The organisers of The All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) have postponed the 2025 edition to January 2026.
The award ceremony, which was previously scheduled to hold from November 25 to 30, will now take place from January 7 to 11 in Lagos.
In a statement released on Thursday night, Nde Ndifonka, AFRIMA’s regional director for Central Africa, disclosed that the rescheduling aims to ensure a “world-class celebration” that properly showcases Africa’s creative strength.
He added that the shift will also allow more artistes, stakeholders, fans, media and partners to participate fully in the ceremony.
“AFRIMA is not just an award show; it is Africa’s global music stage. Rescheduling the 9th edition to January allows us to deliver the kind of world-class celebration that truly reflects Africa’s creative power,” he said.
“It also ensures that more of our stakeholders, artistes, fans, media, and partners can participate fully. This is about giving African music the grand platform it deserves.”
This year’s edition will be held in partnership with the African Union Commission (AUC) and the federal government of Nigeria as the official host country.
Angela Martins, AUC’s acting director of social development, said the commission’s partnership with AFRIMA supports its ambition to strengthen Africa’s creative sector and promote youth empowerment.
She added that moving the ceremony to January 2026 offers a chance to better highlight the continent’s talent and cultural unity on a global stage.
“The African Union Commission is proud to continue its partnership with AFRIMA in celebrating Africa’s creative excellence and global influence,” she said.
“This relationship aligns perfectly with the AU’s Cultural Policy for Africa and the AU Agenda 2063, which prioritise the creative economy as a driver of sustainable development, youth empowerment, and continental integration.
“The new dates for the 9th AFRIMA in January 2026 provide an exciting opportunity to further showcase the rich diversity, innovation, and unity of Africa’s music and culture to the world.”
The week-long ceremony will kick off on January 7 with a welcome soirée for nominees, industry figures and media, alongside a showcase for emerging artistes.
On January 8, AFRIMA will hold its Africa music business summit, before hosting an event later that evening to honour music legends across the continent.
The schedule for January 9 includes school outreach activities, a cultural tour of Lagos and a courtesy visit to the state government, followed by the AFRIMA music village concert.
Nominees, past winners and industry partners will gather on January 10 for the official nominees’ and industry party.
The awards ceremony will take place on January 11 at the Eko Convention Centre, featuring live performances and a red-carpet broadcast to over 80 countries.
Several Nigerian artistes made the nominees list, with Burna Boy and Davido leading the pack with five nominations each.
Shallipopi followed with four nominations, while Rema earned three nods and Ayra Starr received two.
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