The All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) has unveiled the official nominees for its 2025 edition, setting the stage for one of the most competitive award seasons in recent memory.
Global superstars including Davido, Burna Boy, Fally Ipupa, El Grande Toto, DJ Maphorisa, and Amr Diab will go head-to-head with fast-rising sensations like Shallipopi, Ayra Starr, Himra, Moliy, Juma Jux, and Senegal’s Mia Guissé.
In a statement released Wednesday, AFRIMA confirmed that this year’s nominations were drawn from a record-breaking 10,717 entries, the highest in the award’s 12-year history.
After 10 days of intense screening, a 13-member jury shortlisted 343 nominees across 40 categories, representing all African regions and the diaspora.
Nigeria’s Burna Boy and Davido emerged as frontrunners, each bagging five nominations. Burna Boy’s “No Sign of Weakness” and Davido’s “5ive” will face off for Album of the Year. Both also earned nods in Song of the Year and Best Collaboration.
Street-pop star Shallipopi secured four nominations, including Artiste of the Year and Song of the Year for his hit collaboration “Laho.” Ayra Starr, with two nominations, will also contend for Artiste of the Year alongside Davido, Burna Boy, and Morocco’s El Grande Toto.
Other notable contenders include:
- DJ Maphorisa (South Africa) – 5 nominations
- El Grande Toto (Morocco) – 5 nominations
- Mia Guissé (Senegal) – 5 nominations
- Moliy (Ghana) – 5 nominations
- Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania) – 4 nominations
- Tyla (South Africa) – 4 nominations
- Uncle Waffles (Eswatini) – 4 nominations
The diaspora categories also reflect African music’s global spread, with Aya Nakamura (France/Mali), Darkoo (UK), and Deborah Lukalu (Canada/Congo) among the top female nominees, while DJ Snake, Tayc, and Niska represent the male acts.
AFRIMA jury member Delani Makhalima described the list as proof of Africa’s rising influence on the world stage.
“For years, our voices were not heard, but today African music is global. This is AFRIMA, the biggest music entity on the continent,” he said.
AFRIMA 2025 will be hosted in Lagos from November 25 to 30, featuring key events such as the AFRIMA Music Village, the Africa Music Business Summit, the Nominees Party, and the grand finale on November 30. The awards will be broadcast live to more than 84 countries.
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