Burna Boy, Davido, Shallipopi Top AFRIMA 2025 Nominations as Lagos Prepares to Host Africa’s Biggest Music Awards
Lagos is set to become the heartbeat of African entertainment this November as the city readies itself to host the 2025 edition of the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA), with Nigerian superstars Burna Boy, Davido, and fast-rising artist Shallipopi leading the nominations.
The organisers announced that Burna Boy and Davido secured five nominations each, placing them at the top of the list alongside South Africa’s DJ Maphorisa and Morocco’s El Grande Toto, who also earned five nods apiece. Both Nigerian heavyweights will go head-to-head in highly coveted categories including Artiste of the Year, Song of the Year, and Album of the Year, reflecting their dominance on the continental stage.
Shallipopi, one of Nigeria’s breakout stars, followed closely with four nominations, including Artiste of the Year and Breakout Artiste of the Year, marking his strongest recognition yet on the AFRIMA platform.
Other Nigerians making the cut include Rema and Ayra Starr, with the latter set to contest the Artiste of the Year crown alongside Burna Boy and Davido.
Beyond Nigeria, female voices are also resonating strongly this year. Senegal’s Mia Guissé and Ghana’s Moliy received five nominations each, signaling growing female representation at the top tier of African music.
Tanzanian hitmaker Diamond Platnumz, South Africa’s Tyla and Uncle Waffles, as well as Egypt’s Amr Diab, also earned multiple nominations, highlighting the pan-African breadth of the competition.
This year’s AFRIMA broke records with 10,717 entries—the highest since the awards began 12 years ago. From these, 343 nominees across 40 categories were selected by a 13-member international jury after a 10-day adjudication process. Voting by the public will open on September 10 and close on November 30, the eve of the awards night.
The awards ceremony will run from November 25 to 30 in Lagos, featuring a week-long lineup of events, including a welcome soirée, the AFRIMA Music Village, the Africa Music Business Summit, a nominees’ party, and the main awards show, which will be broadcast live to more than 80 countries.
At a recent patron’s dinner in Lagos attended by jurors, artists, and officials, both the Lagos State government and the Federal Government reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring that this year’s AFRIMA is the biggest yet.
With a star-studded list of nominees, record-breaking entries, and Lagos as host, AFRIMA 2025 is already shaping up to be a landmark moment in the celebration of African music and culture.
