AFRIMAs receive record number of entries

Some 8 880 submissions were received from 50 African countries and 10 nations from Europe and North America before the 20 August deadline, the organisers said. This year’s figures also represent an 8.86% increase from the 8 157 entries in 2019, when the awards were last held.

Now in their eighth year, the AFRIMAs are overseen by an international committee and the African Union Commission (AUC). The ceremony honours African artists and other creative professionals based on the continent and in the diaspora. Last year, the awards were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

West Africa leads with 30.4% of the total entries, according to AFRIMAs head of communications and partnerships Zineb Seyad, who said the organisers were encouraged by the high volume of submissions. East Africa and southern Africa followed with 28.8% and 22.9%, Central Africa and North Africa secured 12.3% and 4.9%, respectively, while international acts constituted 0.7% of all entries.

“The increased interest in the awards is a clear indication that the AFRIMAs, a platform of bringing Africans together through the instrumentality of music and culture, is growing immensely across Africa and globally, which is a very important goal for us,” AUC head of culture Angela Martins said. “It is a signal that artists and actors in the music industry are becoming resilient in the face of global challenges.”

A 13-member international jury will arrive in Lagos, Nigeria, on 29 August to adjudicate the entries. The jury’s mandate includes screening, categorising, assessing, grading and selecting the nominees for about 40 regional and continental categories. 

Three new categories have been introduced ahead of the 2021 AFRIMAs, namely Best Soundtrack in a Movie/Series/Documentary Film, Best Global Act, and Most Promising Artist.

The nominees will be unveiled during a press conference in the second week of September, with public voting following thereafter.