AFRICAN PROUD CONTEST

2025 Rules

AFRICAN PROUD organizes a music contest called "African Proud Contest".

This digital contest, organized in 9 African countries, aims to promote musical talents by encouraging artists to showcase their voices, musical styles and originality, on one of the instrumentals proposed by Moh Green, world-renowned producer.

The contest will take place according to the following schedule:

September 1, 2025:
Contest begins Registration & availability of Moh Green instrumentals on the site Submission of songs on the digital platform.

November 5, 2025: End of contest registration

November 14, 2025: Online release of all participants' songs From November 14, 2025, listeners will be able to discover the songs on digital music platforms and YouTube.

From October 26 to November 13, 2025: Preselection stage of artists from each country Candidates from each country will be selected by a listening committee.

From November 14 to November 28, 2025: 1st phase of online voting campaign and jury votes to elect the representative of each country who will be a finalist of the contest.

November 29, 2025: Announcement of the 9 finalists (representatives of each country) during a broadcast.

From November 29 to December 12, 2025: 2nd phase of online voting campaign and jury votes to elect the grand winner of the contest

December 13, 2025: Announcement of the grand winner of the contest during a broadcast.

Any potential change of dates will be notified to all concerned parties.

ARTICLE 1 – PARTICIPATION CONDITIONS

The contest is open to artists or musical groups residing in a selection of 9 African countries. The competing countries are as follows:
France, Algeria, Cameroon, Congo, Ivory Coast, Mali, Morocco, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal.
For groups, the number of musicians in a group cannot exceed two (2) people.
The African Proud Contest aims to discover promising young talents in African music. In addition, we encourage women and young girls to emancipate themselves through artistic practice. We want to give a voice to those who have been ignored or silenced for too long. This contest is an opportunity for them to be heard and show all their talent.
All artists have the opportunity to participate in the contest, whether they are minors or adults. However, in case of participation by minors, they must complete a parental authorization form to validate their registration.

ARTICLE 2 – APPLICATION STEPS

2.1: Steps in detail:

STEP 1: Registration
To participate in the contest, the candidate must register for free on the official website www.africanproud.net, in the "Artist" section. Registration involves creating a personal account and electronically signing the participation contract, an essential condition for validating the application. The "Boost your visibility" pack is an optional offer independent of this contest. It does not in any way condition participation in the contest, does not influence the selection of candidates, nor the results. It is a personal and optional step by the artist.

STEP 2: Instrumental Selection

The participant must download the instrumentals specially created by DJ Moh Green, available on the platform. Only one instrumental can be chosen per artist. The use of multiple instrumentals is strictly prohibited.

STEP 3: Choice of Participation Format

The participant can submit one of the following two formats, or both if desired: Option 1: a track recorded in studio This format allows the artist to benefit from official distribution and receive 70% of generated royalties. Before submission, artists must sign the distribution contract and complete the SACEM form provided by the organization. Option 2: sending a complete live video (not distributable elsewhere): The participant sends a complete live video, in which they perform their track on the entirety of the chosen instrumental. The video will not be distributed on music platforms, but only published on the contest's official YouTube channel. The participant must film themselves in High Definition (HD), in landscape format, in a quiet place, well lit, for better image quality and good sound rendering (instrumental + voice). It must be sent via SwissTransfer or Smash link, in HD format, landscape, to the address concours@africanproud.net and must not exceed 300 MB. The file name must show ARTIST NAME + COUNTRY

STEP 4: Submitting the Track or Video

For option 1: track recorded in studio Once your track is finalized, log into your personal space on the www.africanproud.net site. Click on the link that will redirect you to the platform. You will be able to upload your track, provide the required information and electronically sign the distribution contract. This contract will allow you to receive 70% of the royalties generated by your music over a period of several years. Tracks recorded in studio must be submitted via the official Wiseband distribution platform, accessible from the candidate's personal space. For option 2: sending the complete live video: Live videos must be sent by email to concours@africanproud.net via SwissTransfer or Smash.

STEP 5: Validation and Compliance

An internal commission will verify the compliance of submitted elements (quality, compliance with rules, format, etc.). The submission deadline is set for November 5, 2025 at 11:59 PM GMT+1. After this deadline, no submission will be accepted.

STEP 6: Case of National Winners

If an artist is designated winner of their country and was unable to record their track in studio for financial reasons, the organization will cover a recording session, in agreement with the artist, within a budget defined internally. This coverage is strictly reserved for national winners.

STEP 7: Obligation for Finalists

To access the final phase of the contest: The national winner must imperatively record their track in studio; Submit it to our official distributor; Make it available on digital music platforms. Failure to comply with this obligation will result in automatic disqualification of the participant.

2.4 The organizer reserves the right to refuse any application whose artistic or technical quality of the submitted track is deemed non-compliant with required minimum standards, without giving rise to any claim.

2.5 Participants who have submitted their track on the digital distribution platform commit to signing the SACEM declaration form provided by the organization, allowing it to proceed with the deposit of the work with SACEM to ensure its protection. This step allows securing authors' rights, guaranteeing their remuneration as copyright, and legally protecting their creation.

ARTICLE 3 – PARTICIPANT OBLIGATIONS

3.1 Participation in the contest implies complete acceptance of the rules and distribution contract by the candidates. Participants commit to respecting the following rules concerning the instrumental provided by DJ Moh Green:

3.2 Instrumental selection: Participants are required to choose only one instrumental among those provided by DJ Moh Green. No modification of the instrumental is authorized.

3.3 Lyrical content: It is strictly forbidden to include racist, defamatory, or offensive lyrics in the composition.

3.4 Exclusive use of instrumental: Participants are only authorized to use the provided instrumental within the framework of this contest. Any other use is prohibited.

3.5 Composition duration: The duration of the composition cannot be reduced by more than 2 minutes compared to the original instrumental. Participants are authorized to extend the duration of the composition and reorganize the arrangement of the instrumental as they wish, but they cannot accelerate the speed of the instrumental.

3.6 Right of disapproval: The listening committee reserves the right to refuse distribution of the composition if it is deemed non-compliant with the rules stated in this contract.

3.7 Restrictions related to live video: The complete live video (if submitted) will be published only on the contest's official channel. Artists are not authorized to publish it on their own YouTube channel or any other platform, except in the form of a short excerpt (less than 60 seconds) for promotional purposes. Their short excerpt must only be published after November 14, the date of song release.

3.8 Distribution restrictions: Participants are not authorized to publish their track or their video on their YouTube channel or distribute it on a platform other than PMN Digital, unless otherwise agreed.

3.9 Disqualification: In case of non-compliance with the provisions of this article, the contest organizer reserves the right to disqualify the concerned participant.

3.10 Guarantee of originality: The participant guarantees that the submitted musical work is original, does not infringe any intellectual property rights belonging to a third party, and that they hold all necessary rights for their participation in the contest. They commit to indemnify the organizers in case of claim or legal action related to violation of third-party rights.

ARTICLE 4 – SONG DISTRIBUTION

Approved songs will be distributed on various streaming platforms such as YouTube, Spotify, Deezer, Amazon, Apple Music, and others, in accordance with contest conditions. Songs will be put online on October 27, 2025.

This distribution will allow participants to share their music with a broader and international audience, while offering an exceptional opportunity to increase their visibility as artists participating in the contest.

ARTICLE 5 – FINALIST SELECTION

A qualified listening committee will evaluate all submissions, carefully selecting the 10 most promising titles from each participating country. If your track is selected, you will have the honor of being one of the 10 finalists from your country. The list of 10 finalists from each country will be revealed on November 6, 2025. This preselection stage constitutes a crucial opportunity for participants, as it opens the way to the final competition, where the best talents will have the chance to shine and compete for exceptional rewards. The selection of finalists and the grand winner is done in two phases:

- Phase 1 (November 6 to December 1) - Jury and public voting campaign to elect the winners from each country:

During the first phase, which will take place from November 6 to December 1, the national and international public will be invited to participate in SMS voting. Added to this is a jury composed of renowned professionals, including radio programmers, magazine editors, influencers, media personalities and artists, who will exercise their right to vote to elect their favorite singers.

- Phase 2 - SMS and Jury Voting (December 3 to 20) – Jury and public voting campaign to elect the grand winner of the contest:

Following the selection of national winners, the second phase of SMS and jury voting will take place from December 3 to 20. The jury, already present during the first phase, will have their say in the selection of winners.

The jury will consider the following criteria to select the finalists:

Artistic quality; Originality of musical style; Commercial potential and feasibility of an international career; Gender parity. The decision of the listening committee is sovereign and final.

ARTICLE 6 – RIGHTS TRANSFER

6.1 By submitting their application, participants grant African Proud a non-exclusive right of reproduction and representation, in the case where they become finalists, for communication and promotion purposes of the contest by African Proud. This applies to photographs, biographical elements, works and/or recordings concerned, in accordance with the conditions stated in section 5.2 below.

6.2 Finalists authorize African Proud, for communication and promotion purposes, to use photos, images, videos and biographical elements from the application file, on all formats and supports, as well as by all available means of communication, including on the Internet. The reproduction and representation rights on the aforementioned photographs, works and/or recordings are granted to African Proud for worldwide use and for the entire duration of their legal protection, free of charge.

ARTICLE 7 – REWARDS

The contest winner will be rewarded with a selection of prizes worth a total of 10,000 euros (equivalent to 6.5 million CFA Francs). They will have the exceptional chance to participate in an exclusive masterclass program and the privilege of representing their country at a prestigious concert in Abidjan. Among these 10,000 euros, 5,000 euros will be given in cash (2,500 € upon announcement of the winner and the remaining 2,500 € after the concert).

ARTICLE 8 – WORK OWNERSHIP AND COPYRIGHT

Participants certify that they are the creators or rights holders of the musical works they submit. They also confirm that they have the right to participate in the contest and grant the necessary authorizations for the distribution of their creations within the framework of the competition. Winners grant African Proud authorization to use their names, images and musical works for promotion and distribution purposes on all digital platforms used by the organization, as well as on the channels and partners of the contest, without additional rights or remuneration.

ARTICLE 9 – FINAL PROVISIONS

These rules may be modified at any time by the African Proud organization, particularly in case of force majeure or unforeseen circumstances. Any modification of the rules will be brought to the attention of candidates through appropriate communication channels.

Non-compliance with these rules will result in immediate disqualification of the Candidate.

Candidates accept that their participation in the contest may be covered in the media by all African Proud media partners.

Any question of interpretation or application of the rules will be decided sovereignly by African Proud.

ARTICLE 10 – PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION AND PRIVACY LAW COMPLIANCE

10.1 Participants consent to all necessary verifications concerning their identity, age and postal coordinates. Personal data collected by the organizer within the framework of the contest is strictly confidential and protected by professional secrecy (in accordance with article 226-13 of the Penal Code).

10.2 The contest organizers declare their compliance with law n°78-17 of January 6, 1978, as amended, relating to files and freedoms, as well as European Regulation n°2016/679 of April 27, 2016 concerning the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and the free movement of such data. They also ensure that adequate technical and organizational measures have been put in place to guarantee an appropriate level of security for the protection of personal data.

10.3 The information collected, whether in the context of applications or online voting, is subject to computer processing aimed at organizing and conducting the contest.

10.4 The recipients of data collected during applications (in accordance with the Application File and the Preselected Candidates Sheet) include the contest organizers and jury members. This data will be kept for two (2) years from the date of designation of the grand winner, except for photographs and biographical elements which will be made public. Candidates' email addresses may be used to inform them of the launch of the next edition.

10.5 In the context of public voting described in article 4 of these rules, voters agree to provide their first name, last name and telephone number. The recipient of this data is the telephone operator in charge of SMS voting campaigns.

In accordance with the provisions of Regulation 2016/679/EU of April 27, 2016 relating to data protection and the Computer and Freedoms Law n°78-17 of January 6, 1978, as amended, relating to computers, files and freedoms, individuals have the right of access, rectification and deletion of their personal information. They can exercise these rights by contacting African Proud, 34 rue Parmentier Bat. B1, 94210 Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, France. Candidates also have the possibility to object to the processing of their data for legitimate reasons, but in this case, their participation in the contest cannot be taken into account.

10.6 Finalist candidates and the grand winner accept, in accordance with the terms of article 5 of these Rules, that their images, photographs and biographical elements be published on social networks belonging to African Proud but also to contest partners.

ARTICLE 11 – APPLICABLE LAW AND JURISDICTION:

These rules are governed by French law. Any dispute that could arise from the interpretation or execution of these rules will be submitted to the competent courts of Créteil, France.

ARTICLE 12 – DEPOSIT:

These rules are deposited at the office SCP LPF and Associates Associated Commissioners of Justice, 7 rue Sainte Anastase 75003 Paris France