Nigerian singer and actor Olawale Ashimi, popularly known as Brymo, has revealed how he felt about missing out on winning an award at the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA).
The 8th edition of the annual music award, which was tagged “Teranga Edition,” was supposed to hold on November, 2022, but was rescheduled to January 12–15, 2023.
Hosted in Dakar, Senegal, Brymo lost the award categories for “Best Songwriter of the Year and “Best Album of the Year.’’
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Recalling his failure to win an AFRIMA, Brymo was quizzed in an interview with The Cable on the possibility of losing out on the award because of over 40,000 petitions signed against him for making anti-Igbo remarks on social media.
The interviewer quizzed:
“What did you make of it; seeing over 40,000 people suddenly signing this petition to strip you of your nominations for the 8th AFRIMA over a social media talk? Did the award contact you about it?”
The “Elesin Oba” actor replied by noting that he felt he could win the award and said his loss was not related to the petitions signed against him.
Brymo said:
“I think, months before, I’d announced that I was no longer a musician and that I was instead a sonic artist. It meant I was no longer eligible for awards that musicians get. However, AFRIMA nominated my work ‘Esan’, so I forgot all that and looked forward to the event. But in truth, I’m no longer a singer so I didn’t want it…There’s a songwriting category but they shouldn’t nominate sonic artists. I was looking forward to it anyway, and then something happened. I got into trouble talking about Biafra leaving and staying. So I stayed out of AFRIMA and didn’t attack the award afterward. Not winning had nothing to do with the Southeast fracas. Everything only just came together.”