The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Arua, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | For years, Africa’s music industry has been dominated by artists emerging from established entertainment capitals such as Lagos, Johannesburg and Nairobi. But the rise of digital streaming and content platforms is beginning to redraw that map, creating opportunities for artists working far from the continent’s traditional music hubs.
The latest example came in Kigali, Rwanda, where Ugandan gospel musician Mungu Feni won Best Gospel Artist Content Creator of the Year at the 2026 Africa Content Creators Awards (ACCA).
The Arua-based singer, born Bernard Feni, emerged ahead of nominees from Nigeria, Kenya and Rwanda in one of the awards’ most competitive categories, signalling the growing reach of Ugandan gospel music beyond the country’s borders.
The annual awards recognise African creators using digital platforms to shape conversations in music, entertainment and storytelling through a combination of public voting and expert evaluation.
For Mungu Feni, the recognition is the latest milestone in a career built largely outside Uganda’s mainstream entertainment industry.
Unlike many artists who first establish themselves through concerts, major record labels or television exposure, the West Nile singer has relied heavily on digital distribution to reach audiences across the continent. His music is available on Spotify, YouTube, Audiomack, Boomplay, SoundCloud and Shazam, where it has attracted more than three million streams, while television channels such as Trace Gospel, Trace Mziki, Trace Naija, TBN Africa and Pearl Magic have expanded his audience even further.
The approach reflects broader changes taking place across Africa's music business, where streaming services and social media are lowering the barriers that once limited artists from regions outside major commercial centres.
Accepting the award, Mungu Feni credited the achievement to supporters who have followed his music across Africa.
“I don’t take this for granted. To every fan who voted, who streamed and who shared my music—from Kampala to West, East and South Central Africa—this is yours,” he said.
“I’m just a vessel. All the glory goes to God. Thank you for believing in a boy from West Nile when I had no stage, no concert, just songs and faith. We are going to do more for God and for the people.”
The continental recognition adds to a growing list of honours for the singer. Earlier this year, he was named Artist of the Year at Ghana’s Prestigious Personalities Awards, following his Best New Star Gospel Artist accolade at the Shining Stars Africa Awards.
Away from music, Mungu Feni has sought to build a profile through community development. He leads the Mungu Feni Foundation, a West Nile-based organisation supporting vulnerable communities, an initiative that has itself attracted regional recognition.
Speaking after receiving the award, the singer said the recognition reinforces his belief that gospel music should extend beyond entertainment.
“This award tells me people are listening and, more importantly, they are being touched,” he said.
“My prayer is that we use these platforms to inspire, to heal and to point people back to hope.”
Beyond the individual accolade, Mungu Feni’s victory illustrates how digital platforms are reshaping Africa’s creative economy. Success is increasingly determined less by geography than by an artist’s ability to connect with audiences online a shift opening new opportunities for musicians working far from the continent’s traditional centres of influence.
