The African Union (AU) and the international executive committee of the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) have announced the programme for the 10th edition of the awards, with activities scheduled to take place in Lagos from May 18 to 23, 2027.
The schedule was unveiled during the 10th AFRIMA Creative Industry Roundtable and Global Calendar Unveiling held at the Sofitel in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California.
In a statement issued by the organisers on Wednesday, the main awards ceremony is slated for May 23, 2027, marking the climax of the week-long event.
AFRIMA President and Executive Producer, Mike Dada, said submissions for the 2027 awards will open on October 11, 2026, and close on January 10, 2027.
Collation and pre-screening of entries will take place from January 11 to 14, 2027, followed by adjudication from January 15 to 22, and the announcement of nominees on January 29. Public voting will run from February 21 to May 21, 2027.
Eligible creative works must have been produced and released within the official eligibility period, from August 10, 2025, to January 10, 2027.
Dada also unveiled the international build-up programme, tagged #Road2AFRIMA10Xperience, which will cover London, Windhoek, Cotonou, Nairobi, Accra, Paris, Warri and Port Harcourt.
In Lagos, the AFRIMA 10X conference, media parley and industry night will be held on April 14, alongside university activations and concerts between February and April.
“The journey will culminate in Lagos with the 10th AFRIMA Main Events from May 18 to 23, 2027, and the grand awards ceremony on May 23,” Dada said.
Speaking on the significance of the milestone, Dada said the 10th edition would celebrate a decade of African musical excellence while strengthening AFRIMA’s contribution to Africa’s creative economy.
“African artistes are filling arenas around the world. African sounds are influencing global culture. But visibility alone is not enough. We must turn visibility into opportunity, opportunity into investment, and investment into sustainable creative industries. Africa must not only export culture; Africa must capture the capital and build wealth from its culture,” he said.
Describing the global calendar as more than a list of dates, Dada said it represents “a roadmap for engagement, collaboration, investment and cultural exchange,” bringing together artistes, creatives, investors, policymakers, media and industry leaders.
He added that every stop on the #Road2AFRIMA10Xperience is designed to create new conversations, partnerships, opportunities and pathways for African creativity.
The statement noted that the Los Angeles unveiling marks the latest stage in the build-up to the 10th AFRIMA, following earlier #Road2AFRIMA10Xperience engagements in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire; and Rabat and Casablanca, Morocco.
“The Los Angeles event attracted personalities from Africa and the United States, including comedian Darryl Vega; actors Razz Adeoti, Bayo Akinfemi and Ozie Nzeribe; digital creator Laurence Brahm; artiste Seyi Brown; producer Septimum; The Africa Channel COO Narendra Reddy; and Ghanaian DJ Sly King, among others. Renowned Guinness World Records holder, choreographer, dance instructor and fitness coach Kaffy hosted the event,” it added.
Award-winning American artiste and producer Septimius The Great delivered the welcome remarks.
“The connection between African artistes and American artistes is more important than ever. We have the talent, the creativity and the stories, but when we build the bridge between Africa and America, we create opportunities that can take our music and our culture to an even bigger global audience,” he said.
