YouTube Partners With AFRIMA 2023

YouTube has partnered with the All-Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA). Dubbed the Teranga Edition, AFRIMA is scheduled for Dakar, Senegal. The global media platform intends to help provide artist-focused educational sessions while live-streaming the awards taking place from 12-15 January 2023.

The Head of 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 smartphones 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.”

AFRIMA, the pinnacle of recognition for African music globally, is poised to ensure that the annual four-day festival is broadcasted to music lovers and stakeholders across the globe. Meanwhile, YouTube will be conducting workshop sessions for African creatives at the Africa Music Business Summit (one of the events at the 8^th AFRIMA) to educate on visibility across the global creative ecosystem on a digital platform.

Lauding YouTube for its support,  AFRIMA’s President and Executive Producer, Mike Dada 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.”

The global streaming service will also be partnering with the AFRIMA on a special incubator programme, the AFRIMA Creative Academy, which aims to empower one million Africans including those in the Diaspora) in the music and creative industry over the next five years.

The YouTube link for live streaming will be available on AFRIMA’s YouTube page @AFRIMAAWARDS. To access it, all you have to do is subscribe for free to the channel and catch the African Music Business Summit live on Friday, 13 Jan 13 2023, from 9 am to 4.30 pm (WAT). The AFRIMA Music Village will go live later that day from 6 pm till dawn (WAT). Finally, the 8th AFRIMA main awards ceremony will be streamed live from the Red Carpet from 4.30 pm (WAT), while the main awards will start at 7.30 pm (WAT).

YouTube’s Head of Music Sub-Saharan Africa, Addy Awofisayo said, “YouTube has been consistent in its support for African 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.” He continued, “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 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.”

African music lovers are encouraged to keep voting for their desired winners, using the voting portal live at www.AFRIMA.org and take part in the events on social media platforms Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, Twitter, and LinkedIn. The voting process that determines winners at AFRIMA is audited by a renowned auditing firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

Delegates are expected to arrive in Dakar on 11 January. The AFRIMA ceremony is scheduled to kick-start on 12 January with a Host Country Tour, school visit and gift presentation (as part of AFRIMA’s Corporate Social Responsibility), as well as a Welcome Soiree in the evening. The four-day event continues on Friday 13 January with the Africa Music Business Summit (AMBS) at the Grand Theatre. The AMBS is Africa’s largest gathering of creative professionals in the music industry and it features workshops and panel discussions on issues and opportunities within the African music industry. The event will continue with high momentum at the AFRIMA Music Village at the Grand Theatre, which will be a free-to-enter concert featuring live performances from the biggest music stars across the continent.

On 14 January, the eve of the awards ceremony, there will be media engagements and a courtesy visit to the President of Senegal, Macky Sall. There will also be a live recording booth at the venue for musicians across all five regions of the continent, and in the diaspora, to explore collaborative recordings. The day’s activities will climax with a Nominees Exclusive Party. Finally, it will wrap up on Sunday 15 January at the 15,000-capacity Dakar Arena with the live awards ceremony broadcast by 104 TV Stations to over 84 countries around the world.