The All Africa Music Awards, AFRIMA, will open submissions for its 10th edition on Sunday, October 11, 2026, inviting artistes and other music professionals across Africa and the Diaspora to submit works for consideration.
The organisers announced the opening on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, saying the submission window will remain open until Sunday, January 10, 2027, ahead of the 10th edition scheduled to hold in Lagos from Tuesday, May 18 to 23, 2027.
The call for entries covers 40 award categories comprising regional and continental categories representing Africa’s five regions and different music genres.
Eligible entrants include artistes, songwriters, music producers, video directors, DJs, dancers, choreographers, record labels and music executives, as well as unrecorded artistes of African origin living in Africa or the Diaspora.
Only works produced or released between Sunday, August 10, 2025 and Sunday, January 10, 2027 will qualify for consideration under the official eligibility period.
The organisers said entries must be submitted digitally through the official AFRIMA website, stressing that submissions sent through AFRIMA email addresses or other platforms will not be accepted.
Applicants are required to complete the online entry registration form accurately and provide working links to their submitted works.
Audio and video entries can be supplied through downloadable or streamable links from platforms including YouTube and SoundCloud, according to the organisers.
The entry form will be available in English, French, Swahili, Arabic and Portuguese, while a Spanish translation will also be accessible to applicants.
The opening of submissions follows the unveiling of the 10th AFRIMA global calendar at a creative industry roundtable held in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, on Sunday, September 20, 2026.
The calendar established on Monday, January 11 to 14, 2027, for the collation and pre-screening of entries, while adjudication is scheduled for Friday, January 15 to 22.
The global announcement of nominees is scheduled for Friday, January 29, 2027, with public voting expected to run from Sunday, February 21 to Friday, May 21, 2027.
The 10th AFRIMA main events will then take place in Lagos from Tuesday, May 18 to 23, 2027, culminating in the grand awards ceremony on Sunday, May 23.
Speaking about the significance of the milestone, AFRIMA president and executive producer Mike Dada said the awards would seek to turn the growing international visibility of African music into greater economic opportunities for the continent.
“African artistes are filling arenas around the world.”
“African sounds are influencing global culture.”
“But visibility alone is not enough,” Dada said.
“We must turn visibility into opportunity, opportunity into investment, and investment into sustainable creative industries.”
He added, “Africa must not only export culture; Africa must capture the capital and build wealth from its culture.”
The organisers also announced an international build-up programme tagged #Road2AFRIMA10Xperience, with engagements planned for London, Windhoek, Cotonou, Nairobi, Accra, Paris, Warri and Port Harcourt.
In Lagos, the AFRIMA 10X Conference, Media Parley and Industry Night are scheduled for Wednesday, April 14, 2027, alongside university activations and concerts planned between February and April.
AFRIMA International Jury member Lucy Ilado urged emerging artistes and other music professionals to use the submission window, stressing the importance of submitting works under the correct categories and providing accurate information.
“As we open entries for the 10th edition of AFRIMA, I especially encourage upcoming artistes and music professionals to take advantage of this opportunity and submit their work,” Ilado said.
She said AFRIMA provides an opportunity for emerging voices to be discovered alongside established artistes from Africa and the Diaspora.
Ilado also advised applicants to understand the different categories before submitting their works and ensure that their information and links are accurate so their entries can be properly considered during screening and adjudication.
AFRIMA International Jury member Adam Tiran also described the African music industry as rapidly changing, citing new sounds, collaborations and emerging music professionals finding space within the industry.
“The African music industry is changing rapidly.”
“We are seeing new sounds, new collaborations, and a new generation of artistes and music professionals finding their own space in the industry,” Tiran said.
He encouraged music professionals across Africa and the Diaspora to submit works that reflect the current direction of African music and its future.
The 10th edition’s call for entries follows the receipt of 10,717 submissions for the ninth edition, according to AFRIMA.
AFRIMA was established in 2013 by its International Executive Committee in partnership with the African Union and has continued to position the awards as a platform for developing, celebrating and promoting African music, culture and creative talent globally.
The organisers said AFRIMA’s broadcast reaches audiences in more than 84 countries.
With submissions opening on Sunday, October 11, the focus of the 10th edition now shifts to eligible artistes and music professionals seeking recognition across the continental and regional award categories before the Sunday, January 10, 2027 deadline.
The October 7 announcement was therefore an industry announcement about the opening of the entry process, not an AFRIMA awards ceremony held on that date.
The actual 10th edition’s main events are scheduled for May 2027 in Lagos.
