The African Music Academy announces the overall winners of its first prizes.
In accordance with its calendar published on 15 May, the African Music Academy (AMA) is today able to publish the overall list of its very first prizes.
72 national winners were nominated on 31 March by professional organisations representing the various music professions, and declared de facto members of the Academy. They then elected the regional winners, who in turn elected the 6 overall winners.
At the end of this three-stage process, the winners of this first edition, as officially published on 20 June 2024 on the AMA website https://africanmusicacademy.org/en/prize-list-2024, are:
- Angell MUTONI, Rwanda, in the authors category,
- Thasi PONDA, Dem. Rep. of Congo, in the composers category,
- Petit MIGUELITO, Benin, in the performers category,
- Sophie NZAYISENGA, Rwanda, in the musicians category,
- Jean Paul NDUWIMANA, alias NOOPJA, Rwanda, in the producer category,
- And Liliana ESCOBAR - AE Agencia, Colombia, in the managers category.
These 6 global winners are therefore the very first members of the Academy's Honorary Committee.
"The trophies will be presented in person to each of the winners at events to be organised by the professional organisations, in consultation with the winners and the AMA's national delegates. The date and venue will be decided by the professional organisations in accordance with each person's diary," says Wally Badarou, President of the AMA.
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Founded in 2014 by a committee bringing together many of the most prestigious players in the music industry (Manu Dibango, Rokia Traoré, Youssou N'Dour, Angélique Kidjo, Jacob Devarieux, Inna Modja, etc), the African Music Academy (AMA) is an association dedicated to promoting African music largo sensu, from the continent to the multiple historical and contemporary diaspora, placing the African musician at the heart of the scheme.