This year's event exceeded expectations, boasting record-breaking audience engagement and industry attendance, with an astonishing 2.73 million votes cast by enthusiastic audience members in participating countries.
The Pulse Influencer Awards, a brainchild of Pulse, aimed to recognise and collaborate with outstanding influencers and creators in Africa, highlighting their excellence in various niches and their ability to build engaged and expanding communities. Influencers have become a pivotal vertical for digital distribution, providing brands with an avenue to connect with their target audiences effectively. The awards have successfully achieved this objective in previous years and exceeded expectations this year, evidenced by increased influencer attendance, a significant surge in votes, engagement and reach metrics.
Katharina Link, the CEO at Pulse, expressed her enthusiasm about the success of the 2023 Influencer Awards and emphasised how they showcase Africa's rich creativity.
“At Pulse, the success of our 2023 Influencer Awards highlights the rich creativity across Africa. Every year, we aim to celebrate and elevate digital talents who inspire, entertain, and reflect our vibrant cultures. This year's record engagement has been truly inspiring. The awards represent an important part of our work in initiating collaborations in digital media in Africa, and our aim of building a melting pot for creativity, digital media and content distribution. This year definitely represents a milestone achievement toward that aim. While we celebrate today's achievements, we’re also looking ahead, always aiming higher” she stated.
Kanyinsola Aroyewun, Director of Marketing and Content Growth at Pulse, highlighted the phenomenal growth of the Pulse Influencer Awards each year. The event's expanding reach has enabled the discovery of new creators and has witnessed the enthusiastic participation of the nominees' communities during the voting phase. The third edition has proven to be the biggest and best so far, drawing larger turnouts from influencer and celebrity communities across all markets and garnering overwhelmingly positive audience feedback.
Among the winners across different markets were Blacko, named Music Influencer of the Year in Ghana, Bella Okagbue, who secured awards in both Fashion and Lifestyle categories in Nigeria, and Holy Dave, honored as Food Influencer of the Year in Kenya. In Uganda, Ceci Ka Mummy stood out and clinched the new category Next Gen Influencer of the Year.
The 2023 awards season shattered previous records, setting a high benchmark for future editions. Pulse anticipates even greater success in the upcoming years, reaffirming its commitment to recognising and celebrating Africa's digital talents and fostering a dynamic community of influencers and creators.