Nigerian artiste, Davido, and South African musicians, Mafikizolo and Uhuru, received the highest number of nominations at the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) according to a list released on Wednesday in Lagos.
Davido and Mafikizolo got six nominations each while Uhuru got five nominations.
Mi Casa (South Africa) and TemiDollFace (Nigeria) got four nominations each while Zahara (South Africa) and Wiyaala (Ghana) got three nominations each.
Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania), Amr Diab (Egypt), Angelique Kidjo (Benin Republic), Tiwa Savage (Nigeria), Patoranking (Nigeria) and Noura Mint Seymale (Mauritania) all had two nominations each.
Other nominees were Fally Ipupa (DRC), Sakordie (Ghana) and Davina Green (Zimbabwe) who got one nomination each.
Nominees for the Producer of the Year were Don Jazzy (Nigeria) for the song ‘Eminado’; Robbie Malinga and Mojela Thebe (South Africa) for ‘Impilo’; Uhuru (South Africa) for ‘Tchelete’; Mikky Me (Nigeria) ‘Down’ and Del’B (Nigeria) for ‘Pull Over’.
Giving details of the criteria through which the nominees list emerged, a juror, Matlou Tsotetsi explained that the jury panel adhered strictly to the entry submission requirements and were transparent.
Thirty of the 32 award categories will be opened for voting by the public and AFRIMA Academy of Voters.
However, the AFRIMA Legend Award and the Africa Entertainment/Music Journalist Award will be decided by the International Committee of AFRIMA and announced at the main awards ceremony in Lagos on Sunday, November 9.
Mike Dada, the Executive Producer of the awards said that the AFRIMA online voting platform will open on Tuesday, Sept. 30 for the five-week voting process.
AFRIMA opened entries on May 15 and closed the submission of entries on July 21 and received 2,025 works for assessment.
The AFRIMA Jury, made up of seasoned African industry practitioners, were in Lagos, between July 31 and August 6 for a week-long adjudication of entries from artistes, songwriters, video directors, producers as well as journalists.
The jury members included Oscar Kidjo (Benin Republic), Kawesa Richard (Uganda), Tabu Osusa (Kenya), Laolu Akintobi (Nigeria), Robert Esong Ekukole (Cameroon) and Kiki Toure (Equatorial Guinea).
Others were Delani Makhalima (Zimbabwe), Chris Syren (South Africa), Angela Martins African Union Commission; Rab Bakari (USA) and Rita Ray (UK), Diaspora.
