By Ayomide Otitoju
The 9th edition of the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) has reaffirmed its status as Africa’s largest music awards platform, drawing artistes, delegates and industry stakeholders from at least 48 African countries to Lagos, Nigeria, for a week-long celebration of the continent’s diverse musical excellence.
Held from January 7 to 11, 2026, the awards showcased unity, creativity and cultural expression, with winners emerging from West, East, North, Central and Southern Africa, as well as the African diaspora.
AFRIMA President and Executive Producer, Mr Mike Dada, said the wide spread of winners underscored the platform’s pan-African identity. He noted that AFRIMA goes beyond honouring artistes to uniting the continent through music, culture and shared narratives.
According to Dada, the 2026 edition hosted delegates from at least 48 countries, including 1,216 artistes, delegates and members of the production team. He added that the diversity of winners across all regions reflects the continued growth and global competitiveness of Africa’s music industry, with artistes from South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Algeria and Ethiopia leading in major categories.
Côte d’Ivoire recorded multiple wins, as Milo and Morijah emerged winners in the male and female African Inspirational categories, Didi B claimed Best African Lyricist or Rapper, while Team Paiya won Best African Duo, Group or Band.
Ethiopia also made a strong showing, with Haddinqo winning Best African Jazz, Weeha taking Best African Dance/Choreography and Veronica Adane emerging as Best African Traditional. Guinea celebrated victories for Manamba Kanté as Best African Pop and Takana Zion as Best African Reggae, Ragga and Dancehall.
Benin’s Axel Merryl won Best African Contemporary, Senegal’s Bakhaw Dioum was named Songwriter of the Year, while Algeria produced winners in DJ Moh Green for Best African DJ and Izlan for Best African Rock. Rwanda’s Element Eleéh and Mugisha Fred Robinson shared the Producer of the Year award.
In East Africa, Tanzania’s Jux won Best Male Artiste, while Fole X claimed Best African Video of the Year for “Ololufe”. Madagascar’s Denise won Best Female Artiste in Eastern Africa. Northern Africa winners included Adviser from Mauritania and Sherine from Tunisia.
Southern Africa celebrated wins by Yo Maps of Zambia, as well as South Africa’s Nontokozo Mkhize and Ciza, while Central Africa honours went to Singuila of the Republic of Congo and Cindy Le Cœur of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Ghana’s Wendy Shay emerged as Best Female Artiste in Western Africa.
The week-long programme began with a welcome soirée for nominees and guests at the residence of the Deputy British High Commissioner on January 7. This was followed by the Africa Music Business Summit at the Eko Convention Centre, Eko Hotels and Suites. On January 9, activities moved to the AFRIMA Music Village at Ikeja City Mall, where more than 25 top artistes entertained over 20,000 music fans at a high-energy concert.
The grand finale, held at the Eko Convention Centre, Eko Hotels and Suites, drew a capacity crowd as thousands gathered to witness the awards ceremony. Artistes, producers, and creative professionals, including video and sound directors, were honoured with the prestigious 23.9-carat gold-plated AFRIMA trophy, marking a fitting climax to the continent-wide celebration of African music.
