The official nominees for the 2025 edition of the All Africa Music Awards have been unveiled, paving the way for what is expected to be one of the most competitive contests in recent memory.
Top-tier artists including Davido, Burna Boy, Fally Ipupa, El Grande Toto, DJ Maphorisa, and Amr Diab will contend with emerging talents such as Shallipopi, Himra, Moliy, Ayra Starr, Juma Jux, and Senegalese sensation Mia Guissé.
AFRIMA revealed this in an official statement issued on Wednesday.
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The International Committee of AFRIMA, in collaboration with the African Union Commission, stated that this year’s nominations were selected from a record 10,717 entries—the most in the award’s 12-year history.
Following ten days of evaluation, a 13-member jury narrowed down 343 nominees across 40 categories, representing artists from Africa and its diaspora.
Leading Nigeria’s representation, Burna Boy and Davido each received five nominations. They are both competing for Album of the Year, with Burna Boy nominated for No Sign of Weakness and Davido for 5ive.
Their popular singles also secured nominations for Song of the Year and Best Collaboration.
Rising street-pop star Shallipopi received four nominations, including Artiste of the Year and Song of the Year for his collaborative track Laho.
Ayra Starr secured two nominations and will compete for Artiste of the Year alongside Davido, Burna Boy, and Morocco’s El Grande Toto.
Other notable contenders feature South Africa’s DJ Maphorisa with five nominations, Morocco’s El Grande Toto with five, Senegal’s Mia Guissé with five, and Ghana’s Moliy, who also earned five nods.
Tanzanian star Diamond Platnumz, South Africa’s Tyla, and Eswatini’s Uncle Waffles each received four nominations.
The African diaspora also made a notable impact, with female nominees including French-Malian star Aya Nakamura, UK-based Darkoo, and Canadian-Congolese singer Deborah Lukalu, while DJ Snake, Tayc, and Niska appeared in the male category.
AFRIMA jury member Delani Makhalima described the list of nominees as a testament to the growing global influence of African music.
“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, set to take place in Lagos, will run from November 25 to 30. The week-long events include the AFRIMA Music Village, the Africa Music Business Summit, the Nominees Party, and the grand finale on November 30, which will be broadcast live to audiences in more than 84 countries.
