Business Post Contributor
By Ashemiriogwa Emmanuel
The nominees’ list for the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) 2021 has been released by the organisers, with the Best Soundtrack in a movie/series/documentary film category suspended.
Mrs Angela Martins, a member of the 13-man AFRIMA jury, said that this was a result of the low quality of entries for this year’s edition.
Recall that earlier before the deadline for entries submission, three new categories were added to the existing 37 award categories of the laurel platform which included Best Soundtrack in a movie/series/documentary film, Best Global Sound, and Breakout Artiste of the Year as approved by the International Committee of AFRIMA and The AFRIMA International Jury.
However, Mrs Martins assured that for the other categories, the committee gave Africans and the world the very best nominations and songs under the year in review.
The shortlist, which was released on Wednesday, was from over 8,880 songs submitted for adjudication and features a selection of over 400 songs from artists in the 30 continental and 10 regional categories.
Nominated African artiste by the 13-man AFRIMA panel cut across talents and creatives living on the continent and in the diaspora.
South Africa’s duo, Blaq Diamond came out as the top with eight nominations for the categories: Best Male Artiste in Southern Africa, Artiste of the Year in Africa; Song of the Year in Africa; Producer of the Year in Africa with their hit song, ‘SummerYoMuthi’.
Other categories where the duo was nominated included Best Male Artiste in African Inspirational Music; Breakout Artiste of the Year; Best Artiste, Duo or Group in African Pop; Best African Duo, Group or Band.
This was followed by another South Africa talent, Focalistic, bagging seven nominations with the hit single, ‘Ke Star’ [Remix], which featured Davido and Virgo Deep.
Focalistic is in contention of the categories: Best Male Artiste in Southern Africa; Artiste of the Year in Africa; Song of the Year in Africa; Best Artiste, Duo or Group in African Dance or Choreography; Best African Collaboration; Best Artiste, Duo or Group in African Electro; Breakout Artiste of the Year.
Next on the scorecard was Nigeria’s made-in-Lagos crooner, Wizkid with six nominations for his hit song, ‘Essence’ featuring Tems, including ‘Artiste of the Year in Africa’, ‘Best Male Artist in Western Africa’ and ‘Album of the Year’.
The Afrobeat singer’s other nominations are ‘Best African Collaboration’, ‘Song of the Year in Africa’, and ‘Best Artiste, Duo or Group in African R n B Soul
Closely followed was Aya Nakamura of French-Mali with her single, ‘Plus Jamais’ featuring Stormzy with five nominations.
Equally, Tanzania’s Diamond Platnumz with his song, ‘waah’ featuring Koffi Olomide; Iba One of Mali for his single, ‘Education’, featuring Oumou Sangare and DJ Tarico from Mozambique with his song, ‘Yaba Buluku’ featuring Burna Boy, Preck & Nelson Tivane secured five nominations each as well.
Nigeria’s Omah Lay came behind this with four nominations for the Artiste of the Year in Africa; Best Artiste in Western Africa; Best Artiste, Duo or Group in African Pop; Breakout Artiste of the Year categories.
DMW boss, Davido, and Patoranking from Nigeria; Fally Ipupa from DRC Congo); MHD from Guinea; and Rayvanny from Tanzania were also nominated in four categories.
Following this on the nominee’s list was Ghana’s Gyakie, Nigeria’s Bella Shmurda; Kenya’s Nikita Kering; Sierra Leone’s Nata, and Morocco’s Abir with three nominations each.
Singer Olakira, Burna boy from Nigeria; Calema (Sao Tome & Principe); Cassper Nyovest from South Africa; DJ Moh Green from Algeria; and Djelykaba Bintou from Guinea also have three nominations.
Artistes with two nominations are Ditto Ferre Gola (DRC Congo); Gyakie (Ghana); Kamo Mphela (South Africa); Kelly Khumalo (South Africa); Loco (Cameroon); Lojay & Sarz; Makhadzi (South Africa); Nasty C (South Africa); Rebo (DR Congo); Tems (Nigeria); Tiwa Savage (Nigeria); and Vector (Nigeria).
It also includes Shan’L (Gabon); Tayc (Cameroon); The Isomers (Nigeria); T’neeya (Cameroon); Cavemen (Nigeria); Afrie (Uganda); Solking (Algeria); Ko-C (Cameroon); Salatiel & Rutshelle Guillaume (Cameroon); Djodje (Cape Verde); Adekunle Gold (Nigeria); Bensoul (Kenya); Blxckie (South Africa); Franck Biyong (Cameroon); and Innoss’B (DR Congo).
Others are Kidi (Ghana); Ladipoe (Nigeria); Major League DJZ (South Africa); Manal (Morocco); Mapara A Jazz (South Africa); Mi Casa (South Africa); Nandy (Tanzania); Nelson Freitas (Cape Verde); Nomcebo Zikode (South Africa); Sauti Sol (Kenya); Stonebwoy (Ghana); Toofan (Togo); Yaw Tog (Ghana); Yemi Alade (Nigeria) and Zuchu (Tanzania).
AFRIMA will be broadcast from Lagos from Friday, November 19 to 21, 2021.
