The All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) 2025 nominations have been officially released, unveiling a star-studded list that reflects the vibrant and expansive landscape of African music. This year’s edition saw a record-breaking 10,717 entries, the highest since AFRIMA's inception 12 years ago, underscoring the growing global prominence and artistic output from the continent. A dedicated 13-member International Jury meticulously adjudicated these entries over 10 days, ultimately shortlisting 343 nominees across 40 diverse categories, spanning Africa's five regions and the diaspora.

Nigerian music titans, Damini 'Burna Boy' Ogulu and David 'Davido' Adeleke, emerged as the frontrunners, each securing five nominations—the highest for any artiste on this year’s list. Burna Boy's acclaimed album 'No Sign of Weakness' and Davido's '5ive' are both vying for the coveted Album of the Year award. Their hit singles also earned them significant recognition, with Davido's 'With You' nominated for Song of the Year and Best African Collaboration (featuring Omah Lay). Burna Boy also received a nod for 'Best African Artiste Duo or Group in African Pop'. Both Afrobeats stars are also competing in the fiercely contested 'Best Male Artiste in West Africa' and 'Artiste of the Year' categories for their respective singles, 'Update' and 'With You'.

Matching the Nigerian heavyweights with five nominations each are South Africa’s celebrated DJ Maphorisa, recognized for categories including Best African DJ and Album of the Year, and Morocco’s rap sensation El Grande Toto, whose album 'Salgoat' and hit 'Diplomatico' have garnered global attention. The strong representation of female artistes is also noteworthy, with Senegal's Mia Guissé and Ghana's Moliy each securing five nominations, signaling their increasing influence on the continent's music stage.

Nigeria's rapidly rising street-pop sensation, Crown 'Shallipopi' Uzama, made a significant impact with four nominations, including Artiste of the Year and Song of the Year for his collaborative track 'Laho'. 'Laho' also earned him a nomination for 'Breakout Artiste of the Year', while its producer, Progrex, was recognized for 'Best Producer of the Year'. Other notable Nigerian nominees include Rema, who secured three nominations, including Artiste of the Year and Best Male in West Africa. Ayra Starr received two nominations, also contending for the Artiste of the Year Award alongside industry giants like Davido, Burna Boy, and El Grande Toto. Other Nigerian artistes such as Asake, Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, Yemi Alade, Ruger, Kunmi, Fola (featuring Bella Shmurda), ODUMODUBLVCK, Phyno, Reminisce, Fireboy DML, Kizz Daniel (featuring Angélique Kidjo), Johnny Drille, Gaise Baba, Lawrence Oyor, Mercy Chinwo, and Ada Ehi also received nominations across various categories like 'Best Male Artiste in West Africa', 'Best Female Artiste in West Africa', 'Best African Reggae, Ragga and Dancehall', 'Most Promising Artiste of the Year', 'Best African Artiste, Duo or Group in HipHop', 'Best African Lyricist Rapper', 'Best Artiste, Duo or Group in African Contemporary', and 'Best Artiste in African Inspirational Music'.

Beyond West Africa, other regions also showcased their finest talents. Egypt's Amr Diab, one of the Middle East's best-selling artists, bagged four nominations, while Côte d'Ivoire's Himra picked up three nominations, notably for Album of the Year with 'Big Aka 4 Aka Kai', marking him as one of this year's strongest newcomers. From East Africa, Tanzania's Diamond Platnumz continued his dominance with four nominations, and Juma Jux also scored three, including Song of the Year for 'Ololufe mi'. Southern Africa celebrated Tyla (South Africa) and Uncle Waffles (Eswatini) with four nominations each, affirming the rising global appeal of Amapiano and Afro-house sounds. Côte d'Ivoire's Didi B garnered three nominations, including Best Male Artiste in West Africa and Album of the Year. Gabon's Eboloko received three nods, including Breakout Artiste of the Year, just as Emma'a also earned three nominations, including Best Female Artiste in Central Africa. DR Congo's heavyweights, Fally Ipupa and Ferre Gola, were also prominently featured with three nominations each, for Artiste of the Year and Songwriter of the Year respectively. In North Africa, Morocco's Jaylann received three nominations, while South Africa's Mawhoo (for 'Bengicela') and rap star Nasty C (for 'Soft') each secured three nods.

The diaspora's influence on African music was also well-represented, with male nominees including DJ Snake, Gazo, Niska, Tayc, Tiakola, Tif, Werenoi, WizTheMC, L'Algérino, and Odeal. Female diaspora nominees featured Aya Nakamura, Annatoria, Choisie Basolua, Darkoo, Deborah Lukalu, Faouzia, Ronisia, The Unveiled, Theodora, and Zaho.

AFRIMA jury member Delani Makhalima, representing the Southern African region, articulated the profound significance of the 2025 nominees' list. He stated, "It's been a dream of ours for a long time to work this hard to get to a place where African music can be heard by everyone. We were marginalized for so many years; our voices were not heard as artists, as creators, as songwriters, as producers, as engineers, as video makers, as filmmakers. Twelve years in, we're now here. This is global. This is AFRIMA, the biggest music entity on the face of the continent."

The International Committee of AFRIMA, in partnership with the African Union Commission (AUC) and in collaboration with the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Official Host City, Lagos State, will host the 2025 celebration from November 25 to 30. The week-long event will feature a Welcome Soiree, the AFRIMA Music Village, the Africa Music Business Summit, a Host City Tour, the Nominees Party, and culminate in the Main Awards Ceremony. Public voting for all categories will open globally on September 10, 2025, via the official AFRIMA website, and will close on the eve of the main awards ceremony, November 30, 2025. The grand finale will be broadcast live to over 84 countries worldwide, promising a truly global celebration of African musical excellence.