  • Luke Combs

  • Morgan Wallen

  • The Weeknd

  • Zach Bryan

Top Female Artist

  •  Beyoncé

  • Miley Cyrus

  • Olivia Rodrigo

  • SZA

  • Taylor Swift

 Top Duo/Group

  •  Eslabon Armado

  • Fifty Fifty

  •  Fuerza Regida

  •  Grupo Frontera

  • Metallica

 Top Billboard 200 Artist

  •  Drake

  • Luke Combs

  • Morgan Wall

  • SZA

  • Taylor Swift

 Top Hot 100 Artist

  •  Drake

  • Luke Combs

  • Morgan Wallen

  • SZA

  • Taylor Swift

 Top Hot 100 Songwriter (NEW)

  •  Ashley Gorley

  • Jack Antonoff

  • SZA

  • Taylor Swift

  • Zach Bryan

 Top Hot 100 Producer (NEW)

  • Jack Antonoff

  • WINNER: Joey Moi

  • Metro Boomin

  •  Taylor Swift 

  • Zach Bryan

Top Streaming Songs Artist

  •  Drake

  •  Morgan Wallen

  •  SZA

  •  Taylor Swift

  •  Zach Bryan

 Top Radio Songs Artist

  •  Miley Cyrus

  •  Morgan Wallen

  •  SZA

  •  Taylor Swift

  •  The Weeknd

Top Song Sales Artist

  •  Jason Aldean

  •  Miley Cyrus

  •  Morgan Wallen

  •  Oliver Anthony Music

  •  Taylor Swift

Top Billboard Global 200 Artist

  •  Bad Bunny

  •  Morgan Wallen

  •  SZA

  •  Taylor Swift

  •  The Weeknd

Top Billboard Global (Excl. U.S.) Artist

  •  Bad Bunny

  •  Ed Sheeran

  •  NewJeans

  •  Taylor Swift

  •  The Weeknd

Top R&B Artist

  • Beyoncé

  • Chris Brown

  •  Rihanna

  •  WINNER: SZA

  •  The Weeknd

 Top R&B Male Artist

  •  Chris Brown

  •  Miguel

  •  WINNER: The Weeknd

 Top R&B Female Artist

  • Beyoncé

  •  Rihanna

  •  WINNER: SZA

Top R&B Touring Artist

  • WINNER: Beyoncé

  •  Bruno Mars

  •  The Weeknd

Top Rap Artist

  • 21 Savage

  • WINNER: Drake

  • Lil Baby

  • Metro Boomin

  •  Travis Scott

Top Rap Male Artist

  • 21 Savage

  •  WINNER: Drake

  •  Travis Scott

Top Rap Female Artist

  •  Doja Cat

  •  Ice Spice

  • WINNER: Nicki Minaj

 Top Rap Touring Artist

  •  50 Cent

  •  WINNER: Drake

  •  Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa

 Top Country Artist

  • Bailey Zimmerman

  • Luke Combs

  • Morgan Wallen

  • Taylor Swift

  • Zach Bryan

Top Country Male Artist

  •  Luke Combs

  •  Morgan Wallen

  •  Zach Bryan

 Top Country Female Artist

  • Lainey Wilson

  • Megan Moroney

  • Taylor Swift

Top Country Duo/Group

  • Old Dominion

  • Parmalee

  • WINNER: Zac Brown Band

 Top Country Touring Artist

  •  George Strait

  •  Luke Combs

  •  Morgan Wallen

Top Rock Artist

  • Jelly Roll

  • Noah Kahan

  • Stephen Sanchez

  •  Steve Lacy

  •  WINNER: Zach Bryan

 Top Rock Duo/Group (NEW)

  • WINNER: Arctic Monkeys

  •  Foo Fighters

  •  Metallica

 Top Rock Touring Artist

  •  WINNER: Coldplay

  •  Depeche Mode

  •  Elton John

Top Latin Artist

  • WINNER: Bad Bunny

  •  Eslabon Armado

  •  Fuerza Regida

  •  Karol G

  •  Peso Pluma

 Top Latin Male Artist

  • WINNER: Bad Bunny

  •  Peso Pluma

  •  Rauw Alejandro

Top Latin Female Artist

  • WINNER: Karol G

  • ROSALÍA

  •  Shakira

 Top Latin Duo/Group

  •  Eslabon Armado

  •  Fuerza Regida

  •  Grupo Frontera

 Top Latin Touring Artist

  •  Daddy Yankee

  •  WINNER: Karol G

  •  RBD

 Top Global K-Pop Artist (NEW)

  •  Jimin

  • WINNER: NewJeans

  • Stray Kids

  • TOMORROW X TOGETHER

  •  TWICE

 Top K-Pop Touring Artist (NEW)

  • WINNER: BLACKPINK

  •  SUGA

  •  TWICE

 Top Afrobeats Artist (NEW)

  •  WINNER: Burna Boy

  •  Libianca

  •  Rema

  •  Tems

  •  Wizkid

Top Dance/Electronic Artist

  • WINNER: Beyoncé

  • Calvin Harris

  • David Guetta

  • Drake

  • Tiësto

Top Christian Artist

  • Brandon Lake

  • Elevation Worship

  • for KING & COUNTRY

  • WINNER: Lauren Daigle

  • Phil Wickham

Top Gospel Artist

  • CeCe Winans

  • Elevation Worship

  • WINNER: Kanye West

  • Kirk Franklin

  • Maverick City Music

 ALBUM AWARDS

Top Billboard 200 Album

  • Drake & 21 Savage, Her Loss

  • Metro Boomin, HEROES & VILLAINS

  • Morgan Wallen, One Thing at a Time

  • SZA, SOS

  • Taylor Swift, Midnights

Top Soundtrack
WINNER: Barbie: The Album

  • Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Music From and Inspired By ELVIS

  • Metro Boomin Presents Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Soundtrack From and Inspired by the Motion Picture)

  • Top Gun: Maverick

Top R&B Album

  • Beyoncé, RENAISSANCE

  • Brent Faiyaz, WASTELAND

  • Drake, Honestly, Nevermind

  • Steve Lacy, Gemini Rights

  • WINNER: SZA, SOS

Top Rap Album

  • WINNER: Drake & 21 Savage, Her Loss

  • Future, I Never Liked You

  • Lil Baby, It’s Only Me

  • Metro Boomin, HEROES & VILLAINS

  • Travis Scott, UTOPIA

Top Country Album

  • Luke Combs, Gettin’ Old

  • Luke Combs, Growin’ Up

  • Morgan Wallen, One Thing at a Time

  • Taylor Swift, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)

  • Zach Bryan, American Heartbreak

Top Rock Album

  • HARDY, the mockingbird & THE CROW

  • Jelly Roll, Whitsitt Chapel

  • Noah Kahan, Stick Season

  • Steve Lacy, Gemini Rights

  • WINNER: Zach Bryan, American Heartbreak

Top Latin Album

  • WINNER: Bad Bunny, Un Verano Sin Ti

  • Eslabon Armado, DESVELADO

  • Ivan Cornejo, Dañado

  • Karol G, MAÑANA SERÁ BONITO

  • Peso Pluma, GÉNESIS

Top K-Pop Album (NEW)

  • Jimin, FACE

  • NewJeans, 2nd EP ‘Get Up’

  • Stray Kids, 5-STAR

  • TOMORROW X TOGETHER, The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION

  • TWICE, READY TO BE: 12th Mini Album

Top Dance/Electronic Album

  • WINNER: Beyoncé, RENAISSANCE

  • Drake, Honestly, Nevermind

  • ILLENIUM, ILLENIUM

  • Kim Petras, Feed the Beast

  • Tiësto, DRIVE

Top Christian Album

  • WINNER: Anne Wilson, My Jesus

  • Brandon Lake, House of Miracles

  • CAIN, Rise Up

  • Elevation Worship, LION

  • Lauren Daigle, Lauren Daigle

Top Gospel Album

  • Jonathan McReynolds, My Truth

  • WINNER: Maverick City Music x Kirk Franklin, Kingdom Book One

  • Tye Tribbett, All Things New

  • Whitney Houston, I Go to the Rock: The Gospel Music of Whitney Houston

  • Zacardi Cortez, Imprint (Live in Memphis)

 

SONG AWARDS

 Top Hot 100 Song

  • Metro Boomin, The Weeknd & 21 Savage, “Creepin’”

  • Miley Cyrus, “Flowers”

  • Morgan Wallen, “Last Night”

  • SZA, “Kill Bill”

  • Taylor Swift, “Anti-Hero”

Top Streaming Song

  • Miley Cyrus, “Flowers”

  • Morgan Wallen, “Last Night”

  • SZA, “Kill Bill”

  • Taylor Swift, “Anti-Hero”

  •  Zach Bryan, “Something in the Orange”

Top Radio Song

  • Metro Boomin, The Weeknd & 21 Savage, “Creepin’”

  • WINNER: Miley Cyrus, “Flowers”

  • Rema & Selena Gomez, “Calm Down”

  • Taylor Swift, “Anti-Hero”

  • The Weeknd & Ariana Grande “Die for You”

Top Selling Song

  • Jason Aldean, “Try That in a Small Town”

  • Jimin, ‘Like Crazy”

  • Miley Cyrus,“Flowers”

  • Oliver Anthony Music, “Rich Men North of Richmond”

  • Taylor Swift, “Anti-Hero”

Top Collaboration

  • David Guetta & Bebe Rexha, “I’m Good (Blue)”

  • WINNER: Metro Boomin, The Weeknd & 21 Savage, “Creepin’”

  • Rema & Selena Gomez, “Calm Down”

  • Sam Smith & Kim Petras, “Unholy”

  • The Weeknd & Ariana Grande, “Die for You”

Top Billboard Global 200 Song

  • WINNER: Miley Cyrus, “Flowers”

  • Rema & Selena Gomez, “Calm Down”

  • SZA, “Kill Bill”

  • Taylor Swift, “Anti-Hero”

  • The Weeknd & Ariana Grande, “Die for You”

Top Billboard Global (Excl. U.S.) Song

  • David Guetta & Bebe Rexha, “I’m Good (Blue)”

  •  Harry Styles, “As It Was”

  • WINNER: Miley Cyrus, “Flowers”

  • Rema & Selena Gomez, “Calm Down”

  • The Weeknd & Ariana Grande, “Die for You”

Top R&B Song

  • Metro Boomin, The Weeknd & 21 Savage, “Creepin’”

  • Miguel, “Sure Thing”

  • The Weeknd & Ariana Grande, “Die for You”

  • WINNER: SZA, “Kill Bill”

  •  SZA, “Snooze”

Top Rap Song

  • Coi Leray, “Players”

  • WINNER: Drake & 21 Savage, “Rich Flex”

  • Gunna, “fukumean”

  • Lil Durk ft. J. Cole, “All My Life”

  • Toosii, “Favorite Song”

Top Country Song

  • Bailey Zimmerman, “Rock and a Hard Place”

  • Luke Combs, “Fast Car”

  • Morgan Wallen, “Last Night”

  • Morgan Wallen, “You Proof”

  • Zach Bryan, “Something in the Orange”

Top Rock Song

  •  Jelly Roll, “Need A Favor”

  •  Stephen Sanchez, “Until I Found You”

  • Steve Lacy, “Bad Habit”

  • Zach Bryan ft. Kacey Musgraves, “I Remember Everything”

  • WINNER: Zach Bryan, “Something in the Orange”

Top Latin Song

  •  WINNER: Eslabon Armado x Peso Pluma, “Ella Baila Sola”

  • Fuerza Regida x Grupo Frontera, “Bebe Dame”

  • Grupo Frontera x Bad Bunny, “un x100to”

  • Karol G & Shakira, “TQG”

  •  Yng Lvcas x Peso Pluma, “La Bebe”

Top Global K-Pop Song (NEW)

  •  Fifty Fifty, “Cupid”

  •  Jimin, “Like Crazy”

  • Jungkook ft. Latto, “Seven”

  • NewJeans, “Ditto”

  • NewJeans, “OMG”

Top Afrobeats Song (NEW)

  •  Ayra Starr, “Rush”

  •  Libianca, “People”

  •  Oxlade, “KU LO SA”

  •  WINNER: Rema & Selena Gomez, “Calm Down”

  •  Victony, Rema, & Tempoe ft. Don Toliver, “Soweto”

Top Dance/Electronic Song

  • Bizarrap & Shakira, “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53”

  •  David Guetta, Anne-Marie & Coi Leray, “Baby Don’t Hurt Me”

  •  WINNER: David Guetta & Bebe Rexha, “I’m Good (Blue)”

  •  Elton John & Britney Spears, “Hold Me Closer”

  •  Tiësto ft. Tate McRae, “10:35”

Top Christian Song

  •  WINNER: Brandon Lake, “Gratitude”

  •  Chris Tomlin, “Holy Forever”

  •  for KING & COUNTRY with Jordin Sparks, “Love Me Like I Am”

  •  Lauren Daigle, “Thank God I Do”

  •  Phil Wickham, “This Is Our God

Top Gospel Song

  •  WINNER: CeCe Winans, “Goodness of God”

  •  Crowder & Dante Bowe ft. Maverick City Music, “God Really Loves Us”

  •  Elevation Worship ft. Chandler Moore & Tiffany Hudson, “More Than Able”

  •  Maverick City Music & Kirk Franklin ft. Brandon Lake & Chandler Moore, “Fear is Not My Future”

  • Zacardi Cortez, “Lord Do It for Me (Live in Memphis)

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AITC - August 2026

Featured
Afros in tha City - August 2026 - Adrian Younge
Identity, Music
Afros in tha City - August 2026 - Adrian Younge
Identity, Music

& Afro-Disco Makossa: The Dance Floor Record He’s Always Wanted to Spin & More.

Music never arrives without a history. It carries places, technologies, memories and the fingerprints of those who came before.

For our August cover story, Afros in tha City sits down with Adrian Younge to explore the sounds, relationships and creative philosophy behind Afro-Disco Makossa—a record born from his long-held desire to create music for the dance floor without surrendering the depth, musicianship or historical consciousness that defines his work.

Drawing from makossa, soul, funk and disco, the album does not treat these traditions as relics to be reproduced. Younge approaches them as living languages: sounds capable of holding their histories while continuing to move, transform and speak to the present. The result is music designed for movement, connection and deep listening—a record that looks backward only to understand where it might travel next.

But this conversation extends far beyond one album.

Younge reflects on the trust that can only be built through consistency, his enduring creative partnership with Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and the ecosystem they have created through Jazz Is Dead. Rather than positioning legendary musicians as figures frozen in the past, the platform invites living artists to continue creating, experimenting and adding new chapters to their own stories.

He also speaks about attending law school because he wanted to become what he calls “an educated artist”—someone equipped to understand contracts, intellectual property, ownership and the structures surrounding the work. His independence is not simply an aesthetic or an industry label. It is knowledge, preparation, discipline and the infrastructure required to protect a creative life.

That philosophy carries particular weight for an independent publication like ours. Building outside traditional systems requires more than vision. It requires learning how the machinery works, deciding what must remain yours and creating an ecosystem capable of supporting the work long after the excitement of an idea has passed.

Throughout the conversation, Younge retains the curiosity that first led him toward music. “We’re just bigger kids,” he says—a reminder that serious artistic practice does not require abandoning wonder. Growth can mean becoming more skilled, more informed and more intentional while remaining open enough to keep discovering.

This is a cover story about a dance-floor record, but it is also about something larger: how artists honour history without becoming trapped inside it, how independence is built rather than declared, and how curiosity keeps the conversation moving forward.

Adrian Younge covers the August issue of Afros in tha City.

Read “Afro-Disco Makossa: The Dance Floor Record He’s Always Wanted to Spin” at afrosinthacity.com and in our print publication.

Stories Shaping Culture.

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Identity, Music
Valerie June on the Practice of Joy
Music
Valerie June on the Practice of Joy
Music

A fifteen-minute festival interview with Valerie June begins with crossed schedules and a quiet moment of evaluation. Then the conversation finds its rhythm, becoming something much larger than an exchange about her latest album, Owls, Omens and Oracles.

In “The Practice of Joy,” Kimberley Dooshima Jev speaks with the Grammy-nominated artist about spirituality, independence and building a creative life that remains aligned with your values. June shares how meditation and affirmations become part of ordinary routines, why “small is powerful,” and how she measures the impact of her music through human connection rather than charts, algorithms or scale.

Their conversation also turns toward the ways Black women’s experiences are routinely flattened—and the freedom of creating new platforms instead of waiting for permission to belong. June’s declaration, “I’m keeping my joy because they would want me to,” transforms joy from a fleeting emotion into remembrance, responsibility and an inheritance carried forward.

What begins as an interview about music ultimately clarifies the values guiding Afros in tha City: community over scale, creation over permission and resonance over metrics. It is a reminder that joy is not escapism. It is a deliberate practice—and sometimes, an act of survival.

Read “The Practice of Joy” in full at Afros in tha City or in our print publication.

Read more →
Music
Lowkita - In Her Own Time
Music
Lowkita - In Her Own Time
Music

After nearly a decade between full-length projects, Lowkita returns with Why(Te) Tee—a deeply personal record shaped by motherhood, grief, burnout and the quiet confidence of an artist moving in her own time.

In “In Her Own Time,” Kimberley Dooshima Jev traces the Calgary-born, Vancouver-based artist’s years of rebuilding. Lowkita never stopped creating: she performed, produced, DJed, designed clothing and found new ways to sustain herself while raising her daughter and navigating profound personal loss.

The story also explores the meaning behind Why(Te) Tee. What began with the image of a white T-shirt as a symbol of starting over evolved into a larger meditation on purpose: the “Why” behind continuing, “TE” as a reminder that timing is everything, and the belief that every pause and setback has helped build the project’s foundation.

More than a comeback, Why(Te) Tee is an invitation to meet the person behind Lowkita’s bright, energetic presence. It captures an all-around artist who has learned that consistency does not require constant visibility—and that showing up, on your own terms, can be its own form of success.

Read “In Her Own Time” in full at Afros in tha City or in our print publication.

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Music
"There Has to Be a Festival"
"There Has to Be a Festival"

For Calgary ReggaeFest founder and producer Leo Cripps, success has never been measured by crowd size, celebrity headliners or rapid expansion. It rests on one enduring belief: “There has to be a festival.”

This feature traces more than two decades of quiet resilience—from financial setbacks and pandemic uncertainty to the 2024 cancellation of Sunny Soul Jam. Through it all, Calgary ReggaeFest has built its reputation by growing responsibly, remaining debt-free and honouring its commitments to every artist, vendor and partner.

Cripps also reflects on the festival’s new home at The Rise on St. Patrick’s Island, the generations of families who return each summer and a lineup that carries reggae’s history forward through legends and emerging artists alike.

At its heart, Calgary ReggaeFest is a story of stewardship: choosing sustainability over spectacle and ensuring reggae music and Caribbean culture continue to have a home in Calgary. After more than twenty years, its greatest achievement may be beautifully simple—it kept its promise.

Read the full story at Afros in tha City or in our print publication.

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The Blueprint of Reggae  - Leroy Sibbles Looks Back on Six Decades of Rhythm
Identity, Music
The Blueprint of Reggae - Leroy Sibbles Looks Back on Six Decades of Rhythm
Identity, Music

Few musicians are as inseparable from reggae’s foundations as Leroy Sibbles. As a pioneering bassist and arranger at Studio One and the legendary lead vocalist of The Heptones, he helped create the rhythms, basslines and vocal sound that continue to reverberate through contemporary music.

In “The Blueprint of Reggae,” Cara Eyre speaks with Sibbles about six decades of innovation, from late-night rehearsals in Trench Town and groundbreaking recording sessions with Clement “Coxsone” Dodd to hearing new generations sample and reinterpret the music he helped build.

The conversation also traces the personal journey that brought Sibbles to Canada in the 1970s, where he helped cultivate Toronto’s reggae scene and established a lasting connection to his adopted second home. Looking back, he measures his legacy through the musicians he inspired, the careers he strengthened and the joy his work continues to create.

At the heart of it all is a message of unity. Sibbles’ music has crossed oceans, bridged generations and brought millions together—and after six decades, his invitation remains beautifully simple: “We all sing together.”

Read “The Blueprint of Reggae” in full at Afros in tha City or in our print publication.

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Identity, Music
Walking in Purpose and Royalty A Conversation with Jemere Morgan
Music
Walking in Purpose and Royalty A Conversation with Jemere Morgan
Music

Born into one of reggae’s most celebrated musical families, Jemere Morgan carries a powerful inheritance. But as the grandson of pioneer Denroy Morgan and the son of Gramps Morgan of Morgan Heritage, he is not simply preserving a legacy—he is building one of his own.

In “Walking in Purpose and Royalty,” Cara Eyre speaks with Morgan about spirituality, personal growth and the responsibility he feels each time he creates music. From the uplifting message of “Keep Blazing” to the relationship lessons behind “Know Better,” every song must carry intention and leave listeners with something meaningful.

Morgan also reflects on collaborating with Damian Marley on his third studio album, a more mature and vulnerable project exploring love, emotional growth and life’s difficult seasons. Throughout the conversation, he returns to a guiding belief: music should offer joy, connection and upliftment in a divided world.

For Morgan, legacy is not something fixed or protected. It is a living mission—shaped by experience, carried forward with purpose and strengthened each time the music reaches someone who needs it.

Read “Walking in Purpose and Royalty” in full at Afros in tha City or in our print publication.

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Music
Afros Picks - August 2026
Music
Afros Picks - August 2026
Music

From emotionally revealing R&B and modern jungle to fújì, Afro-Soul, reggae and global pop, this edition of Afros Picks brings together six releases shaping contemporary Black music across borders.

Masego turns inward on Fix Your Face, pairing his signature musicianship with vulnerability and self-reflection. Asake expands his global sound without losing his Nigerian foundations on M$NEY, while Nia Archives makes vulnerable songwriting feel at home alongside exhilarating breakbeats on Emotional Junglist.

Elsewhere, Nigerian Canadian newcomer Osé emerges as an Afro-Soul voice to watch with Feels Like Home. Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 join Kabaka Pyramid on “Problems,” reconnecting Afrobeat and reggae through a shared language of resilience and resistance. Tyla, meanwhile, embraces global pop on A*POP while remaining grounded in the South African identity that first introduced her to the world.

Together, these selections capture artists looking inward, reaching outward and carrying their musical foundations into new territory.

Discover all six Afros Picks at Afros in tha City or in our print publication.

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Music
Rooted & Radiant - Where Trust Begins
Beauty, Wellness
Rooted & Radiant - Where Trust Begins
Beauty, Wellness

Trust often begins long before professional care—in conversations with someone who has consistently made us feel safe.

In “Rooted & Radiant,” Kimberley Dooshima Jev explores the partnership between Nancy Nixon, founder of Neena’s Pink Room, and Tina Ashiofu, founder of Ilera Psychological Services. Together, they are creating the kinds of culturally grounded spaces they once needed themselves.

The story examines how salons can become trusted places for conversations about grief, relationships, migration and mental health—and how beauty professionals can serve as bridges to care without being expected to replace therapists. Drawing on Nancy’s relationships with her clients and Tina’s experience as a Nigerian Canadian psychologist, the feature considers representation, cultural understanding and why beginning therapy can feel more difficult than attending it.

At its heart, Rooted & Radiant is about expanding what community care can look like. It reminds us that healing does not always begin in a clinical space. Sometimes it begins exactly where trust already lives—with someone willing to listen, recognize when more support is needed and help another person take the first step.

Read “Rooted & Radiant” in full at Afros in tha City or in our print publication.

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Beauty, Wellness
Ahmed Moneka - Rooted Like a Tree
Music
Ahmed Moneka - Rooted Like a Tree
Music

In “Rooted Like a Tree,” Moneka shares how the Arabic Maqam traditions of southern Iraq coexist with jazz, funk, reggae, blues, soul and Afro-diasporic rhythms in his evolving musical language. For the Black Iraqi artist, music is more than performance. It is a sacred ritual connecting past, present and future—and a responsibility to the generations on either side of us.

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Music
That ’70s Shootout: How a Calgary Lunch Sparked a Retro Creative Playground
Photography
That ’70s Shootout: How a Calgary Lunch Sparked a Retro Creative Playground
Photography

Curiosity Refresh Workshops creates immersive photography experiences designed to inspire creativity, build community and elevate photographers at every skill level. Through thoughtfully styled shootouts, hands-on workshops and themed events, participants learn, collaborate and create portfolio-worthy images alongside talented models, stylists and industry professionals.

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Photography
Rooted in Nigeria, Rising in Calgary: Cris Kester Is Still Becoming
Music, Lifestyle
Rooted in Nigeria, Rising in Calgary: Cris Kester Is Still Becoming
Music, Lifestyle

Rooted in Nigeria and rebuilding in Calgary, Cris Kester makes music shaped by rhythm, faith, resilience and the determination to keep moving when life refuses to make things easy.

In “Rooted in Nigeria, Rising in Calgary: Cris Kester Is Still Becoming,” Kimberley Dooshima Jev traces how Kester’s upbringing in Cross River State and northern Nigeria continues to live in his storytelling. Through songs including “Can I Speak?,” “Las Las” and “Colourful,” he creates space for pain without surrendering hope, building an emotional bridge between listeners across cultures and borders.

The profile explores the immigrant experience of beginning again, the challenge of introducing yourself to a new city and the faith required to keep creating when life does not yet resemble what you imagined. Standing between the foundation he built in Nigeria and the life he is creating in Canada, Kester is not choosing between two worlds. He is building from both—and he believes his best is still ahead.

Read the full story at Afros in tha City or in our print publication.

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Music, Lifestyle
DOTUN POPOOLA  The Man Redefining Africa's Creative Future  One Piece of Scrap Metal at a Time
Art
DOTUN POPOOLA The Man Redefining Africa's Creative Future One Piece of Scrap Metal at a Time
Art

Dotun Popoola was four years old when he first started experimenting with colour and texture, and nine when his father, recognising the seriousness underneath what looked like a child's restlessness, enrolled him in a local art studio for an apprenticeship.

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Art
NO NATION (AYAKATA) Ginton & ODUMODUBLVCK
Music
NO NATION (AYAKATA) Ginton & ODUMODUBLVCK
Music

By Kimberley Dooshima Jev

Decades after Fela Kuti released “Beasts of No Nation,” its confrontation with power, corruption and political authority remains unfinished.

In “No Nation (Ayakata): Ginton and ODUMODUBLVCK Reach Across Generations to Rework Fela Kuti,” Afros in tha City explores how Amsterdam-based producer and guitarist Ginton and Nigerian rapper ODUMODUBLVCK approach an official contemporary reworking created with the involvement of the Fela Kuti Estate.

The story traces the political weight of Fela’s original recording, Ginton’s history of connecting electronic production with global musical traditions, and ODUMODUBLVCK’s continued commitment to his sound, community and principles. Together, they bring different eras of African music into conversation without attempting to replace the work that came before them.

Fela’s era. Ginton’s interpretation. ODUMODUBLVCK’s generation.

Read the full story at Afros in tha City or in our print publication.

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Music
SOUND BEFORE SIGHT - How Killer Mike &  The Mighty Midnight Revival brought Atl to tha Folk!
Music
SOUND BEFORE SIGHT - How Killer Mike & The Mighty Midnight Revival brought Atl to tha Folk!
Music

Long before Killer Mike stepped onto the Calgary Folk Music Festival stage, the voices of The Mighty Midnight Revival travelled across Prince’s Island Park.

In “Sound Before Sight,” Kimberley Dooshima Jev reflects on encountering an artist whose music has accompanied her life—from OutKast and ATL to Run the Jewels and Michael Render’s evolution as an artist, entrepreneur, community leader and public voice.

Blending personal history with reflections from Calgary artist TeaFannie, the story explores how hip hop, gospel, soul and testimony transformed one festival performance into something larger: a meeting place for memory, legacy and community. It is also a reflection on the stories, songs and cultural touchstones that travel across borders and generations until they meet us where we are.

Read “Sound Before Sight” in full at Afros in tha City or in our print publication.

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Music
ISLAND IN THE SUN
Photography
ISLAND IN THE SUN
Photography

Through Emma Ryan’s lens, the 2026 Calgary Folk Music Festival comes alive in colour, movement & connection. From intimate stage moments to the energy of the crowd, her photographs capture the artists, audiences and shared joy that filled Prince’s Island Park. Explore this visual celebration of live music, community and a summer festival weekend that brought the city together. Photos by Emma Ryan.

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Photography

July 2026 - The Omnibus - Print July 2026 - The Omnibus - Print
Sold Out
July 2026 - The Omnibus - Print
CA$50.00

The Summer Omnibus is our most ambitious issue yet. Bringing together seven months of journalism, photography, and storytelling, this special collector's edition celebrates Black arts, business, fashion, music, and community across Canada and the diaspora.

Featuring exclusive cover stories with Judith Demosthene, Funmi Osatuyi, Adrianne Williams, Nancy Nixon, Ayokunle Akinsebikan, Femi Jr., and more, this 70-page volume captures the people, ideas, and conversations shaping culture today.

Beautifully printed in limited quantities, the Summer Omnibus is designed to be collected, shared, and revisited long after publication.

Limited print copies available.


“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
— Nelson Mandela



Promotional image of a woman suspended in the air with hand placed above a deluxe jar of DTouch quiet gravity mineral salts


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