By Samuel Onyekwere
The African Union Commission and the International Committee of the All Africa Music Awards have announced the postponement of the 2020 edition, of the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) to 2021, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The decision to suspend the 7th edition of the annual music awards was reached last week, by the organizers after conscious monitoring of the
pandemic. The awards was billed to take place in Nigeria between December 2 and December 6, 2020, but had to be shifted after careful consultations with AFRIMA Stakeholders on the continent and around the globe.
The African Union Commission and AFRIMA further stated that the cancellation brings with it great opportunities for future awards
planning and preparation by utilizing the digital platforms and gains the new normal has thrust upon the world of concerts, conferences and
festivals, some of the activities which make up the annual AFRIMA event calendar.
The statement reads: “The health and safety of the community of AFRIMA Stakeholders is of utmost importance to us. Many of our awards nominees and delegates travel from different parts of the continent and from other parts of the globe to Africa each edition. With full understanding of the risks involved with such movements, the
suspension of the 2020 edition of AFRIMA is the only option available to us.
“We work day and night each year to ensure we provide a world-class and safe awards event. Now, we are focusing all of our efforts in making
our future events even better. We hope that the world will be able to take adequate action, and that the spread of the virus will soon be contained.
“We would like to thank all our stakeholders and partners for their support, open discussions and encouragement. We will continue to work with every one of you and share more information about our plans for the coming year which has been declared by the policy organs of the
African Union as the year of Arts, Culture and Heritage and will be celebrated under the theme; ‘Arts, Culture and Heritage: Levers for Building the Africa We Want.”
Mariame Cisse 
Mike Dada