On October 17th, ALA alumna Ny-Ony Razafindratandra ’11, celebrated winning her very first American music award and being the very first recipient of the new World Act Category at The New England Music Awards.
Publicly known by her stage name Niu Raza, the Malagasy singer, songwriter and performing artist, features a blend of African influences, telling diverse stories about the African continent and its people.
![- [ ] Niu Raza Wins at New England Music Awards](https://www.africanleadershipacademy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Niu-Raza-Wins-1-1.jpeg "Niu-Raza-Wins-1")
She went up against eight other participants in the category including a Grammy-award-winning Venezuelan harpist Eduardo Betancourt and Boston-based Iraqi/Jordanian violinist and composer Layth Sidiq who has been featured on Latin Grammy-nominated albums.
The New England Music Awards (NEMA) nominating committee consists of a variety of music industry experts including journalists from music publications, radio personalities, talent buyers, event planners, record label executives and more. This selection of professionals collectively represents all six New England states and every awards category.
Every year the NEMA nominates over 100 artists and/or bands spanning a number of categories and genres of popular music in New England. The NEMAs are presented every year to the musicians whose dedication, spirit, and achievements over the last year have established them as a contributing force to the most robust and diverse music scene in America.
Congrats Ny-Ony!
Learn more about Ny-Ony through our Redefine Expectations series.
Join us in #MovingAfricaThroughTheArts by making a contribution to the ALA Creative Commons.
