Yemi Alade and Zambia’s Cleo nominated at 2016 AFRIMMA Awards

Now in its third edition, the award ceremony will be taking place in the US on 15 October. The stars of the continent will gather in Dallas, Texas to perform and be rewarded for a year of production. As is the case since inception, the categories at AFRIMMA are separated into regions.

Cleo was nominated in the Best Female Southern Africa category; she won this award last year and hopes to win it again this year. Other female artists in the category include South African artists Zonke, Busiswa and Lira. Others are Lizha James from Mozambique, Zimbabwe’s Pah Chihera, Nnunu Ramo Gotsy from Botswana and Chikune from Namibia.

Roberto was nominated in the Best Male Southern Africa category. He will be competing against South African artists AKA, DJ Bongz, Black Coffee, Emtee and Cassper Nyovest. Namibia's The Dogg and Vee Mampeezy from Botswana are also nominees. In a clear dominance of the region, South Africa receives five of the eight spots available in the category. Three South African female singers, including Lira, take up space in the female section, leaving seven spots to be filled by other countries in the region.

For west Africa, Nigeria is represented in the Best Male category by the popstar Wizkid and his rival and soon collaborator Davido. Rapper Olamide also receives a nomination. Ivory Coast’s Serge Beynaud Senegal’s Carlou D and Ghana’s most popular rapper Sarkodie are nominated as well. For female musicians, Tiwa Savage, whose album R.E.D was released last year, will be squaring up against Yemi Alade. Senegal’s Vivian Chidid and Ghana’s Efya join the two Nigerian popstars.

Cleo was nominated at the SA Hip Hop Awards back in 2012 and was second place in the reality show Big Brother (The Chase) in 2013. Her 15 track debut album Geminice was released in 2016. She has since dropped several other hit songs. 

Her countryman Roberto is among the big names in the country’s music industry. His single ‘Mailo’ is still enjoying airplay in the country. He has enjoyed a number of accolades home and overseas, winning Song of The Year category at the Mosi Zambian Music Awards (ZMA) and the Pan African Song of the Year at the Namibian Annual Music Awards (NAMAs) held in Windhoek.

Nigeria puts up a good showing in the general categories. The west African country receives nominations in the Best DJ, Best Producer, Best Dancer and several other categories. The Best Dancer list sees the UK-based mixed race dancer Roxy Roberts nominated, perhaps because of her work with African artists. Her nationality is uncredited in the list.

The African Muzik Magazine Awards (AFRIMMA) are organised by the titular magazine and is described as the “biggest African music awards in the diaspora”.  The October ceremony is to be hosted and co-hosted by Nigerian comedian Basketmouth and American model and reality television star Cynthia Bailey.

Full list of nominees below:

Best Male West Africa Wizkid – Nigeria Bisa Kdei – Ghana Serge Beynaud – Ivory Coast Olamide – Nigeria Flavour – Nigeria Carlou D – Senegal Davido – Nigeria Sarkodie–Ghana   Best Female West Africa  Tiwa Savage – Nigeria Yemi Alade – Nigeria Efya – Ghana Vivian Chidid – Senegal Mz Vee – Ghana Dobet Gnahore – Ivory Coast Adiouza – Senegal Almok – Togo   Best Male East Africa Eddy Kenzo – Uganda Diamond Platnumz – Tanzania Jacky Gosee – Ethiopia Ali Kiba – Tanzania Jose Chameleon – Uganda Bebe Cool – Uganda Sauti Sol – Kenya Dynamq – South Sudan   Best Female East Africa Victoria Kimani – Kenya Vanessa Mdee – Tanzania Ester Aweke –  Ethiopia Tsedenia  Gebremarkos (Ethiopia) Linah (Tanzania) Knowles Butera – Rwanda Sheebah Karungi – Uganda Akothee – Kenya   Best Male Central Africa Fally Ipupa – Congo Magasco – Cameroon Ferre Golla – DRC C4 Pedro – Angola Stanley Enow – Cameroon Kyaku Kadaff – Angola Franko – Cameroon Fabregas – Republic of Congo   Best Female Central Africa Anna Joyce – Angola Laurette La Perle – Congo Betty Akna – Equitorial Guinea Charlotte Dipanda – Cameroon Chikune – Namibia Daphne – Cameroon Rennis – Cameroon Arielle T – Gabon   Best Male Southern Africa Aka – South Africa Black Coffee – South Africa The Dogg – Namibia Vee Mampeezy – Botswana Dj Bongz – South Africa Emtee – South Africa Roberto – Zambia Casper Nyomvest- South Africa   Best Female Southern Africa Zonke – South Africa Miss Lira – South Africa Ice Queen Cleo – Zambia Lizha James – Mozambique Pah Chihera – Zimbabwe Nnunu Ramo Gotsy – Botswana Busiswa – South Africa   Best Male North Africa Amr Diab – Egypt Tamer Hosny – Egypt Chawki – Morocco Mohammed Hamaki – Egypt Douzi – Morocco Saad Lamjareed – Morocco Khaled -Algeria Saber Rebai – Tunisia   Best Female North Africa Samira Said – Morrocco Ibtissam Tiskat – Morocco Angham – Egypt Sandy – Egypt Amal Maher – Egypt Latifa – Tunisia Amani Swissi – Tunisia Jannat Mahid – Morocco   Best African Group Sauti Sol – Kenya Radio & Weasel – Uganda Os Moikanos – Angola Bracket – Nigeria Mi Casa – South Africa R2bee’s – Ghana Bana C4 – Congo Yamoto Band – Tanzania   Crossing Boundaries With Music Award C4 Pedro (Angola) Wizkid  (Nigeria) Maitre Gims – (Congo) Tinie Tempah – Nigeria MHD – Senegal Ayo Jay – Nigeria STL – (Kenya) Rotimi  (Nigeria )   Best Gospel  Frank Edwards – Nigeria Uche Agu – Nigeria Willy Paul – Kenya SP Koffi Sarpong – Ghana Icha Kavons – Congo Ntokozo Mbambo – South Africa Sinach- Nigeria Sonnie Badu – Ghana   Best Newcomer Adekunle Gold – Nigeria Reekado Banks- Nigeria Harmonize – Tanzania Falz – Nigeria Locko- Cameroon Nathi – South Africa Kofi Kinaata – Ghana Humblesmith – Nigeria   Best Video Director Justin Campos – South Africa Godfather – (South Africa) Clarence Peters – Nigeria Patrick Elis – Nigeria Mysta Adrenalyne -Cameroon Enos Olik – Kenya Phamous Films – Ghana Savy Filmz – Uganda   Best DJ Africa Dj Spinall – Nigeria Dj Joe MFalme – Kenya Dj Cndo – South Africa Dj Neptune – Nigeria Dj Malvado Jnr – Angola Dj Shiru – Uganda Dj D-Ommy – Tanzania Dj Labastille – Cameroon   Best African DJ USA Dj Tunes – Nigeria Dj Amin – Ethiopia Dozzy Ross – Nigeria Dj Deemoney – Nigeria Dj Silent Killa – Carribeans Dj Akua – Ghana Dj Fully Focus -Kenya Dj Rell – Sierra Leone   AFRIMMA Video of The Year Flavour – Champion (Nigeria) Emma Nyra ft Patoranking – For My Matter (Remix) Sauti Sol ft Ali Kiba – Unconditional Bae (Kenya/Tanzania) Bisa Kdei – Brother Brother (Ghana) Akothee ft Diamond – My Sweet Love Kenya /Tanzania Stanley Enow ft Aka and Locko – Bounce (Cameroon/South Africa) Phyno ft  Olamide   – Fada Fada Korede Bello ft Tiwa Savage – Romantic ( Nigeria )   Music Producer of The Year Young John – Nigeria Masterkraft – Nigeria Dr Fizol – Uganda Kaywa – Ghana Visita – Kenya Tweezy – South Africa Tud Thomas – Tanzania Dj Coublon – Nigeria   Best African Dancer Kaffy Dancequeen – Nigeria Ezinne CEO – Nigeria Brenda Derry – Cameroon Sherri Silver  – Rwanda La Petite Zota – Ivory Coast Eddy Wizzy –  Uganda Moses Iyobo – Tanzania Roxy Roberts   Best Rap Act Phyno – Nigeria Olamide – Nigeria Aka – South Africa Sarkodie – Ghana Casper Nyovest – South Africa King Kaka Sungura  – Kenya Octopizzo – Kenya Prodigio – Angola   Best Collaboration Reggea Blues – Harrysong , Kcee , Iyanya, Olamide and Orezi Finally by MasterKraft , Flavour and Sarkodie Mr. Eazi ft Efya – Skin Tight – Ghana Diamond Platnumz ft Aka – Make Me Sing Wizkid X Dj Maphorisa – Soweto Baby Kiff No Beat ft Dj Arafat – Approchez Regardez Lil Kesh ft Patoranking – Is it Because I love You J Martins  ft Youssour Ndour –  Time is Now   Song of The Year  Sauti Sol ft Ali Kiba – Unconditional Bae Franko – Coller La  Petite Reggea Blues – Kcee, Harrysong, Orezi, Iyanya and Olamide Bisa Kdei – Mansa Tekno – Duro Kiss Daniel – Mama Phyno ft Olamide – Fada Fada Diamond Platnumz ft Aka – Make Me Sing   Artist of The Year Flavour (Nigeria) Diamond Platnumz ( Tanzania) Sarkodie (Ghana) Wizkid (Nigeria) Aka (South Africa) Tiwa Savage (Nigeria) Sauti Sol – Kenya C4 Pedro – Angola   Dancehall Act of the Year Timaya – Nigeria Stonebwoy – Ghana Buffola Soldier – Zimbabwe Burna Boy – Nigeria Mc Norman Ganja -Uganda Samini – Ghana Patoranking – Nigeria Shatta Wale – Ghana   AFRIMMA Caribbean Artist of The Year Morgan Heritage Alaine Machel Montano Sean Paul Konshens Busy Signal Tarrus Riley Olatunji