MORE AFRICANS EMBRACE AFRIMA AS ENTRIES HIT RECORD HIGH IN 2018

LAGOS, Nigeria – The 5th edition of All Africa Music Awards, AFRIMA has received 8,009 songs/videos through online portal as entry submission closed August 1,2018. The event is held in partnership with the African Union Commission, AUC.This year’s entries set a record as the highest by way of entries by African artistes, music producers, songwriters, Disc Jockeys (DJs), video directors among others, since the inception of the most prestigious music event in Africa.

At the close of event on August 1, the entries have surpassed that of 2017 by 63% . A total of 4,816 entries made the 2017 edition.

The receipt in the All Africa Music Awards platform, this year, of over 8,000 of entries across the five (5) regions of Africa shows clearly the growth and importance of this continent wide platform in the promotion and development of the cultural and creative industries on the continent more
specifically the creative industry.

The significant rise in the entries has also shown that African talents spread across the continent are responding to the call to promote “our cultural and creative industry continentally as well as to the world at large. The continent’s creative industry can only grow when we give relevant support to our creative talent and craft”, the organisers said.

The AUC calls upon AU Member States, and other stakeholders in the music industry to continue supporting its efforts in the development and promotion of the creative economy sector through the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) platform and other Pan-African cultural initiatives”, Mr. Shepande concluded

Similarly, a member of the International Jury of AFRIMA representing Central Africa, Mr. Bob Ekukole, expressed a poetic insight while applauding the effort of the African music industry in entering their works for AFRIMA.

“The muse of music seems to happily hover over the hills and valleys of our beautiful continent with AFRIMA as the fulcrum”, the organisers said.

Out of the entries received this year, Eastern Africa topped the list with 45% followed by Western Africa with 34%. Southern, Central and Northern Africa had 13%, 6% and 2% respectively.

Reacting to the development, the Acting Director of Social Affairs, African Union Commission, Mr. Machacha Shepande, congratulated Africa’s creative industry for participating in the 5th All Africa Music Awards Entry Submission campaign opened on May 25, 2018.