The 2017 edition of the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) has received nearly 5,000 entries from African music artistes and music professionals at the close of the two-month entry submission process on Monday, July 17.

The African Union and the International Committee of AFRIMA had opened the 2017 AFRIMA Call for Entries on May 8 giving opportunity to African music artistes, record producers, songwriters, video directors and music journalists to enter their qualified works on the AFRIMA website www.afrima.org and the awards social media platforms.

The overwhelming response to this call putting the total number of entries received for 2017 at 4,816 is an astronomical increase from the 2,714 entries received in 2016, which amounts to a 77.25% increase compared to last year. Analysis reveals the regions with the highest entries as Eastern Africa, with 47% of the total entries and Western Africa, with 30%. This immense progress is a positive marker and has elicited satisfaction from the African Union, the International Committee of AFRIMA, the Regional and Country Directors of AFRIMA.

Expressing his excitement at the high number of entries in 2017, the AFRIMA International Advisor and member of the International Committee, Mr. Rikki Stein stated: "This is tremendous news, indicative of an increasingly healthy music industry across Africa, particularly from a creative perspective. AFRIMA is plugged in to the aspirations of the African continent, providing a platform for excellence in the field of music and a source of inspiration and encouragement for its associated fields of endeavour; songwriters, producers, sound engineers, distributors, publicists, marketers, photographers, videographers, stylists, journalists, bloggers, DJs and on and on."

Rikki Stein, a former friend and Manager to African music legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti also added that, "As one by one, African artists are making their mark in the wider world, acting as ambassadors of their countries and their culture, the eyes and ears of that wider world are opening and turning towards Africa as the source of much more than entertainment. In its finest form, as will be evident amongst AFRIMA nominees and eventual winners, they provide an antidote to negativity and cynicism, offering a healing form for ailments of heart and spirit; what Fela used to call ‘The Underground Spiritual Game’.”

To follow the close of entries is the screening and adjudication processes from July 18 to July 28 and August 2 to August 8 respectively. The 13-man AFRIMA Jury will review the 4,816 entries to determine the works of African talents that are adjudged on merit to be on the AFRIMA 2017 Nominees List.

In partnership with the African Union, AFRIMA is centred on the promotion and marketing of African music and is by far the largest gathering of such magnitude of stakeholders in Africa. The biggest awards event on the continent packs exciting activities into its annual events calendar including the AFRIMA Music Village, the Africa Music Business Roundtable and the AFRIMA Host City Tour. AFRIMA 2017 is scheduled to hold from November 9 to12 with live broadcast to 84 countries across the world.