2019 AFRIMA sets new record with over 8,000 entries

Organizers of the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) say it received a record-breaking 8,157 music/video entries on its online portal as submissions closed on August 2.

The annual award event, established by the International Committee AFRIMA in synergy with the African Union (AU), “rewards and celebrates music works; talent; and creativity” across the five regions of Africa.

Following in the steps of its record-setting precedent, which amassed a total of 8,009 entries, those for AFRIMA’s 2019 edition exceeded that of last year by 148 units.

The submissions, which commenced in May 2019, also witnessed the predominance of the west Africa region which led the submitted entries by 38 percent of the total to be considered for nomination.

South Africa closely followed with 24 percent while eastern Africa, central Africa, and northern Africa emerged with 20 percent, 14 percent, and 4 percent respectively.

Asides the dominance of west Africa in terms of the entries to be considered for nomination, Nigeria would also be hosting the annual event for the fourth time since its inception in 2014.

A press statement issued by the organizers of the event also revealed that a 13-man jury would arrive Lagos on August 7, to commence a week-long process of screening, categorizing, grading and selecting entries into 36  award categories.

Following this process, the nominees’ list would then be made public via a media conference scheduled for August 14, 2019, at the Eko Hotels & Suites, in Victoria Island.

The main award event would hold in November 2019 “during a four-day fiesta of music, glamour, Afrocentricism, and entertainment in the official awards Host City.”