By Ghazali Ibrahim
The All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) has announced the nominees for its 2025 edition, with Nigerian megastars Burna Boy and Davido emerging as frontrunners, each scoring five nominations.
This year’s awards set a new record with 10,717 entries, making the competition the fiercest in AFRIMA’s history.
Burna Boy’s No Sign of Weakness and Davido’s 5ive are both in the running for Album of the Year, with the two icons also competing for Song of the Year and Best Collaboration.
Shallipopi bagged four nominations, including Artiste of the Year and Song of the Year for his hit collaboration Laho.
Ayra Starr earned two nods, including Artiste of the Year, where she will face Burna Boy, Davido, and Moroccan rap star El Grande Toto.
Other major contenders include South Africa’s DJ Maphorisa, Morocco’s El Grande Toto, Senegal’s Mia Guissé, and Ghana’s Moliy, all with five nominations each.
Tanzania’s Diamond Platnumz, South Africa’s Tyla, and Eswatini’s Uncle Waffles follow closely with four nods apiece.
The 2025 AFRIMA ceremony will take place in Lagos from November 25 to 30, culminating in a grand finale on November 30.
The week-long celebration will feature the AFRIMA Music Village, Africa Music Business Summit, Nominees Party, and live broadcasts to over 84 countries.
AFRIMA jury member Delani Makhalima hailed the nominees’ achievements, stating:
“For years our voices were not heard, but today African music is global. This is AFRIMA, the biggest music entity on the continent.”
The diversity of the nominees reflects the continent’s rich musical landscape, with artists from Nigeria, South Africa, Morocco, Senegal, Ghana, and the diaspora all vying for glory.
