The AFRIMA awards 2019 ceremony was held on Saturday night at the Convention Center of the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos.
The event which was co-produced by Qtaby Events saw Nikita Kering, the 17-year-old Kenyan singer, had an amazing night, performing and winning two awards for best female Artist East Africa and the Revelation of the African Continent.
Congolese makossa/soukous veteran, Awilo Longomba and Nigeria’s 2Baba both won this years’ Legendary award, a recognition of individuals who have impacted positively on the world using their craft in the music, arts and culture industry.
Nasty C of South Africa got the Best Male Artist in Southern Africa award and Artist of the Year, while Nadia Nakai, who also won two awards, called for tolerance and inclusivity among Africans, underlining that recent events in South Africa do not speak for her nation.
Nigerian superstars Wizkid and Burnaboy, respectively won Song and Artist of the year, while Joeboy was awarded Best African Pop Artist.
Moroccan artists, Amiinux and Nadia Azhari got the Best Male/ Female Artist from North Africa awards.
Manno Beats (Chad/Haiti), who took home the award for Best Electro and Best Song from the African Diaspora, thanked AFRIMA for the inclusion of all Africans and predicted the participation of Afro-descendants from all over Latin America and the Caribbean.
The event kicked off with the performance of Nigerian star Skiibbii and developed into a remarkable showcase of Africans coming together as one, celebrating the diverse culture of the continent. The show was jointly hosted by South African actress Pearl Thusi and British-Congolese comedian Eddie Kadi, presenting the talents abound in Africa. The performances by the acts slated for the night kept the audience on the edge of their seats until early Sunday morning.