Nigerian singer Kcee has revealed that years of being overlooked by award organisers in the industry once left him deeply hurt, despite his consistent contributions to Afrobeats.

Speaking during an interview with Afrobeats Intelligence, the singer shared that the lack of recognition from award bodies affected him emotionally, even bringing him to tears at one point in his career.

According to him, while his work resonated strongly with fans, it often failed to receive the same acknowledgement from industry gatekeepers.

“I grew up in an industry that wasn’t fair to me. There wasn’t any attention given to me at any moment. I was doing a lot that the industry wasn’t recognising,” he said.

Kcee explained that he has since developed a different mindset, choosing to focus less on awards and more on the impact of his music.

He noted that he now prioritises “rewards” such as fan support and global reach over formal recognition.

“The fans were the ones who were behind me. I did a lot of work; they were not nominating me for awards. And I cried; I was pained.

“Right now, when I win awards, or you don’t nominate me, I don’t care. I prefer the rewards to the awards,” he stated.

Reflecting on a turning point in his career, the artist highlighted the massive success of his hit song Limpopo, which he described as a breakthrough moment that pushed him onto the international stage.

He expressed gratitude for the global attention the track attracted, especially after years of hard work.

Kcee also pointed to the viral success of Ojapiano, noting its rapid rise on TikTok, where it generated significant user engagement within days of release.

He emphasised that the song’s organic popularity, including its views by international audiences, reaffirmed his belief in the value of genuine fan connection over industry validation.

“So, when ‘Limpopo’ came, oh, I was in tears. I was like, no, God has answered my prayer. He took me to the global market straight.

“After all the years I’ve worked with Presh, that’s like the biggest record I’ve ever done. I dropped ‘Ojapiano’ like today, the next day, it was doing 120,000 videos on TikTok in one day. And it happened nonstop for seven days. That’s organic. The white people were vibing to it,” he added.