Nigerian stars dominate All Africa Music Awards.
Burna Boy won Album of the Year for No Sign of Weakness which was released in July 2025
Nigerian artists emerged as the biggest winners at the 9th edition of the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA), which concluded on Sunday night in Lagos, reinforcing the country’s dominance on the continental music scene.
Global Afrobeats superstar Burna Boy clinched the prestigious Album of the Year award for his latest project, No Sign of Weakness. He also shared the Best African Collaboration award with fast-rising Nigerian artiste Shallipopi, who had a standout night of his own after winning Song of the Year for his viral hit Laho.
The week-long AFRIMA event, adjudicated by a diverse panel of music experts from across Africa and the diaspora, brought together industry stakeholders and performers, culminating in a grand ceremony that showcased Nigeria’s current musical strength.
Leading the award tally was Rema, who won three major categories: Artiste of the Year, Best Male Artiste in Western Africa, and Best African Artiste in RnB and Soul, further solidifying his position as one of Africa’s most influential contemporary acts.
Other Nigerian winners also made a strong impression. Yemi Alade won Best Soundtrack in a Movie, Series or Documentary for her song You Are from the animated series Iyanu, while veteran rapper Phyno was named Best African Artiste in African Hip-Hop.
Emerging talents were equally recognized, with Qing Madi crowned Most Promising Artiste of the Year, and Chella winning the African Fans’ Favorite award.
While Nigerian artistes dominated the night, the awards celebrated musical excellence from across the continent. Bakhaw Dioum of Senegal won Song Writer of the Year, while Algeria’s DJ Moh Green claimed DJ of the Year, edging out notable South African contenders.
Regional honours also went to Wendy Shay of Ghana as Best Female Artiste in Western Africa, Nontokozo Mkhize of South Africa as Best Female Artiste in Southern Africa, and Juma Jux of Tanzania as Best Male Artiste in Eastern Africa.
The strong showing by Nigerian artistes once again highlighted the global rise of Afrobeats, a genre that blends African rhythms with Western influences and has seen explosive international growth in recent years. Burna Boy, widely regarded as one of the movement’s leading figures, continues to play a defining role, with his latest AFRIMA win further cementing his influence on the global music stage.
