Nigerian artistes dominated the 9th edition of the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA), held on Sunday night in Lagos, with major wins recorded by Rema, Burna Boy, Yemi Alade, Shallipopi, Phyno, Qing Madi and Chella.
The star-studded ceremony brought together artistes from across the continent, celebrating African music across multiple genres and regions.
Rema Emerges AFRIMA Artiste of the Year
Rema was one of the biggest winners of the night, clinching three major awards, including the prestigious Artiste of the Year prize.
The Mavin Records star also won:
Best Male Artiste in Western Africa
Best African Artiste in R&B and Soul
The wins further cement Rema’s position as one of Africa’s most dominant global music exports.
Burna Boy, Yemi Alade, Shallipopi Record Key Wins
Grammy-winning singer Burna Boy won Album of the Year for No Sign of Weakness, reinforcing his continued influence on the African music scene.
Yemi Alade picked up Best Soundtrack in a Film, Series or Documentary for You Are, a song featured in the animated series Iyanu.
Rising star Shallipopi also had a strong night, winning:
Song of the Year for Laho
Best African Collaboration alongside Burna Boy
More Nigerian Wins on the Night
Other Nigerian winners included:
Phyno – Best African Artiste, Duo or Group in African Hip Hop
Qing Madi – Most Promising Artiste of the Year
Chella – African Fans’ Favourite
AFRIMA 2026: Full List of Winners (Selected Categories)
Artiste of the Year:
Rema (Nigeria)
Album of the Year:
No Sign of Weakness – Burna Boy (Nigeria)
Song of the Year:
Laho – Shallipopi (Nigeria)
Best Male Artiste, Western Africa:
Rema (Nigeria)
Best Female Artiste, Western Africa:
Wendy Shay (Ghana)
Best African Collaboration:
Shallipopi ft. Burna Boy – Laho (Nigeria)
Best African Artiste in R&B & Soul:
Rema (Nigeria)
Best African Hip Hop Artiste / Group:
Phyno (Nigeria)
Most Promising Artiste of the Year:
Qing Madi (Nigeria)
African Fans’ Favourite:
Chella (Nigeria)
(Other regional and genre winners were announced across Central, Eastern, Northern and Southern Africa, as well as categories covering jazz, inspirational music, dance, reggae, production, songwriting and video.)
AFRIMA Celebrates Pan-African Music Excellence
The 9th AFRIMA ceremony showcased the diversity and growing global reach of African music, with artistes from over 40 countries represented across categories.
The event reaffirmed Nigeria’s continued dominance on the continental music stage while highlighting emerging talents from across Africa.
