Israël Mbonyi has become the only Rwandan artist competing at the Trace Awards and Festival, set to take place in Zanzibar in early 2025. He is nominated in the Best Gospel Artist category, where he faces stiff competition from Spirit of Praise 10 from South Africa, KS Bloom from Côte d'Ivoire, Mercy Chinwo and Ada Ehi from Nigeria, and Bella Kombo from Tanzania, who recently performed in Rwanda during the video shoot for Mudende Eddy Claude's new album.

This year, no Rwandan artist category is included, unlike the previous year when Trace Awards were hosted in Kigali, where Bruce Melodie won Best Artist of the Year in Rwanda. Despite this, Israël Mbonyi continues to shine, having had a successful year in 2024 with major performances across neighboring countries and Europe. His landmark Icyambu Live Concert at BK Arena further solidified his position in the Rwandan music scene. The Trace Awards will be held on February 26, 2025, with performances by Bruce Melodie and Harmonize.