The All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) has unveiled its 2025 nominees, spotlighting a vibrant mix of established icons and emerging talents from across the continent and the diaspora.
Nigerian megastars Davido and Burna Boy, Moroccan rap sensation El Grande Toto, Congolese veteran Fally Ipupa, and Afrobeats hitmaker Rema headline the list, alongside rising acts such as Shallipopi, Himra, Moliy, Ayra Starr, Jux, and Senegal’s Mia Guissé.
This year’s edition marks a record-breaking milestone for AFRIMA, with 10,717 entries received – the highest in the award’s 12-year history.
Following a rigorous 10-day adjudication process, a 13-member international jury shortlisted 343 nominees across 40 categories, representing Africa’s five regions and its global diaspora.
Public voting is scheduled to open globally on September 10 via AFRIMA’s official website and will close on November 30, the eve of the awards ceremony.
Nigeria’s Burna Boy and Davido lead the nominations with five each, including Album of the Year for No Sign of Weakness and 5ive, respectively. Both artists are also nominated in the Song of the Year and Best Collaboration categories.
South Africa’s DJ Maphorisa and Morocco’s El Grande Toto also secured five nominations apiece, while Nigeria’s street-pop breakout Shallipopi earned four, including a nod for Artiste of the Year.
Other notable contenders include Ghana’s Moliy and Senegal’s Mia Guissé, each with five nominations, Egypt’s Amr Diab with four, and Tanzanian stars Diamond Platnumz, Tyla, and Uncle Waffles, who all received multiple nods.
Rema scored three nominations, while Ayra Starr will compete in the prestigious Artiste of the Year category.
The diaspora is strongly represented, with nominations for Aya Nakamura, DJ Snake, Darkoo, Faouzia, Gazo, and WizTheMC, reflecting AFRIMA’s commitment to celebrating African music beyond the continent.
Delani Makhalima, a member of the AFRIMA jury, described the 2025 nominees list as a testament to the continent’s growing influence on the global music stage.
“In just 12 years, we’ve gone from being marginalised to becoming a global force. This is AFRIMA, the biggest music entity on the continent,” Makhalima said.
AFRIMA 2025 will be hosted in Lagos, Nigeria, in partnership with the African Union Commission, the Federal Government of Nigeria, and Lagos State.
The weeklong celebration, running from November 25 to 30, will feature a Welcome Soiree, AFRIMA Music Village, the Africa Music Business Summit, a Nominees Party, and culminate in the main awards ceremony on November 30, which will be broadcast live across 84 countries.
