Davido, Burna Boy, Ayra Starr Shine in 2025 AFRIMA Nominees List
The All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) has unveiled the official roster of nominees for 2025, and it’s a stellar mix of seasoned superstars and rising stars lighting up the African music scene.
Top-Nominated Artists:
Burna Boy and Davido lead the pack with five nominations each, including nods for Album of the Year, No Sign of Weakness for Burna Boy and 5ive for Davido, as well as recognition in Song of the Year and Best Collaboration.
DJ Maphorisa (South Africa) and El Grande Toto (Morocco) also secured five nominations apiece, with Maphorisa up for Best African DJ and Album of the Year, and El Grande Toto recognized for his album Salgoat and hit Diplomatico.
Female artists are well represented too. Senegal’s Mia Guissé and Ghana’s Moliy both earned five nominations each, underlining the growing influence of female artists on the continent.
Shallipopi, Nigeria’s street-pop breakout, bagged four nods, including Artiste of the Year and Song of the Year for his track “Laho.”
Other multiple nominees include Egypt’s Amr Diab, Tanzania’s Diamond Platnumz, South Africa’s Tyla, and Uncle Waffles from Eswatini—all with four nominations each.
Other Noteworthy Contenders:
Artists with three nominations include Himra (Côte d’Ivoire), Rema (Nigeria), Eboloko, Emma’a, Fally Ipupa, Ferre Gola, Jaylann, Juma Jux, Nasty C, Mawhoo—a testament to the broad talent across the continent.
Ayra Starr enters with two nominations and is competing in the elite Artiste of the Year category alongside giants like Davido, Burna Boy, and El Grande Toto.
Voting & Voting Period:
A record-breaking 10,717 entries were submitted this year—the highest since AFRIMA’s inception 12 years ago.
Following a 10-day adjudication, a 13-member international jury finalized a shortlist of 343 nominees across 40 categories, spanning Africa’s five regions and the diaspora.
Public voting will open globally on September 10, 2025, and conclude on November 30, 2025—the eve of the main awards ceremony.
Event Highlights & Significance:
The AFRIMA festivities will be held in Lagos, Nigeria, from November 25 to 30, 2025, featuring a Welcome Soiree, AFRIMA Music Village, Africa Music Business Summit, Nominees Party, and culminating with the main awards ceremony broadcast live to over 84 countries.
Jury member Delani Makhalima, representing Southern Africa, reflected on the event’s significance:
“Twelve years in, we’re now here. This is global. This is AFRIMA, the biggest music entity on the face of the continent.”