His name may be more familiar in North Africa than across the Arab region, but Ahmad Sultan has just been named MTV’s Best Middle East-North Africa region Act. Ahead of the 2012 Europe Music Awards (EMAs) that take place on November 11 in Frankfurt, fans across the world voted for their favourite regional act.
Those with the most votes will now battle it out for Best Worldwide Act, and the winner will be announced during the show hosted by Heidi Klum.
With tough competition in his category, it has come as a surprise to many that Sultan won. Even he couldn’t quite believe it when tabloid! spoke to him after it was announced.
Not only was the singer battling it out with international singer Karl Wolf, he also had to compete with Egyptian singer Sandy, Tunisian rapper K2rhym and Saudi artist Qusai.
“It’s amazing,” Sultan said. “In these two weeks, I have done things I hadn’t achieved in my entire career.”
However, having friends in high places can certainly help. A number of celebrities, including footballers Guillaume Hoarau and Mamadou Sakho from Paris Saint-Germain, created video campaigns for fans to vote for Sultan.
Having burst onto the scene in 2005 with his single Ya Salam, Sultan created a new genre in the region called Afrobian Soul, derived from Afro-Arabian. Since then, the singer-songwriter has released two albums and worked with international names, including Ne-Yo.

Did you expect that you were going to win?
Not at all. I am very happy. It was unexpected, but it is all down to everyone in the scene who helped me win it. When I started to promote the nomination, everyone from the Nayda scene [an emerging musical movement in Morocco] rooted for me. They supported me with open arms. It is an accomplishment for us all. I still live in the village, and I buy my bread from the same shop. Yes, I go to the city for work, but I am still the same. I am doing exactly what I want, an indie artist working as a producer. I feel close to Africa using the soul and rhythm I use in my music. I feel the need to talk to Africa, which is why my genre is Afrobian soul.

How did you campaign?
It started out by talking to the media about it, on TV and on the radio. And the response was very positive. Every-body said they were going to support me, and to be honest, this whole process is not about me. It’s about the music, about everyone, who has worked incredibly hard for their music. It turned into kind of like a national campaign as everyone was so supportive. I even had famous friends create videos to campaign for me, like musicians I have worked with — such as Fred Wesley and Pee Wee Ellis, and even Rachid Taha — and players from famous football teams.

You mentioned that you feel close to Africa. Would you have preferred to be nominated in the Best African Act?
We are part of the MENA, and MTV has got to follow the rules. We cannot deny that we are African, but this category can also offer the best of the Middle East — the diversity of the region. I am proud to represent Africa and the Middle East with dignity. Just like there are other real artists out there working hard for their art, like Arabian Knightz [Egyptian hiphop group], for example. I am half Berber and half Moroccan, and feel so close to the region.

Are you happy a pop act did not go through to the final vote?
I am not going to say I am happy as these are artists whose support I need. In life, I never put myself first. I know that I am going to get old, and look old and eventually die. Beauty fades, but my music will stay, and that’s what I feel about my type of music. It’s about just that. In these two weeks, I have things I hadn’t achieved in my entire career. Karl Wolf was working very hard for votes, and Sandy has big producers backing her, so respect to them. I just want to represent the region with respect.

How did you start out in the industry?
I used to be a surfer, so I was always hanging out by the beach. Then I decided to do the stereotypical surfer thing, and learn to play guitar. One thing led to another, and — started to do some melodies and producing music. I then linked with some old friends in Paris, who had signed to big labels. I produced my own album in 1999, which was then released in 2005 and was a great success in the Morocco.

You’re now working on your third album. Tell us about it.
I am working with a number of musicians. I anticipate the first single will be out in spring 2013, followed by another in September. Then the album will be out at the end of the year. The album will be called Music Has Boundaries.

Who are you excited about meeting in Frankfurt?
This is a premiere for me —something I have never experienced before — so I am going to be like a kid in the circus. It’s going to be one big party. To arrive to this level, you have to work hard, and so the EMAs will have plenty of artists who did a lot to get where they are. I’d like to say hello to Gotye as I loved his track Somebody That I Used To Know, as well as the Best African Act D’Banj.

Are you hoping to change the popular Arab music scene from bubblegum pop to a more eclectic mix of genres?
It is a matter of time... It will be slow, but the youth really is growing the scene. It started out with MTV in the region and Qusai and Fredwreck, and then there are some other brilliant artists out there like Army of One from Kuwait, Palestine’s Shadia Mansour and Arabian Knightz of course. I look forward to seeing the time when most artists are singing about reality.

You can vote for Ahmad Sultan to win Best Worldwide Act at me.mtvema.com/vote until 30 October.