Daphne Njie Brings Home AFRIMA Award As Cameroon’s Only Winner

The All African Music Awards (AFRIMA) 2018, which took place in Ghana this past weekend, is one event many will be talking about for weeks to come. The highly anticipated ceremony did not disappoint, delivering an impressive ambiance and a celebrity-filled venue.

Despite the controversies that have emerged over the years surrounding how artists are selected to win, the awards continue to stand tall, sending a strong message of appreciation for African music and culture. While there is ongoing drama and alleged corruption surrounding the selection process despite winners seemingly being chosen through online voting, AFRIMA remains one of the most prestigious African award ceremonies on the continent, alongside platforms such as the MTV Africa Music Awards.

Now, enough about the selection process – let’s focus on Daphne. Did she look amazing or what? The diva was absolutely glowing in her stunning black semi-see-through gown, and what better accessory than an award to complete the look? Queen Daphne, who was nominated for Best Central Africa, stood out among other strong contenders, including her label mate Shura, Blanche Bailly, Mimi, and others. She emerged as the winner this year though, in our eyes, they were all winners.

Daphne won for her song Jusqu’à la Gare, one of several hit tracks she released in Q4 of 2017. The star has been on an impressive run since the release of her breakout hit Calée in Spring 2017.

One notable fact from this year’s awards was that Daphne was the only Cameroonian artist to take home an award, despite more than seven Cameroonian artists being nominated across various categories.

This raises important questions: Is Cameroonian music still not fully respected across the rest of Africa? Are Ghanaian and Nigerian audiences still unfamiliar with it? Or, even worse, is Cameroonian music perceived as not yet meeting broader African industry standards – whatever those may be?

Whatever the case, Cameroonian music still has a long way to go in gaining wider continental and international recognition. As strong promoters of Cameroonian music since 2014, The HotJem can confidently say that the Cameroonian music industry is filled with incredibly talented and gifted artists producing great music – many of whom we believe deserved nominations and additional wins.

However, the challenges facing the Cameroonian music industry are ongoing: limited government support, insufficient backing from fans and DJs globally, and most critically – a lack of resources for artists to properly promote their music locally and internationally.

That said, Daphne’s win is proof that it can be done. Congratulations to you, Daphne, and to all the artists who were nominated.