Africa Union unveils the All Africa Music Awards 2017 Calendar in South Africa while entries for the awards starts May 8 and ends July 17

FOLLOWING the unveiling of its 2017 calendar, All Africa Music Awards, AFRIMA, has fixed May 8 as the opening for the 2017 submission of entries. During the unveiling in South Africa, Mike Dada, president/executive producer, AFRIMA, made known that the first activity on the continental awards event calendar is submission of entries which closes on Monday, July 17.

Dada advised artistes, managers, producers, record label owners, video directors, publicists and entertainment/music journalists to submit their works or those of their artistes within the stipulated timeline in order to stand a chance at the awards. “Irrespective of how popular an artiste or their works are in Africa, failure to submit for the awards means their chances of being nominated for AFRIMA 2017 are practically non-existent.”

Other activities on the event calendar are the jury adjudication process and nominees selection from July 29 to August 7, at Harare, Zimbabwe; world media announcement of AFRIMA 2017 nominees’ list, August 8, in Harare, Zimbabwe; turn up Africa concept between August and October; the Africa music village, November 10, at the host city; finally the main awards ceremony in November 12.

While delivering the African Union opening address at the event, Angela Martins, head of Culture Division, African Union Commission, AUC, thanked the government of the Republic of South Africa and the people for receiving the AUC and AFRIMA for the calendar unveiling. “We would like to hail the All Africa Music Awards initiative for the laudable impact it has for its three editions (2014, 2015 and 2016). AFRIMA has been able to mobilise millions of people and renowned artistes from the five regions of Africa.”

On the partnership with the All Africa Music Awards, AFRIMA and the African Union Commission, Martins said, “We wish to thank AFRIMA for allowing us to popularise this continent policy tool on its platforms and we call upon all of you here present to assist in popularising these continental tools.”

AUC had formally on Tuesday, May 2, unveiled the 2017 AFRIMA calendar at the World Media Unveiling event at The Maslow Hotel, Sandton, South Africa. The ceremony was attended by AU officials, members of the international committee of AFRIMA, past AFRIMA winners and nominees from Southern African, media executives in Southern Africa and other stakeholders in the creative/entertainment industry in Africa. Some of the attendees during the unveiling were African music stars such as: Wax Dey; Sjava; Buffalo; Mi Casa; Busiswa; The Soil; Heavy K; Ugly Priddy; Cindy Munyavi and Fungisia amongst others.

Other music industry stakeholders present included: MD, Africori Digital Music Solutions, Yoel Kenyan; MD, Content Connect International, Munya Chanesta; Group Manager, Africa Sales and Marketing, Sun International, Ms. Jennifer Beattie and Director, Vth Season Management, Ninel Musson to name a few.

The All Africa Music Awards, AFRIMA, is a music property developed to celebrate, reward and showcase the rich musical culture of Africa, stimulate conversations among Africans and between Africa and the rest of the globe about the great potential and values of the African culture and artistic heritage for the purpose of creating jobs, reducing poverty, calling attention of world leaders to Africa and promoting the positive image of Africa to the world.

AFRIMA is centred on the promotion and marketing of African music and is by far the largest gathering of such magnitude of stakeholders in Africa and hosting is earnestly sought by different African countries due to the great leveraging opportunities that the platform provides.

—  May 15, 2017 @ 01:00 GMT