Tiwa Savage, Waje, Seyi Shay, Simi and Yemi Alade, five of the most prominent female acts in the Nigerian music industry, go toe-to-toe for the coveted award of Most Popular Female Musician at this year’s edition of NET Honours.
NET Honours recognises achievers in the entertainment industry through a thorough analysis of audience search results, social media interactions and trends, taking into account the year in review.
Tiwa Savage had a relatively successful year in 2020 despite the COVID-19 pandemic. She released her third studio album, Celia, on August 27, 2020, which has been streamed 24 million times on Spotify. In November 2020, she appeared on Davido’s hit track “Tanana”, off the album ‘A Better Time’, which earned her a nomination for Outstanding International Song at the 2021 NAACP Image Awards. Her hit single, “Koroba”, which has been streamed 10 million times on YouTube, was featured in the soundtrack of the 2021 comedy film Coming 2 America.
Waje also had a busy year, enjoying a career resurgence. In December 2020, she released the single “Best Thing”, and that same month she collaborated with Nigerian rapper Ladipoe on the track “Ride or Die” (off Basketmouth’s album Yabasi). On April 16, 2021, she released her 5-track EP, titled Heart Season, which has been streamed 282,000 times on Audiomack. Waje is currently a judge on Season 3 of The Voice Nigeria.
Seyi Shay put in the work during the year in review. In January 2021, she signed a music publishing deal with the France division of Universal Music Publishing Group. In May 2021, she collaborated with Yemi Alade on the song “Pempe”, which gained 764,000 views on YouTube in three weeks. The 35-year-old currently sits as a judge on Nigerian Idol Season 6, where she is popular for her blunt criticism in a style similar to Simon Cowell’s days on American Idol.
Simi, who started her music career as a gospel singer, has been on a roll. Her hit single, “Duduke ”, which garnered 20 million YouTube streams in 5 months, earned her the Best Songwriter Award at the 2021 Headies. In February 2021, she collaborated with Chike on the song “Running To You”, which has become a hit and has been streamed 11 million times on YouTube.
Yemi Alade, who collaborated with Grammy winner Angelique Kidjo on the song “Shekere” in February 2020, showed no intentions of slowing down. In December 2020, she collaborated with Rudeboy on the hit single “Deceive”, which has been streamed 13 million times on YouTube. This year she has dropped three singles: “Temptation”, “Turn Up”, and “Dancina”. She is currently a judge on Season 3 of The Voice Nigeria.
Data for NET Honours is sourced from a wide database of over eight million users who have engaged with Netng, Neusroom, Orin and 234Star platforms via the websites, social media accounts, and related platforms within a 12 months calendar period.
Who will be crowned Nigeria’s most popular female artiste? Tune in to the announcement of NET Honours winners on the Netng social media platforms on Sunday, June 20, 2021.
See the full list of nominees here.