MUTIAT LAWORE 
As preparations towards the 2022 edition of the yearly All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) gather momentum, organisers of the ceremony have revealed that a total of 9,076 entries were received for possible nominations at the awards ceremony. This is the highest number of entries received by the awards body since its inception in 2014.
The figure, which was garnered from entertainers across all five African regions, as well as Europe and North America, represented a 2.2 percentage increase from the 8,880 entries recorded in the 2021 edition. The entries submission began on May 30 and is expected to close by midnight of August 5.
“This development is a clear indicator that AFRIMA is the pinnacle of African music globally, and Africans value the importance of celebrating themselves, as culture remains one of our strongest tools for global unification, as well as economic growth,” AFRIMA juror representing the Diaspora, North America, Hadja Kobele, commented. It is, however, important to note that a 13 – member jury is expected to arrive Nigeria for an eight-day adjudication process that would select the nominees across all existing categories.
The jury is composed of seasoned experts across all five regions in the African music industry as well as the Diaspora; North America and Europe. A world media announcement of the nominees will take place on August 22 to publicly unveil the nominees. A week after, on August 29, the AFRIMA Voters Academy, as well as music fans and followers around the globe will begin to participate in the public voting process, which will be held on the AFRIMA website. Nominees with the highest votes would emerge winners in their respective categories. The voting process, which closes 24 hours before the awards ceremony, would be monitored and audited by a reputable international auditing firm.