Call for applications: 2020 RFI Discovery Award

The contest is open to all musicians or bands from Africa, the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean (including Haiti). The competition was launched in 1981 and seeks to discover and promote new musical talent from the African continent. 

The winner will:

• Receive €10 000.
• Tour Africa.
• Play a concert in Paris, France.
• Get media exposure from RFI and its partners.

East Africans who have won the competition include Uganda's Maurice Kirya in 2010 and Rwandan singer Yvan Buravan in 2018. Other winners include Tiken Jah Fakoly (Ivory Coast), Amadou and Mariam (Mali), Rokia Traoré (Mali), Didier Awadi (Senegal), Soul Bang’s (Guinea), M'Bouillé Koité (Mali) and Céline Banza (DRC), among others. 

The application deadline is 31 July. 

Requirements

The details below must be submitted via the application form, which is accessible here. 

• Full name.
• Contact information (telephone and email). 
• Date of the beginning of the artists' career
• Links to musical works.

The RFI Discovery Award jury is made up of media and music industry professionals. The 2020 judges include Fally Ipupa, Singuila, Charlotte Dipanda, Youssou N’Dour, Angélique Kidjo, Richard Bona, A'Salfo, Kery James and Jacob Desvarieux.

The award is organised in partnership with Ubiznews, the French Institute, the International Organisation of La Francophonie, and the Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music (SACEM).

View the original call here.