The All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) has announced a record-breaking 10,717 entries for the 2025 edition of Africa’s premier music honours, surpassing the 9,076 entries received in the previous edition.
In a statement on Monday, AFRIMA said the surge in submissions reaffirms its status as the continent’s most prestigious platform for developing, celebrating, and promoting African music globally.
The entry window, which opened on May 27 and closed on August 8 at 23:59 GMT, welcomed songs, albums, and music videos from across Africa and the diaspora. Submissions came from artistes, songwriters, producers, video directors, DJs, dancers, choreographers, record labels, and emerging talents.
By region, West Africa led with 5,215 entries (48.68%), followed by Southern Africa with 2,080 (19.42%), Eastern Africa with 804 (7.50%), Northern Africa with 267 (2.49%), Central Africa with 291 (2.72%), and Africans in the diaspora with 75 (0.70%).
A 13-member International Jury, comprising music industry professionals from across the continent and the diaspora, commenced adjudication on August 8 in Lagos. The process, which runs until August 17, involves screening, categorising, and scoring entries based on quality, originality, impact, and cultural relevance before selecting nominees for regional and continental categories.
Speaking on the record turnout, Southern Africa jury representative Adam Tiran said:
“The record number of entries for AFRIMA 2025 is more than just a statistic; it shows how alive, creative, and unstoppable African music is right now. It reflects the growing confidence among artistes that AFRIMA is the stage where their work can be seen, respected, and celebrated globally.”
The official nominees’ list will be unveiled on August 24, followed by the voting period starting September 5, during which both the AFRIMA Academy and fans worldwide can vote via the official website, www.afrima.org. Voting will close 24 hours before the Awards Night on November 30. All results will be monitored and audited by an international auditing firm to ensure transparency.
In partnership with the African Union, AFRIMA has secured strategic collaborations with the Federal Government of Nigeria and Lagos State, with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu leading hosting efforts for the 2025 edition.
The awards will take place in Lagos from November 25 to 30, featuring the Africa Music Business Summit, the AFRIMA Music Village Concert, the Nominees Party, and the grand Awards Night, to be broadcast live to more than 84 countries.
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