AFRIMA 2025 nominees list unveiled with Davido, Burna Boy, Ayra Starr, DJ Maphorisa and more. Lagos hosts the biggest African music showdown in November

The AFRIMA 2025 nominees list has been released, setting the stage for one of the fiercest showdowns in African music history.

Also read: AFRIMA 2025 entries hit record high, showcasing African music’s brilliance

In a statement on Wednesday, the All Africa Music Awards, in partnership with the African Union Commission, announced that this year’s list was drawn from a record-breaking 10,717 entries the highest in its 12-year history.

After 10 days of screening, 343 nominees across 40 categories were shortlisted by a 13-member jury.

Nigeria’s Burna Boy and Davido lead the pack with five nominations each, including Album of the Year.

Burna Boy’s No Sign of Weakness and Davido’s 5ive will battle for the top spot, while their singles also landed nominations for Song of the Year and Best Collaboration.

Street-pop star Shallipopi earned four nominations, including Artiste of the Year and Song of the Year for Laho. Ayra Starr scored two nods, competing in the Artiste of the Year category against heavyweights like Davido, Burna Boy, and Morocco’s El Grande Toto.

Other strong contenders include DJ Maphorisa (South Africa), El Grande Toto (Morocco), Mia Guissé (Senegal), and Moliy (Ghana) all with five nominations each. Tanzania’s Diamond Platnumz, South Africa’s Tyla, and Eswatini’s Uncle Waffles also secured four nominations apiece.

The diaspora is equally represented with Aya Nakamura (France-Mali), Darkoo (UK), Deborah Lukalu (Canada-Congo), DJ Snake, Tayc, and Niska joining the international categories.

AFRIMA jury member Delani Makhalima described the record list as proof of Africa’s growing global impact: “For years our voices were not heard, but today African music is global. This is AFRIMA, the biggest music entity on the continent.”

Also read: AFRIMA 2025 Jury arrives in Lagos for exciting judging week

AFRIMA 2025 will be hosted in Lagos from November 25 to 30, featuring signature events such as 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 more than 84 countries.