The KORA All Africa Music Awards are music awards given annually for musical achievement in sub-Saharan Africa. The awards were founded in 1994 by Benin born businessman, Ernest Adjovi, after a discussion in Namibia with the country's President Hage Geingob who was then a Prime Minister. The award is named after the kora, a West African plucked chordophone.
The awards have been subject to several postponements since 1994 with a variety of reasons given. Problems have arisen with contracts signed, large sums of monies have been paid and the event postponed.
In 2011 Adjovi was detained by the Nigerian Police Force with allegations he defrauded three Nigerian bodies. In 2008 Adjovi allegedly accepted [US]$2.5 million for the 2008 Awards to be hosted by the Cross River State Government. He later allegedly struck an agreement with the Lagos State Government for US$7.5 million but the awards were not staged until 2010 in Burkina Faso. At those awards brothers PSquare were named Artiste of the Year and were awarded a cash prize of $1 million but the prize was not forthcoming.
The 2015 awards were to be held 13 December in Namibia and a launch event was held in Namibia in May 2015. They were postponed to March 2016 and Adjovi was paid N$23,5 million. The awards did not take place and the whereabouts of Adovi is unknown. Namibia is trying to recover the money.
Since its inception, the KORA Awards has been staged eleven times on the African Continent. For the first ten years (1996-2005 - 9 Awards), the ceremony took place in South Africa. It has since moved to Burkina Faso (2010) and Ivory Coast (2012).
Winners have come from many different countries: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Comores, Republic of the Congo, England, Ethiopia, France, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, île de la Reunion, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mali, Mauitius, Morocco, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Réunion, Rwanda, Senegal, Seyschelles, South Africa, Sweden, Tchad, Togo, Uganda, United States and Zimbabwe.
Winners Source: Award Winner Award Winner Award Winner Award Winner 1996 Best Male Artist of Africa Youssou N'Dour (Senegal) Best Male Artist of Africa Papa Wemba (DRC) Best Female Artist of Africa Miriam Makeba (South Africa) Most promising Male Artist of Africa Lokua Kanza (DRC) Most promising Female Artist of Africa Brenda Fassie (South Africa) Best Artist of North Africa Cheb Mami (Algeria) Best Artist of West Africa Meiway (Ivory Coast) Best Artist of Central Africa Awilo Logomba (DRC) Best Musician of Africa Bheki Mseleku (South Africa) Best Group of Africa Bayete (South Africa) Best Arrangement of Africa Denzil Waela (South Africa) LifeTime Achievement Award Miriam Makeba (South Africa) 1997 Best Male Artist of Africa Ismael Lo (Senegal) Best Female Artist of Africa Angélique Kidjo (Benin) Most promising Male Artist of Africa Cheikh Lô (Senegal) Most promising Female Artist of Africa Khadja Nin (Burundi) Best Male Artist of North Africa Cheb Khaled (Algeria) Best Female Artist of West Africa Cesária Évora (Cape Verde) Best Artist of Central Africa Awilo Logomba (DRC) Best Male Artist of East Africa Ziskakan (île de la Reunion) Best Artist of Diaspora Europe / Caribbean Edith Lefel (France) Best Traditional Artist of Africa Angélique Kidjo (Benin) Best Traditional Group of Africa Nigui Saff K-Dance (Ivory Coast) Best Arrangement of Africa Boncana Maïga (Mali) 1999 Best Male Artist of Africa Femi Kuti (Nigeria) Best Female Artist of Africa Brenda Fassie (South Africa) Most promising Male Artist of Africa Axel Govinda (Ivory Coast) Best Artist of North Africa Takfarinas (Algeria) Best Male Artist of West Africa Femi Kuti (Nigeria) Best Artist of Central Africa Bozi Boziana (DRC) Best Artist of East Africa Khadja Nin (Burundi) Best Artist from Southern Africa Ringo (South Africa) Best Artist of Diaspora USA Lauryn Hill (United States) Best Artist of Diaspora Europe / Caribbean Natali Lorio (France) Best Group of Africa Bisso Na Bisso (Congo) Best Traditional Group of Africa Nigui Saff K-Dance (Ivory Coast) Best Arrangement Bisso Na Bisso (Congo) Best Video Bisso Na Bisso (Congo)Lifetime Achievement Award