Full List: Davido Tops AFRIMMA 2026 Nominations, Leaves Burna Boy, Tyla Chasing

The African Muzik Magazine Awards (AFRIMMA) has announced the nominees for its 2026 edition, marking the event’s return after a two-year hiatus, with Nigerian Afrobeats star Davido emerging as the most nominated artiste.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The organisers unveiled the nominations on Wednesday, setting the stage for one of Africa’s biggest music celebrations following a two-year pause aimed at repositioning and expanding the awards.

Davido Leads the Race

Davido secured five nominations across some of AFRIMMA’s biggest categories, further cementing his status as one of the continent’s most influential music stars.

The singer earned nods for Artist of the Year, Best Male West Africa, Crossing Boundaries With Music Award, and AFRIMMA Album of the Year for his album 5ive.

His collaboration with Omah Lay, With You, also received nominations for Best Collaboration and Song of the Year.

The recognition caps another successful year for the Afrobeats superstar, whose music and international collaborations have continued to expand the global reach of the genre.

Burna Boy, Black Sherif, Diamond Platnumz Follow

Trailing closely behind Davido are Grammy-winning Nigerian artiste Burna Boy, Ghanaian rapper Black Sherif and Tanzanian star Diamond Platnumz, who each received four nominations.

South African sensation Tyla leads the female nominees with three nominations, while Nigerian singer Tems earned two.

The nominations reflect the growing global influence and diversity of African music, with artistes from across the continent recognised for their achievements over the past year.

Tyla’s impressive showing comes after her meteoric rise on the international music scene. Her global hit Water became one of the few African songs to break into the Billboard Hot 100, helping establish her as one of the continent’s fastest-rising stars.

Blending amapiano, pop and R&B, the South African singer has continued to build an impressive international profile through chart success and major award wins.

Tems also maintained her strong momentum, earning recognition for her soulful sound and successful international collaborations that have solidified her place among Africa’s leading female artistes.

Burna Boy, meanwhile, continues to reinforce his reputation as one of Africa’s biggest global exports, enjoying sustained commercial success, headlining major festivals and breaking streaming records around the world.

Why AFRIMMA Took a Break

Explaining the awards’ two-year absence, AFRIMMA Founder Anderson Obiagwu said the organisers deliberately paused the event to reposition it for a stronger comeback.

Announcing the nominees via Instagram on Wednesday, Obiagwu promised fans that the 2026 edition would be bigger than ever.

“For the last two years, AFRIMMA took a break to make it even bigger and create something sensational. AFRIMMA is coming back bigger and better this year. It’s going to be epic, one of a kind,” he said.

Full List of 2026 AFRIMMA Nominees

The 2026 nominations span dozens of categories, including Artist of the Year, Best Male and Female Artistes across Africa’s regions, Best Collaboration, Song of the Year, Album of the Year, Music Producer of the Year, Best DJ, Best Video Director, Best Comedian, Best Influencer, African Athlete of the Year, and several special recognition awards.

Among the notable nominees are Davido, Burna Boy, Wizkid, Rema, Asake, Tems, Ayra Starr, Tyla, Diamond Platnumz, Black Sherif, Fally Ipupa, Omah Lay, Odumodublvck, TG Omori, DJ Spinall, Victor Osimhen, Trevor Noah, Basketmouth and many other leading figures from across Africa and the diaspora.