Ugandan artist and philanthropist Benard Feni, popularly known as Mungu Feni, has won the Best New Star Gospel Artist award at the Shining Stars Africa Awards 2025/2026, held in Rwanda over the weekend.
Having spent just three years in the music industry, Feni’s victory on one of Africa’s leading platforms that recognises excellence in the creative and entertainment sector highlights his growing influence, versatility, and creativity. The awards celebrate individuals and organisations shaping Africa’s creative economy and contributing to the continent’s vibrant arts industry.
In his acceptance speech, the singer thanked his fans worldwide for their support and votes, while giving glory to God.
“Thank you very much, we made it. I am grateful to all of you who voted from East, West, and South Africa and beyond. Thank you for the support and for trusting me with this award as Best New Gospel Artist 2025/26. I am grateful for recognising our music,” he said.
“Thank you to everyone who voted. I am very grateful to all of you, my family, and the Almighty God. Of course, this award belongs to Ugandans and all my fans across the globe. This has encouraged me to produce more music, and bigger projects are coming very soon,” he added.
Over the past few years, Mungu Feni has released several music projects that have gained international reach and are available on major streaming platforms worldwide.
His music continues to perform impressively on platforms such as Shazam, YouTube, Spotify, SoundCloud, Audiomack, Boomplay, Tubidy, and Song Boost in Uganda, where he consistently ranks among the top gospel artists, with more than 3 million streams.
In addition to streaming, Feni’s music is also played on International TV and radio channels such as Trace Gospel, Trace Mziki, Trace Naija, Trace FM, Trace Muzika, TBN Africa, Face Music, and Pearl Magic, among others.
With a rapidly growing fan base beyond Uganda, the West Nile–born singer from Arua is sometimes mistaken for a West African artist due to the wide international appeal of his music.
Notably, Feni is among the first Ugandan artists to receive and win an international award despite not yet staging a major public concert or performance. This rare achievement underscores the power of digital music distribution and his expanding global audience.
Known for his soul-stirring gospel music, Mungu Feni is also a savvy entrepreneur and the founder of Euro Gold. He balances faith, family, and business with admirable dedication.
Beyond music, the artist is also involved in community transformation. Through the Mungu Feni Foundation, a non-governmental organisation based in West Nile, he has received regional recognition for community development initiatives.
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The foundation was named Best Community Transformation Organisation in East Africa at the East Africa Brand Quality Awards, highlighting its growing influence beyond national borders.
It also scooped multiple accolades at the West Nile Quality Brand Awards in 2025, including Quality Excellence Award – Platinum, Best Community Development NGO, and Best Local NGO, in recognition of its work empowering youth and vulnerable communities in the region.
