Justina Brown makes history with Swiss Blues Award

Justina Ogunlolu, aka Justina Lee

An afrofunk, jazz, blues, and soul singer, Justina Ogunlolu, aka Justina Lee Brown, recently made history when she became the first African to win the prestigious Swiss Blues Award.

The announcement was made on April 19, 2024, at Volkshaus Basel, Switzerland, where Justina was declared the winner by an independent jury of experts.

Competing against two other nominees— Federico Albertoni and Manu Hartmann—Brown’s victory marks a significant milestone in her career.

Formerly known simply as ‘Justina’, the ‘Omo 2 Sexy’ singer has evolved from being a pop artist in Nigeria to a renowned afro-funk, jazz, blues, and soul singer based in Europe.

The singer, who has released two albums— ‘Black and White Feeling’ in 2019 and ‘Lost Child’ in 2023— had her talent recognised by the Swiss Blues Society, which named her the winner of the ‘Best Self-produced Album’ category.

The Swiss Blues Award is an annual event organised by the Blues Festival Basel Association to celebrate individuals and institutions in Switzerland, who had made significant contributions to the blues genre of music as artistes, promoters, or supporters.