Ahead of the highly anticipated 8th edition of the All-Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) tagged ‘Teranga Edition’ scheduled to hold in Dakar, Senegal on 12-15 January 2023, global entertainment service YouTube, has entered into a partnership with AFRIMA, to help provide artist-focused educational sessions and live streaming support for the awards.
AFRIMA, which is the pinnacle of recognition for African music globally is poised to ensure that the annual 4-day festival is broadcasted to music lovers and stakeholders across the globe.
Importantly, YouTube will be conducting workshop sessions to African creatives at the Africa Music Business Summit (one of the events at 8th AFRIMA) to educate on visibility across the global creative ecosystem on a digital platform.
The global streaming service will also be partnering with the All Africa Music Awards on a special incubator programme dubbed, AFRIMA Creative Academy, which aims to empower one million Africans (and in diaspora) in the music and creative industry in the next five years.
The YouTube link for live streaming will be available on AFRIMA’s YouTube page @Youtube.com/AFRIMAAWARDS. Subscribe for free to the channel and catch the African Music Business Summit live on Friday Jan 13, 2023, from 9.00am-4.30pm (WAT); while the AFRIMA Music Village will be live later that day from 6.00pm – Till dawn (WAT). Finally, the 8th AFRIMA main awards ceremony will be streamed live from the Red Carpet- 4.30pm (WAT), while the main awards will start at 7.30pm (WAT).
Speaking on the development, the Head, Culture Division at the African Union Commission (AUC), Angela Martins said, “It is important that we spread our efforts to promote inclusivity and ensure that the world can see the impact of AFRIMA at the global centre stage. It is easier for people to now follow up with the award ceremony via their smartphone or other devices. It is also vital we continue to create more education for creators to help them thrive in their crafts, and we are happy to align with YouTube on achieving this shared vision.”
On his part, AFRIMA’s President and Executive Producer, Mr Mike Dada, lauded the streaming service for their support towards the African creative economy.
He said, “We have all seen the rise in circulation of short form audio-visual content on these services and how they have helped to promote African music and creators on a global scale. We believe that sharing knowledge will be a veritable means to expand the revenue funnel for our creators at home and also boost foreign direct investment. In the spirit of uplifting the African creative ecosystem, we are excited to work with a driven and innovative team like YouTube.”
YouTube’s Head of Music Sub-Saharan Africa, Addy Awofisayo said, “YouTube has been consistent in its support for Africa creatives over the years and has played an essential role in the discovery and development of African music and culture and exporting it to audiences and listeners worldwide, enabling collaborations both locally and globally.
“We are excited for our partnership with AFRIMA and the African Union to deepen our relationship with the music stakeholders on the continent, provide educational support for African creatives, and to help music fans be a part of some of the most iconic music moments as they unfold live on YouTube, wherever they are around the globe.”
As the whole world gears towards the 8th edition of the All Africa Music Awards, AFRIMA, which will be held from January 12 to 15, 2023, African music lovers are encouraged to keep voting intensively for their desired winners, using the voting portal live at www.afrima.org and take part in the events on social media platforms (IG/TikTok – @afrima.official ; Facebook – Afrimawards; Twitter – @afrimaofficial; LinkedIn – AFRIMA). The voting process that determines winners at AFRIMA is audited by a globally renowned auditing firm, Pricewaterhousecoopers (PWC).