By Patricia Uyeh

The All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) in partnership with the African Union Commission has added four new award categories ahead of the forthcoming 5th edition of the award ceremony slated for November, 2018.

According to a statement released by AFRIMA, the categories were carefully arrived at after extensive consultations with African music stakeholders which included the AFRIMA Academy of Voters and members of the International Committee of AFRIMA. They also came in response to the yearnings and requests of stakeholders, DJ’s, dancers and artistes in diaspora.

The statement read: “This process attests to the objective of AFRMA to use the African creative industry to showcase the unique cultural heritage of Africa to the rest of the world while celebrating innovations and diversification in Africa’s contemporary music industry,”

The newly introduced award categories are:

African DJ of the Year

Best African Dance/Choreography

African Lyricist/Rapper of the Year

Best African Act in Diaspora (Female & Male).

Commenting on this new development, the Jury Member representing Africa music in the Diaspora (North America), Hadja Kobélé Keita said:

“AFRIMA have given African artistes, for the past few years, an opportunity to capture the attention of an extension and comparatively distinct swath of the public, while emphasising on the unique importance of our diverse African musical culture. The addition of the Diaspora category is a direct emphasis on the critical role Africans in diaspora have as the ambassador of our culture on a global scale.”