10th AFRIMA: entries open on 11 October. Who can enter, the key dates and how it works

Entries for the 10th AFRIMA open on Sunday, 11 October, the organisers of the All Africa Music Awards have confirmed. Artists, producers, songwriters, DJs and other music professionals of African origin, on the continent or in the diaspora, can submit work until 10 January 2027. The awards’ 10th edition will be held in Lagos in May 2027. Here is who can enter, the full calendar and how the process works.

By Editorial Team

What we know

• Entry window (FACT). The entry portal opens on 11 October 2026 and closes on 10 January 2027, AFRIMA said in its announcement of the 10th edition’s calendar, and Pulse Nigeria reported on 7 October.
• Eligibility period (FACT). Only work produced or released between 10 August 2025 and 10 January 2027 can be entered.
• Online only (FACT). Entries must be made through the official AFRIMA website. Submissions sent by email or other channels will not be accepted, Pulse reports.
• Ceremony (FACT). The 10th AFRIMA main events run from 18 to 23 May 2027 in Lagos, with the awards ceremony on 23 May, AFRIMA says.
• Record interest last time (REPORTED). The 9th edition received a record 10,717 entries, according to Pulse Nigeria.

Who can enter the 10th AFRIMA

AFRIMA is open to far more than recording artists. Pulse reports that eligible entrants include:

• artists, including unsigned and “unrecorded” artists
• songwriters and music producers
• video directors
• DJs
• dancers and choreographers
• record labels and music executives

Entrants must be of African origin and can live in Africa or in the diaspora. That makes the awards relevant to British-Nigerian, American-Nigerian and other diaspora artists, not only to those based at home. AFRIMA is receiving entries across 40 categories, split into regional categories for Africa’s five regions and continental categories covering different genres.

The full 10th AFRIMA calendar

AFRIMA’s president and executive producer, Mike Dada, announced the calendar at an event in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, on 20 September. According to AFRIMA:

• 11 October 2026 to 10 January 2027: entries open
• 11 to 14 January 2027: collation and pre-screening
• 15 to 22 January: judging by the international jury
• 29 January: nominees announced worldwide
• 21 February to 21 May: public voting
• 14 April: AFRIMA 10X Conference, Media Parley and Industry Night in Lagos
• 18 to 23 May: main events in Lagos, starting with the AFRIMA Diamond Showcase
• 23 May: awards ceremony

The build-up includes events in London, Windhoek, Cotonou, Nairobi, Accra, Paris, Warri and Port Harcourt under the banner #Road2AFRIMA10Xperience.

How to enter

Pulse reports that applicants must fill in the online entry registration form and provide working links to their work. Audio and video can be linked from platforms such as YouTube or SoundCloud. The form is available in English, French, Swahili, Arabic and Portuguese, with a Spanish translation.

Two members of the international jury gave advice. Lucy Ilado of Kenya urged entrants to choose the category that best fits their work and to make sure “entries are submitted correctly, with accurate information and working links”. South Africa’s Adam Tiran encouraged professionals across Africa and the diaspora to put forward work that shows where African music is heading.

In practice, that means checking that links play without a login, that song titles and credits match the streaming platforms, and that release dates fall inside the eligibility window.

How AFRIMA differs from the Headies and the Grammys

AFRIMA was set up in 2013 by its International Executive Committee in partnership with the African Union, and calls itself Africa’s longest-running continental music awards. Its broadcast reaches more than 84 countries, according to the organisers.

The Headies focus on Nigerian music, with a few international categories. This year’s ceremony is in Toronto on 23 October, and our Headies explainer covers how it works. AFRIMA covers the whole continent and its diaspora, with regional categories that give artists from smaller markets a better chance to be recognised.

The Grammys have one dedicated African category, Best African Music Performance. We looked at who did and did not submit music for next year’s ceremony in our report on the 2027 Grammys, and our guide to Grammy voting explains how members choose the winners. AFRIMA, by contrast, combines jury judging with a long public voting period.

The eligibility windows overlap, so the same release can compete at more than one awards show. A song released in early 2026, for example, falls inside AFRIMA’s window and could also have qualified for this year’s Headies or the 2027 Grammys. For a wider view of the season, see our 2027 awards and festivals calendar.

What it means for artists

For independent and emerging artists, the online process is open to anyone who meets the rules, and Pulse quotes the jury’s call for upcoming acts in particular to take part. The announcements we have seen do not mention an entry fee, so check the portal’s terms when it opens. For established stars, a strong AFRIMA showing in Lagos next May would come during the busy run-up to festival season.

What happens next

• 11 October: the entry portal opens on the AFRIMA website.
• 10 January 2027: entries close.
• 29 January 2027: nominees announced.
• 23 May 2027: the 10th AFRIMA ceremony in Lagos.
• We will publish the nominees in full when they are announced.

More news from home: Nigerian Entertainment.

Photo credits: Featured image: On the red carpet at the AFRIMA awards, 2019. Photo: DJ Moh Green, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Source. In-article image: A winner collects an AFRIMA award on stage in Lagos, 2016. Photo: Lunduastride, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Source.

Sources

• AFRIMA: 10th AFRIMA holds May 18–23, 2027 in Lagos; entries open worldwide October 11 (25 Sep 2026)
• Pulse Nigeria: AFRIMA opens entry submission for 10th edition on October 11 (7 Oct 2026)
• The Culture Newspaper: AFRIMA officially opens 10th edition entries portal October 11 (Oct 2026)
• The Headies: official website