All Africa Music Awards (also referred to as AFRIMA) is an annual awards event to reward and celebrate musical works, talents and creativity around the African continent while promoting the African cultural heritage. Its pioneer Awards show was held in 2014. The awards event was established by the International Committee AFRIMA, in collaboration with the African Union (AU).
Nigeria has hosted three of the award editions during 2014âÂÂ2016. Nigeria once again won the fourth-year hosting rights tenure in 2017. However, the Republic of Ghana was given the right to host the All Africa Music Awards for four consecutive years from December 2018 to 2020. On Monday, July 15, 2019, The International Committee of the All Africa Music Awards, (AFRIMA) withdrew the hosting rights from Republic of Ghana for the 2019 and 2020 editions of the All Africa Music Awards, AFRIMA, over lack of capacity by the Host Country to meet the financial and contractual obligations entered to on July 12, 2018, necessary to retain hosting the biggest music event in Africa. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, AFRIMA did not hold as scheduled but returned in 2021 and was hosted in Lagos, Nigeria.
The International Committee of AFRIMA consists of five regions: SADEC, Eastern Africa, Central Africa, Northern, Southern Africa and Western Africa, which are run by regional directors and 54 country directors. Public votes determine which artists get awarded, alongside a jury of experienced African culture, media and music industry experts/professionals.
These awards consist of 37 prizes of two categories: region-based awards (covering the five African regions) overseeing the achievements of African artistes within their specific regions of origin and the genre-based continental awards.