At the 40th edition of the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), Rema’s collaborative effort with Selena, “Calm Down (remix)” made history by winning the “Best Afrobeats” award.

The event took place on September 12th at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, celebrating exceptional musical talents. 

“Calm Down” had already earned three nominations. However, it beat out Ayra Starr’s “Rush”, Burna Boy’s “It’s Plenty”, Davido feat Musa Key’s “Unavailable”, Libianca’s “People”, Wizkid feat Ayra Starr’s “2 Sugar” and Fireboy DML’s “Bandana” for “Best Afrobeats.”

Rema also becomes the first African artist to win the award as it is a new category unveiled for the 2023 ceremony. 

The track’s fusion of Afrobeats and pop elements caught attention, and the remix achieved incredible success, maintaining a position on the Billboard US Afrobeats Songs chart for a whole year. It even became the First No.1 Hit on the official MENA chart

Since 1984, MTV’s Video Music Awards have celebrated the biggest artists of the year. The addition of the “Best Afrobeats” category at the 2023 MTV VMAs was a major acknowledgment of the genre’s worldwide influence.