AFRIMA’s entry portal for its 10th edition opens October 11. Here’s who can enter, what’s eligible, and the January 10 deadline you can’t afford to miss.
If you make music anywhere in Africa or the Diaspora, put Sunday on your calendar. On October 11, AFRIMA opens entries for its 10th edition, and you’ve got until January 10, 2027 to send your work in.
The big celebration itself comes later, from May 18 to 23, 2027, right here in Lagos.
Who can enter?
More people than you’d think. It’s not just singers. Songwriters, producers, video directors, DJs, dancers, choreographers, record labels and music executives can all submit. Even unrecorded artistes of African origin are welcome.
There are 40 categories to choose from, covering Africa’s five regions and a wide range of genres.
Your work must have come out between August 10, 2025 and January 10, 2027. Anything outside that window won’t count.
Everything goes through the official AFRIMA website. Emailing your entry or sending it through another platform won’t work, so don’t waste your time. You’ll also need working links, like YouTube or SoundCloud. The form comes in English, French, Swahili, Arabic and Portuguese, with a Spanish translation too.
The last edition pulled in a record 10,717 submissions. That’s a lot of artistes believing their music deserves a bigger stage. This time, the awards team is clearly hoping to top it.
Jury member Lucy Ilado, who represents Eastern Africa, spoke directly to newer acts. She said “AFRIMA provides a platform for emerging voices to be discovered.” She also advised entrants to pick the right category and double-check that their links work, because that’s how entries get properly considered.
Her fellow jury member Adam Tiran, who represents Southern Africa, spoke about how fast things are moving. In his words, “The African music industry is changing rapidly.” He sees AFRIMA as a place where fresh sounds and new collaborations can be heard.
AFRIMA started in 2013 with the African Union as a partner. It’s now Africa’s longest-running music awards platform, and its broadcast reaches more than 84 countries.
The calendar for this edition was unveiled in Los Angeles on September 20, so the buzz has been building for a while.
So here’s the simple takeaway. If you’ve got a project you’re proud of, don’t sit on it. The portal opens in just a couple of days, and the only thing worse than missing the deadline is wondering “what if” afterwards.
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