In December 2024, something happened at the Billboard Music Awards that deserved far more attention from the African gospel music community than it received. A Nigerian gospel artist — not a household name outside of Christian circles in Nigeria — was nominated for Top Gospel Song at one of the most prominent music awards ceremonies in the world.
His name is Victor Thompson. His song was “This Year (Blessings)” featuring Ehis D’Greatest. And his nomination, alongside globally recognised names like Maverick City Music, Chandler Moore, and Naomi Raine, marked a quietly significant moment for Nigerian gospel music on the world stage.
Who Is Victor Thompson?
Born Victor Ufuoma Thompson on November 11, 1986 in Lagos State — originally from Ethiope East in Delta State — Victor Thompson’s path to gospel music was not straightforward. He studied Environmental Science at the Federal University of Petroleum Resources in Effurun. He was a contestant on The Voice Nigeria Season 2 in 2017. He officially released his first single, “Miyeruwe,” in November 2018.
It was a quiet start. But in January 2023, everything changed.
“This Year (Blessings)” — The Song That Changed Everything
“This Year (Blessings),” released in January 2023 and featuring fellow Nigerian gospel minister Ehis D’Greatest, became one of the most unexpected crossover success stories in recent African gospel history. The song combined the warm, declaratory energy of Nigerian gospel praise with an Afrobeats-influenced production that gave it broad appeal far beyond church playlists.
The chart performance told the story clearly: the single topped the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats chart at number 35 and also peaked at No. 14 in the United Kingdom according to the Official Charts. A Nigerian gospel song, charting in the United Kingdom. Reaching the Billboard Afrobeats chart. These are not things that happened often — or at all — for artists in this space even a few years earlier.
The song also earned Victor Thompson a nomination at the 16th Headies Awards in Nigeria in the category for Best Inspirational Single, alongside Davido, Neon Adejo, and Nathaniel Bassey. The company he was keeping told its own story.
The Billboard Music Awards Nomination
When the 2024 Billboard Music Awards nominees were announced, Victor Thompson’s name appeared in the Top Gospel Song category for “This Year (Blessings)“ — alongside Maverick City Music, Chandler Moore, Naomi Raine, and Tasha Cobbs Leonard. These are not emerging names. These are the architects of contemporary American gospel music, artists with Grammy wins and decades of global ministry behind them.
For a Nigerian gospel artist — working independently, without the infrastructure of a major American Christian label, without the promotional machinery of the US gospel industry — to be nominated in that company on the basis of pure chart performance was remarkable. The Billboard Music Awards are not voted on by committees or academies. They are determined entirely by actual chart data: streaming numbers, radio airplay, sales, and social engagement. Victor Thompson earned his nomination.
What This Moment Means
The story of Victor Thompson and “This Year (Blessings)” is bigger than one song or one nomination. It is a data point in a larger shift that Gospelbuzz has been tracking throughout 2026: African gospel music — Nigerian gospel in particular — is no longer a regional phenomenon. It is a global one.
Sinach’s Way Maker has been recorded in 50 languages by 60 artists. Mercy Chinwo is headlining the Gospel Garden Festival in London. Victor Thompson is on Billboard nomination lists alongside American gospel royalty. Premier Christianity magazine is running features urging UK churches to discover Nigerian artists they’ve been missing.
The axis of global gospel music is shifting — and it is shifting toward Africa. “This Year (Blessings)” was not just a good song. It was a sign of where things are heading.
📸 Follow Victor Thompson: @victorthompsonmusic on Instagram
🎵 Stream This Year (Blessings): Available on all major platforms
