African Music Academy Awards unveil regional winners

Founded in 2014, the African Music Academy (AMA) aims to promote pan-African music from the continent and the diaspora through education, professional actions and dedicated awards. Its founding members include Angélique Kidjo, Chris Blackwell, Wally Badarou, Jean-Noël Tronc, Blick Bassy and the late Manu Dibango, among others. Its board includes African Music Academy president Wally Badarou, Blick Bassy, Solagne Cesarovna and Nato Seck.

For this first edition, 72 national winners were designated on 31 March, and are already de facto members of the academy. They in turn elected the regional winners via online voting.

“These regional winners will finally have to elect the overall winners from 1 June, and the academy will be able to announce the results from June 20,” a statement reads.

Badarou said: “With the aim of representing the voice of this industry, these awards are presented to the winners by their own peers from the continent and the diaspora, starting with the professional organisations, mandated to nominate the winners in each of the six categories selected this year: songwriters, composers, lead performers, musicians, executive producers and managers.”

Below is the full list of regional laureates for 2024:

North Africa

• Yacine Ouabed (Algeria)
• Younes Bahri (Algeria)
• Groupe Tikoubaouine (Algeria)
• Saliha Ould Moussa (Algeria)

East Africa

• Angell Mutoni (Rwanda)
• Mike Kayihura (Rwanda)
• Bushali (Rwanda)
• Nzayisenga Sophie (Rwanda)
• Noopja (Rwanda)
• Masudi Kandoro (Tanzania)

West Africa

• Smarty (Burkina Faso)
• Petit Jeano (Burkina Faso)
• Petit Miguelito (Benin)
• Max Solo (Burkina Faso)
• San Rémy Traoré (Burkina Faso)
• Somssaya (Burkina Faso)

Central Africa

• Eric Nice (DRC)
• Thasi Ponda (DRC)
• Eric Nice (DRC)
• Jovi (Cameroon)
• Thasi Ponda (DRC)
• Christian Lepira (DRC)

Southern Africa

• Coss Chiwalo (Malawi)
• Tiwonge Hango (Malawi)
• Cleo Ice Queen (Zambia)
• Pompi (Zambia)
• Damascus Phiri (Malawi)
• Samuel Chiwaka (Malawi)

Latin America Diaspora

• Nekki (Chile)
• Esteban Copete (Colombia)
• Nidia Góngora (Colombia)
• Mauricio Tizumba (Brazil)
• Alexis Play (Colombia)
• Liliana Escobar - AE Agencia (Colombia)

Caribbean Diaspora

• Joël Lutbert (Martinique)
• Joël Jacoulet (Martinique)
• Maurane Voyer (Martinique)
• José Zebina (Martinique)
• Ali Angel (Martinique)