Johnnie Walker, the world’s No.1 Scotch whisky brand with a long heritage across Africa, is proud to announce its partnership with Trace Awards and Summit 2025. This exciting collaboration highlights the shared commitment of Johnnie Walker and Trace in celebrating creativity, cultural impact, excellence, and innovation in African Music.
Johnnie Walker is committed to creating new experiences for creatives across Africa and championing transformational creative experimentation. The Trace Awards and Summit, a flagship event on the African cultural calendar, annually brings together leading figures in music to honour outstanding achievements and inspire the next generation of artists.
Forging a Bold Alliance to Celebrate and Champion African Creativity
By partnering with the Trace Awards and Summit 2025, Johnnie Walker is living true to the brand’s “Keep Walking” ethos which embodies the continuous commitment to progress and while supporting the recognition and celebration of African music. Through this partnership, the brand underscores its support for artists and visionaries who are embracing African Culture and inspiring the new generation to push boundaries and “keep walking” with unmatched authenticity and creativity.
“We are delighted to collaborate with Trace Awards and Summit 2025 to celebrate the audacious spirit of African music artists who have exceled in their craft and continue to push boundaries, raising a toast to their individual and collective strides across the globe. As the world takes notice of Africa’s cultural renaissance, Johnnie Walker through this partnership celebrates its proud heritage in Africa and commitment to championing Africa’s ever-rising creative economy and inspiring creative experimentation by enabling African creatives to showcase their prowess” – Anne Joy Michira, Marketing and Innovations Director – Diageo Southern, West and Central Africa
Immersive Experiences for an Unforgettable Celebration
Johnnie Walker as the Afrocentric Collaborator in creating new & exciting experiences for the creative economy is excited to spotlight African creativity in music and as part of this partnership, will present exclusive activations during the Trace Awards and Summit 2025 and the Trace Awards Tour across Africa. Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy immersive luxury experiences showcasing the brand’s heritage and flavours, while celebrating the richness and diversity of African culture.
The Trace Summit will be a dynamic hub for creative discussions, empowerment, and networking, featuring panels, keynotes, and masterclasses on African creative industries, technology, branding, and more. The event offers a unique platform for artists, managers, DJs, producers, promoters, investors, lawyers, governments, brands, and industry stakeholders from Africa and its diaspora to connect and exchange knowledge.
The Trace Awards will make Zanzibar the pulsating heart of music, culture, and innovation. Set against the backdrop of the luxurious Mora Zanzibar resort, the event will spotlight 24 categories celebrating the best African music genres and artists. Live broadcasts will reach audiences in over 200 countries and territories, to captivate an estimated global audience of at least 500 million fans.
Trace Awards Tour
Ahead of the main event, the Trace Awards Tour will take the celebration across major cities in Africa, bringing the excitement of the Trace Awards closer to fans. The tour will feature live performances and meet-and-greet opportunities with nominated artists, offering an intimate glimpse into the creative spirit driving African music and culture. This traveling showcase aims to build anticipation for the Trace Awards and provide a platform for local artists and cultural exchanges, creating unforgettable experiences for fans and stakeholders alike.
“Johnnie Walker’s “Keep Walking” Philosophy and wide presence across Africa reflects our deep commitment to fostering contemporary cultural vibrancy across the continent by inspiring creative experimentation, promoting vibrant, contemporary and luxury immersive experiences that fosters co-creation amongst African Creatives. Johnnie Walker in this partnership with Trace is set to raise the bar by giving talented Artists a platform to proudly showcase their works while giving their fans unforgettable experiences entrenched in Africa’s rich culture and diversity. Our walk with Trace Music is only the starting point, as Johnnie Walker is set to launch an exciting new platform in 2025 tagged “Johnnie Walker Afro-Exchange”. This unique platform will unite African talents across the continent to push boundaries, enabling co-creation and collaboration in an extensive showcase of creativity in music, art and fashion to expand Africa’s footprint on the global creative landscape” – Ifeoma Agu, Group Head of Culture, Influencers & Advocacy – Diageo Southern, West & Central Africa.
“Johnnie Walker’s support for the Trace Awards 2025 underscores the importance of celebrating and promoting talents that represent the best of African culture. We are honoured to collaborate with a brand that shares our passion for innovation and creative expression.” — Olivier Laouchez, Co-Founder & Executive Chairman, Trace.
A Promising Future
Through this partnership, Johnnie Walker and Trace reaffirm their shared dedication to fostering creativity, sparking inspiration, and embracing cultural diversity. United by this vision, they aim to craft an extraordinary event that uplifts artists and drives the ongoing evolution of the African cultural scene.
“Keep Walking” towards a future inspired by culture and excellence.
To join in the conversation about the Trace Awards & Summit, use the hashtags: #TraceAwardsZanzibar and #TraceSummitZanzibar.
Follow Trace on Facebook and Instagram @traceawards, YouTube @TraceMusicOfficiel.
