The African Union (AU) and the international executive committee of the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) have announced the schedule for the 10th edition of the awards. The main events will take place in Lagos from May 18 to 23, 2027.
The schedule was revealed during the 10th AFRIMA creative industry roundtable and global calendar unveiling at the Sofitel in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles.
According to a statement released by the organisers on Wednesday, the grand awards ceremony will be held on May 23, 2027, culminating the week-long programme.
Mike Dada, president and executive producer of AFRIMA, announced that entries can be submitted from October 11, 2026, until January 10, 2027.
Entries will be collected and pre-screened from January 11 to 14, 2027. Judging will happen from January 15 to 22, and nominees will be announced on January 29. Public voting is set for February 21 to May 21, 2027.
To qualify, creative works must have been produced and released between August 10, 2025, and January 10, 2027.
Dada also introduced the international build-up program called #Road2AFRIMA10Xperience, which will visit cities like London, Windhoek, Cotonou, Nairobi, Accra, Paris, Warri, and Port Harcourt.
The AFRIMA 10X conference, media parley, and industry night will take place in Lagos on April 14. University activations and concerts will also run from February to 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.
Dada explained that the 10th edition will celebrate ten years of African musical excellence and further support AFRIMA’s role in 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.
Dada described the global calendar as more than just a list of dates. He said it is “a roadmap for engagement, collaboration, investment and cultural exchange,” bringing together artists, creatives, investors, policymakers, media, and industry leaders.
He also said that each stop on the #Road2AFRIMA10Xperience aims to spark new conversations, partnerships, opportunities, and paths for African creativity.
The statement said the Los Angeles event is the latest step leading up to the 10th AFRIMA. Previous #Road2AFRIMA10Xperience events took place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire; and Rabat and Casablanca, Morocco.
““The Los Angeles event brought together personalities from Africa and the United States, such as comedian Darryl Vega, actors Razz Adeoti, Bayo Akinfemi, and Ozie Nzeribe, digital creator Laurence Brahm, artist 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,” the statement added.
Award-winning American artist and producer Septimius The Great gave the welcome remarks.““The connection between African artists and American artists is more important than ever. We have the talent, the creativity, and the stories, but when we build a bridge between Africa and America, we create opportunities that can bring our music and culture to an even larger global audience,” he said.