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AFRIMMA founder Anderson Obiagwu has urged African artists to remain committed to homegrown award platforms, even after gaining global recognition from major international institutions.
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He said some African stars begin to treat continental awards as less important once they start receiving nominations and recognition from the Grammys, BET Awards and other Western platforms.
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Obiagwu said African award shows give artists a platform where they are celebrated as major stars, while also helping to introduce African talent to international audiences.
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He urged African artists to remember the platforms that supported them early in their careers and to stop distancing themselves from African institutions in the pursuit of international recognition.
August 13, (THEWILL) — AFRIMMA founder Anderson Obiagwu has urged African artists to continue supporting homegrown award platforms even after gaining international recognition.
Obiagwu made the comments during an interview on Arise 360 on Thursday, August 13, while discussing the changing attitude of some African artists towards local music awards.
He said some artists who once valued African awards begin to distance themselves from the platforms after gaining recognition from major international awards such as the Grammys, BET Awards and American Music Awards.
“Everybody is just looking for greener pastures. I’m sure they had big dreams while growing up to win the Grammys and American Music Awards, but I always tell them not to forget where they come from. This is your brand,” Obiagwu said.
He pointed to American stars such as Beyoncé, who he said still support major Black-led award platforms despite their global status.
He stated, As big as Beyoncé is, she still honours the BET Awards. With time, they will come to understand that we built this platform for them. It’s for us, by us.”
Obiagwu also argued that African artists often receive a different level of treatment at major international award events compared with established American stars.
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He said, “When they go to these Grammys and international awards, they are not getting the same treatment as the A-list artists. But when they come to AFRIMMA, it’s like their home.”
He said AFRIMMA has also played a role in introducing African artists to international audiences, noting that many established stars received some of their early international exposure through the platform.
Obiagwu further said some artists appear more willing to spend heavily to attend international award ceremonies, including paying for flights, hotels and tickets for members of their teams, but are less willing to make the same effort for African award shows.
“They don’t understand that most of them get truly seen through the AFRIMMA Awards,” he said, adding that international award bodies sometimes look at African award nominations when considering artists.
AFRIMMA was founded in 2014 by Obiagwu and is held in Dallas, Texas. The platform was created to celebrate African music and give artists a stage in the diaspora.
Obiagwu has previously spoken about the need to build stronger structures around African entertainment.
In a 2020 interview, he said the industry needed systems that could develop and celebrate African talent at home rather than depending heavily on foreign institutions.
The AFRIMMA founder ended his argument with a call for African artists to embrace their identity and support institutions created to represent the continent.
“African artists need to stop running away from who they are,” he said.
Evi-Ben Ezaga is an entertainment and society writer with a passion for stories that explore culture, people, and the stories shaping society today.
