AKA wins AFRIMMA Best Male Southern Africa Award
Supa Mega’s Legacy continues to live on as his platinum-selling album ‘Mass Country’ bags him another award. AKA has won the AFRIMMA’s ‘Best Male Southern Africa’ award. The AFRIMMA 2023 award show took place on September 17th 2023 in Dallas, Texas at Meyerson Symphony Center. See Instagram announcement post below:
When asked how they feel about this win, this is what AKA’s parents, Lynn & Tony Forbes had to say:
“Thank you to the Megacy for voting and bringing another award home. Kiernan’s legacy continues to live because of all of you. The AFRIMMAS were special to him, and winning this award for a third time is something we as a family will cherish”
And VTH Season expressed their joy for the award win as follows:
“Afrimma was Kiernan’s first award on American Soil. To receive this award in 2023 is testament to his great artistry and the love from South Africans and Africans as a whole. His impact continues now and to infinity”
This award comes after bagging ‘Song Of The Year’ Award for ‘Lemons (Lemonade)’ which features SA’s Coolest Hip Hop Kid, Nasty C at the DSTV Content Creator Awards which took place on September 9th at Sandton’s Galleria.
Overall, since release, AKA’s ‘Mass Country’ has seen platinum certification in just 4 months of release, 6 nominations at the 17th Metro FM Music Awards and 4 awards for categories such as ‘Best Male Artist’ & ‘Best Hip Hop Artist’ to mention few, and a nomination for ‘Best International Flow’ at the 18th B.E.T Hip Hop Awards. ‘Mass Country’ is currently sitting at over 2 Million streams, worldwide. His legacy continues to live!
ABOUT KIERNAN “AKA” FORBES
AKA also known as the Supa Mega is a multi-diamond selling artist who had the first number 1 Hip-Hop track on SA national radio for the new decade. AKA has pushed boundaries in African Hip-Hop for a decade and is now a well-established solo artist across the continent. He won the Music Video of The Year at the South African Music Awards & has multiple award nods for Best Album and Record of The Year and international endorsements with Cruz Vodka and Reebok. 2020 saw AKA drop his long anticipated EP Bhovamania, to critical success and featured the likes of John Cena viral hitmaker Sho Madjozi, South African Hip-Hop legend and long-time collaborator K.O and fellow winner for Music Video of The Year, Yanga Chief. Earlier in the year he dropped three singles ‘Cross My Heart’, ‘Energy’ and ‘Monuments’ and ‘Cross My Heart’ was the first South African Hip-Hop song to go number 1 across all genres on iTunes in over a year and all three secured the number 1, 2 and 3 spots across all genres on its day of release.
In 2014 he was nominated for two AFRIMMA Awards in the US and in 2015 he won two. In 2014, he
was nominated at the MTV Africa Awards and won Best Collaboration in 2015. In 2015 he was also
nominated at the MTV Europe Awards, the MOBO Awards in the UK and the BET Awards in the USA.
AKA went on to win the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards in 2019
AKA, the man who calls himself “The Supa Mega” has spent the past six years pushing the
boundaries of African hip hop with a series of killer singles and albums. When the continent stops to
listen and vibe to the new music he drops, the buzz is more than justified. Singles that are currently
heating up the charts are “Fela in Versace”; “Sweet Fire”; “All Eyes On Me” “Don’t Forget To Pray”;
and “Jika”. “The first single “The World Is Yours” off the latest album was nominated for Record of
the year at the SAMAs – the award show he decided to boycott.
Through his third studio album, the South African musician aims to show that blood is thicker than
watered down tracks. Called “Touch My Blood” , this album is an honest reflection of AKA’s music
and personal evolution.
As a way to connect with his supporters on a deeper level, on this latest offering, the multi platinum
winner takes listeners on a journey through his life. The self released “Touch My Blood” which is now
certified 2x platinum, was certified gold in South Africa in 7 days – the fastest selling hip hop album in
South Africa. The sophomore album “Level” is a platinum selling album. AKA received global
recognition through the success of this album with award nominations reaching the UK and the
United States.
The Johannesburg rapper’s third album represents a brave step forward in African music.
#TouchMyBlood incorporates up-to-the-minute production and oozes authentic South African lyrical
references but still retains its hip-hop credibility.
“I wanted to make an album that had an undercurrent of super South African country music,”
Kiernan “AKA” Forbes told Apple Music in one of his last interviews before his sudden, tragic death
on 10 February 2023. “I grew up listening to a lot of Jackson Browne and Cat Stevens, and all these
weird guys that my dad played me, and it was kind of cathartic for me after my fiancée passed away.
Country music is very much about heartbreak and pickup trucks and stars and stuff like that. So, I
wanted to kind of get that feeling in there. But in a South African context, that would mean what?
Maskandi; music from the Midlands, Pietermaritzburg. But then, with my obvious love for house
music as well, and as time went on, ‘MASS COUNTRY’ just grew to mean the sound of South Africa—
the sound of the country that I’m from, and the purpose of it being for the country that I’m from.”
Mass Country Features star star-studded collaborations; Nasty C, Sjava, Emtee, KIDDO, Khuli Chana,
Gyakie, Yanga Chief, Nadia Nakai, Blxckie, Musa Keys, and More
Today AKA has built a personal brand that everyone seems to want a piece of. He has endorsements,
he’s hosted awards shows, presented sport on TV, he pervades social media and he performs almost
weekly at festivals across Africa.
The Supa Mega has also partnered with Cruz Vodka to take the brand to the world – which has seen
more than 700% increase in sales since his involvement as the face of the brand.
2023
Mass County achieved Platinum Certification
Received Gold Certifications for:
– Dangerous 1x Gold
– Prada 1x Gold
– Mbuzi (Freestyle) 1x Gold
Received Platinum Certifications for:
– Lemons (Lemonade) 4x Platinum
– Company 1x Platinum
Top 3 2023 South African Artist
Nomination for Best Southern African Artist of the year at the Headies 2023
Nomination for Best Male Southern Africa and Album Of The Year at AFRIMMA 2023
Heddies nomination
Received 2 Nomination for Song of the Year and the DSTV Content Creator Awards For
Lemons(Lemonade) and Company
Won Best Collaboration Song, Best Hip-Hop Artist, Best Male Artist & Artist of the Year, at the Metro
FM Awards
2021
MTV MAMA Best Lockdown Performance Nominee
2020
Drops long-anticipated Bhovamania EP
Apple Radio 1 interview with Old Man Ebro
Luanches new Banana Deluxe exclusive edition flavour with Cruz Vodka
‘Jika” Music Video of The Year at South African Music Awards
AKA Summertime Sounds playlist on Apple Music
Number 1, 2 and 3 iTunes Charts positions across all genres on day of release of Triple Drop (Energy,
Cross My Heart & Monuments)
Launches AKABraaiShow on national TV
Launches AKATV content app
2019
BET Awards 2019 nomination alongside Giggs, Burna Boy and more
Comedy Central Roast of AKA
Megacy Over Everything under 18 tour
AKA Orchestra On The Square
Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards Favourite South African Star winner in 2019
2018
‘Fela &In Versace’ was one of the biggest records in Africa charting on various radio stations across
Africa. The records is 2 x Platinum
‘Touch My Blood’ album certified platinum.
‘The World Is Yours’ nominated for Record of The Year at the South African Music Awards
‘Caiphus&Song’ nominated for Record of the Year at the South African Music Awards
‘Don’t Forget To Pray’ ft Anatii nominated for Record of the Year at the South African Music Awards
Shared stage with Talib Kweli in Austin, Texas
2017
‘The World Is Yours’ most played song on South African radio
BET International Act (Africa) nominee
Metro FM Music Awards – Best Hit Single nominee
First South African artist to get interview with DJ Ebro
Toured Africa with singles performing in West Africa and Southern Africa
Face of Reebok Classics in Africa emerging markets
2016
Metro FM Music Awards – Best Hip Hop Single for ‘Baddest’
Metro FM Music Awards – Best Collaboration for ‘Baddest’
Headline act at the BETX in Los Angeles
Toured Africa with the album ‘Levels’ performing in West Africa, East Africa and Southern Africa
AKA, also known as Supa-Mega is a multiple diamond-selling hip hop artist in South Africa , currently
has the first #1 Hip Hop track on South African Radio of the new decade. No stranger to dominating
radio & streaming charts, AKA has been pushing African hip-hop for a decade. Recently he won the
coveted ‘Music Video of The Year’ at the South African Music Awards ‘Fela In Versace’ featuring
Nigerian artist-producer Kiddominant was #1 on Radio for the largest radio station in the country for
8 weeks in a row and the single the ‘The World Is Yours’ which was also nominated for the 2018
‘Record of the Year’ at the South African Music Awards (SAMAs). In fact, AKA had three songs
nominated for Record of the Year at the SAMAs. Today AKA has international endorsements with
Reebok and Cruz Vodka and performs at across the globe. AKA is now a well-established solo artist
across the continent. In the international arena he is frequently nominated among Africa’s leading
rappers. In 2014 he was nominated for two AFRIMMA Awards in the US, in 2015 he won two.
Similarly, he was nominated at the MTV Africa Awards in 2014, going on to win Best Collaboration in
2015. In 2015 he was also nominated at the MTV Europe Music Awards, the MOBO Awards in the UK
and the BET Awards in the USA.
