Award-winning Nigerian musician and global music star PATORANKING has been honoured by The Best of Africa Awards with its prestigious Baobab Award (Strongest Tree) at an exclusive ceremony and dinner held on Sunday, 26 October 2025 at The Londoner in Leicester Square, London. Celebrating this year’s theme of INNOVATION, the Best of Africa Awards 2025 recognised Patoranking for shaping global culture through music and creative influence, spotlighting an artist whose story, catalogue and community impact continue to inspire audiences across Africa and the diaspora.
On the night, hosted by award-winning comedian and presenter Eddie Kadi, Patoranking used his platform to pay tribute to his roots and underscore a lifelong commitment to investing in future generations, especially through education. “We are nothing without where we come from,” he shared from the stage, aligning his acceptance with Best of Africa’s mission to elevate leaders who drive meaningful change across sport, business, entertainment, philanthropy and advocacy. The 2025 celebration also honoured luminaries including Angélique Kidjo (Lifetime Achievement), Ozwald Boateng (History Maker), Alex Iwobi (Baobab – Sport), and Nuno Espírito Santo (Outstanding Management), among others.
Founded in London in 2011, Best of Africa (BoA) has grown into one of the UK’s most prestigious platforms recognising African excellence, with past guests and winners ranging from Anthony Joshua, Sir Mo Farah, Stormzy, N’Golo Kanté, Yaya Touré, Baroness Valerie Amos, Luol Deng, Maro Itoje, Diamond Platnumz, Charlene White, Patrick Vieira, and Kano, and global coverage from major outlets including CNN, BBC and Sky Sports. This year’s awards once again brought together influential figures and partners including The PFA, Premier Invest, Ennovative Gaming, Rainbow World Group and the Awambeng Renal Care Foundation, reflecting BoA’s commitment to spotlighting impact, innovation and leadership that uplift communities across the continent and beyond.
A defining voice in Afro-dancehall with culture-shaping hits and 2B+ global streams, Patoranking pairs chart success with sustained humanitarian work. Through the Patoranking Foundation, he has supported 5,000+ young people and awarded 250+ scholarships across primary, secondary and university levels, efforts he continues to champion on international stages, and amplify through his UN ambassadorial role. BoA’s Baobab Award (Strongest Tree) recognises that deep-rooted influence: artistic excellence, tangible social impact and a legacy that strengthens the next generation.
MORE ABOUT PATORANKING
Patoranking is an award-winning Nigerian musician whose sound is global, his story grounded, and his mission bigger than music. Born and raised in Lagos, he forged his own lane from “nothing to something”, as first declared on ‘Alubarika’, by fusing afrobeats, reggae and dancehall into his music, not as a trend but from his lived experience in the streets of Ebute-Metta in Lagos. A cultural ambassador for the continent, he is one of Afro-dancehall’s most defining voices with era-shaping hits like ‘My Woman My Everything’ and ‘Babylon’, and culture-shifting collaborations with Major Lazer, Popcaan, Bryson Tiller, and the late great Bob Marley. He comes with a much-coveted catalogue that boasts over 2 billion global streams, and Billboard-charting projects, from his 2016 debut album God Over Everything to 2023’s World Best. On stage, he has taken that message to over 50 countries, from London’s O2 Arena and Brooklyn’s Barclays Center to the FIFA World Cup Fan Festival in Qatar.
Beyond the charts, Patoranking stands at the intersection of craft and purpose. Through his charity, the Patoranking Foundation, he has directly impacted over 5,000 young people, awarded 250+ scholarships across primary, secondary and university levels, launched tech scholarships, and unveiled a new community football turf in Lagos – work that he advances as the United Nation Development Programme’s Regional Goodwill Ambassador for Africa, championing youth innovation, entrepreneurship and its Sustainable Development Goals. As a musician, Patoranking is bold and street-rooted, equal parts cultural guardian and global African voice, as reflected in critical acclaim from tastemakers such as Billboard, Rolling Stone, CNN, and Vogue, as well as major award recognition from The Headies, MTV Africa Music Awards, and AFRIMMA, and a two-billion-plus streaming footprint that travels across Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, North America, and Latin America.
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