The All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) has announced a record-breaking 10,717 entries for its 2025 edition.
The figure, according to organisers, represents an 18 percent increase from the 9,076 entries received in 2024.
This year’s submission window opened on May 27 and closed on August 8. It covered songs, albums, music videos, works by songwriters, producers, DJs, video directors, dancers, choreographers, record labels and emerging talents without formal recordings.
West Africa topped the entries with 5,215 submissions (48.68%), followed by Southern Africa with 2,080 (19.42%), East Africa with 804 (7.50%), Central Africa with 291 (2.72%), North Africa with 267 (2.49%) and the Diaspora with 75 entries (0.70%).
A 13-member international jury began adjudication in Lagos on August 8 and will conclude the process on August 17.
Speaking on the milestone, Southern Africa’s representative on the jury Adam Tiran said:
“The 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’s clear that African music is not only growing fast but also making a big impact on the global stage.”
Diaspora representative Hadja Kobele added:
“We take this job very seriously. Our criteria are clear: musical quality, originality, impact, and cultural relevance. AFRIMA isn’t about industry politics or social media popularity; it’s about honouring the music, the message, and the creators behind it.”
The nominees list will be released on August 24. Voting will open on September 5 on the AFRIMA website, www.afrima.org and will close 24 hours before the awards night on November 30.
PricewaterhouseCoopers will audit the process.
AFRIMA 2025 will be hosted in Lagos from November 25 to 30. Events lined up include the Africa Music Business Summit, Music Village Concert, Nominees Party and the grand finale awards night which will be broadcast live to over 84 countries.
