Burna Boy, Wizkid & Rema Lead The AFRIMMA 2019 Nominations

As the year draws to a close, we anticipate one of the biggest African music awards in the diaspora, the African Muzik Magazine Awards (AFRIMMA). Set to hold in Dallas on October 26 and 27, AFRIMMA just announced their 2019 nominees, and, of course, Burna Boy bagged several. 

This year has been an especially fruitful year for African music, especially Nigerian music. As well as Beyoncé enlisting some of Africa’s brightest stars for her Lion King: The Gift album, we’ve had diverse acts such as Adekunle Gold and Runtown featuring on projects from artists all over the world.

With Nigerians unequivocally leading the charge, many of our favourite music personalities bagged nominations, including, Daps, who stunned us with Lil Uzi Vert’s “Sanguine Paradise” music video, and dancer, Izzy Odigie, who has toured and choreographed for many African stars. 

2019 undoubtedly belongs to Burna Boy, and the nomination list for this year’s AFRIMMA reflects exactly that. Burna Boy has a total of seven nominations, including ‘Artist of the Year’ and ‘Song of the Year’ nods for both “On The Low” and the Zlatan-assisted “Killin Dem”

Along with Burna Boy, Rema and Wizkid also bagged a bunch of major nominations, with Wizkid scoring nods for ‘Artist of the Year’ and ‘Song of the Year’ for “Fever”, while Rema, who also nabbed a ‘Song of the Year’ nod for “Dumebi”, seems like a shoo-in for the ‘Best Newcomer’ award.

Check out the full list of nominees below:

Best Male West Africa

Davido — Nigeria

Kuami Eugene — Ghana

King Promise — Ghana

Burna Boy — Nigeria

Wally B. Seck — Senegal

Ariel Sheney — Ivory Coast

Sidiki Diabate — Mali

Stonebwoy — Ghana

Wizkid — Nigeria

Mr. Eazi — Nigeria

Best Female West Africa 

Aya Nakamura — Mali

Simi — Nigeria

Becca — Ghana

Teni — Nigeria

Adiouza — Senegal

Josey — Ivory Coast

MzVee — Ghana

Tiwa Savage — Nigeria

Yemi Alade — Nigeria

Niniola — Nigeria

Best Male East Africa

Ali Kiba — Tanzania

Diamond Platnumz — Tanzania

Harmonize — Tanzania

Nyashinski — Kenya

Juma Jux — Tanzania

Eddy Kenzo — Uganda

Khaligraph Jones — Kenya

Ommy Dimpoz — Tanzania

Rayvanny — Tanzania

The Ben — Rwanda

Best Female East Africa

Vinka — Uganda

Victoria Kimani — Kenya

Vanessa Mdee — Tanzania

Akothee — Kenya

Nandy — Tanzania

Sheebah Karungi — Uganda

Fena Gitu (Fenamenal) — Kenya

Knowles Butera — Rwanda

Rema Namakula — Uganda

Juliana Kanyomozi — Uganda

Best Male Central Africa

Fally Ipupa — Congo

Dadju — Congo

Stanley Enow — Cameroon

Preto Show — Angola

Naza — Congo

Ya Levis — Congo

Salatiel — Cameroon

Matias Damasio — Angola

Anselmo Ralph — Angola

C4 Pedro — Angola

Best Female Central Africa

Shan’L — Gabon

Neima — Mozambique

Blanche Bailly — Cameroon

Charlotte Dipanda — Cameroon

Daphne — Cameroon

Maria Andrade — Cape Verde

Eva RapDiva — Angola

Liloca — Mozambique

Soraia Ramos — Cape Verde

Yasmine — Guinea Bissau

Best Male Southern Africa

Aka — South Africa

Roberto — Zambia

Cassper Nyovest — South Africa

Emtee — South Africa

EXQ — Zimbabwe

Nasty C — South Africa

Jah Prayzah — Zimbabwe

Shyn — Madagascar

Prince Kaybee — South Africa

Master KG — South Africa

Best Female Southern Africa

Ammara Brown — Zimbabwe

Busiswa — South Africa

Sho Madjozi — South Africa

Mampi — Zambia

Shashl__ — Zimbabwe

Cleo Ice Queen — Zambia

Zonke — South Africa

Lady X — South Africa

Bucie — South Africa

Kelly Khumalo — South Africa

Best African Group

Sauti Sol — Kenya

Toofan — Togo

B26 — Angola

R2bee’s — Ghana

Navy Kenzo —Tanzania

Umu Obiligbo — Nigeria

Forca Suprema — Angola

Bracket —Nigeria

Black Motion — South Africa

4KEUS — Congo

Crossing Boundaries with Music Award

Burna Boy — Nigeria

Aya Nakamura  — Mali/France

Stormzy — Ghana/UK

Wizkid — Nigeria

Davido — Nigeria

Afro B — Ivory coast

Tobe Nwigwe — Nigeria /USA

Stefflon Don — Jamaica/UK

Rotimi — Nigeria

French Montana — Morocco

Best Newcomer

Rema — Nigeria

Kwesi Arthur — Ghana

Naiboi — Kenya

Zlatan — Nigeria

Ya Levis — Congo

Fireboy DML — Nigeria

Rui Orlando — Angola

Soraia Ramos — Cape Verde

Gaz Mawete — Congo

Sho Madjozi — South Africa

Artist of The Year 

Davido — Nigeria

Diamond Platnumz — Tanzania

Fally Ipupa — Congo

Wizkid — Nigeria

Burna Boy — Nigeria

Black Coffee — South Africa

Sarkodie — Ghana

Yemi Alade — Nigeria

Busiswa — South Africa

Aya Nakamura — Mali/France

Best Gospel

Frank Edwards — Nigeria

Gloria Muliro — Kenya

Bethel Revival Choir — Ghana

Papa Dennis — Kenya

Miguel Buila — Angola

Diana Hamilton — Ghana

Icha Kavons — Congo

Willy Paul — Kenya

Mercy Chinwo — Nigeria

Winnie Mashaba — South Africa

Best Live Act

Flavour — Nigeria

Ali Kiba — Tanzania

Sauti Sol — Kenya

Stonebwoy — Ghana

Sidiki Diabate — Mali

Yemi Alade — Nigeria

Becca — Ghana

Burna Boy — Nigeria

Diamond Platnumz — Tanzania

Fally Ipupa — Congo

Best Rap Act

Phyno — Nigeria

Olamide — Nigeria

Falz — Nigeria

Sarkodie — Ghana

Tha Dogg — Namibia

Cassper Nyovest — South Africa

Zlatan Ibile — Nigeria

Nasty C — South Africa

Khaligraph Jones — Kenya

Medikal — Ghana

Best Collaboration

Burna Boy x Zlatan — “Killin’ Dem”

Diamond Platnumz ft. Fally Ipupa — “Inama”

Beyoncé x Wizkid x Blue Ivy x Saint JHN — “Brown Skin Girls”

Ommy Dimpoz ft. Alikiba — “Rockstar”

Anselmo Ralph ft. C4 Pedro — “Pra Cuiar Mais”

Mayorkun ft. Kizz Daniel— “True”

MHD ft. Dadju — “Bebe”

Master KG ft. Zanda — “Skeleton Move”

Aya Nakamura ft. Niska — “Sucette”

Flavour ft. Umu Obiligbo — “Awele”

Song of The Year

Burna Boy x Zlatan — “Killin’ Dem” 

Rema — “Dumebi”

Master KG ft. Zanda Zakuza — “Skeleton Move”

Ya Levis — “Katchua” 

Wizkid — “Fever”

Diamond Platnumz ft. Fally Ipupa — “Inama”

BM ft. Awilo Longomba — “Rosalina” (Remix)

Burna Boy — “On The Low” 

Aya Nakamura — “Pookie” 

Shatta Wale — “My Level”

Best Video Director

Justin Campos — South Africa

Dr Nkeng Stephens — Cameroon

Enos Olik — Kenya 

Clarence Peters — Nigeria 

David Duncan — Ghana

Sasha Vybz — Uganda

Director Kenny — Tanzania 

Daps — Nigeria 

Gyo Gyimah — Ghana

Patrick Ellis — Nigeria

Best DJ Africa

DJ Spinall — Nigeria 

DJ Black Coffee — South Africa

Man Renas — Angola

DJ Jeff — Angola 

DJ D-Ommy — Tanzania

DJ Slim — Ghana

DJ Neptune — Nigeria

DJ E Cool — Nigeria

DJ Tira — South Africa

DJ Euphonik — South Africa

Best African DJ USA

DJ Tunez — Nigeria 

DJ Fully Focus — Kenya 

DJ Silent Killa — Caribbean 

DJ Poizon Ivy — Kenya 

DJ Mekzy — Nigeria 

DJ Shinski — Nigeria

DJ Rell — Sierra Leone

DJ Freshy K — Nigeria

DJ Nana B — Ghana

DJ Moh — Ivory Coast

AFRIMMA Video of The Year

Rema — “Dumebi” 

Burna Boy x Zlatan — Killin’ Dem

Diamond Platnumz ft. Fally Ipupa — “Inama” 

Patoranking ft. Davido — “Confirm”

Ommy Dimpoz — “You Are The Best”

Anselmo Ralph ft. C4 Pedro — “Pra Cuiar Mais” 

Flavour ft. Umu Obiligbo — “Awele” 

Aya Nakamura — “Pookie”

Adekunle Gold — “Kelegbe Megbe” 

Sho Madjozi — “Idhom”

Music Producer of The Year

Masterkraft — Nigeria

Northboi Oracle — Nigeria 

Kimamba — Tanzania

Kel P — Nigeria

Laizer Classic — Tanzania

Guilty Beatz — Ghana

DJ Maphoriza — South Africa

S2kizzy — Tanzania 

Salatiel — Cameroon 

Sidike Diabate — Mali

Best African Dancer 

Kaffy Dance Queen — Nigeria

The Grove — Angola

Sherri Silver — Rwanda

La Petite Zota — Ivory Coast 

Manuel Canza Laurenzo — Angola

Ghetto Triplet Kids — Uganda

Izzy Odigie — Nigeria

Bajuni — Tanzania

Rabbit Cre 255 — Tanzania

The Team — Angola

Best Lusophone 

DJODJE — Cape Verde

Mr Bow — Mozambique

Matias Damasio — Angola 

Nelson Freitas — Cape Verde

Anselmo Ralph — Angola

Maira Andrade — Cape Verde

Calema — Sao Tome

CEF — Angola 

Puto Português — Angola

Filho du Zua — Angola

Best Francophone

Stanley Enow — Cameroon

Fally Ipupa — Congo

Dadju — Congo

Toofan — Togo

Airel Sheney — Ivory Coast

DJ Arafat — Ivory Coast 

Daphne — Cameroon

Ya Levis — Cameroon

Aya Nakamura — Mali

Salatiel — Cameroon

Radio/TV Personality of The Year

Willy Tuva — Kenya

Lil Ommy — Tanzania

Do2dtun — Nigeria

Yaw — Nigeria

Jamal Gaddafi — Kenya

Afonso Quintas — Angola

Sammy Forson — Ghana

James Onen — Uganda

DJ Fresh — South Africa

Konnie Toure — Ivory Coast