The All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) has smashed its own record, receiving a staggering 10,717 entries for its 2025 edition, the highest in the event’s history.

This figure marks a significant leap from last year’s 9,076 submissions, further cementing AFRIMA’s reputation as Africa’s most prestigious stage for developing, celebrating, and promoting African music on the global scene.

The entry window, which opened on May 27 and closed on August 8, attracted songs, albums, and music videos from across the continent and beyond. Submissions came not only from artistes, songwriters, and music producers but also from video directors, DJs, dancers, choreographers, record labels, and even unrecorded talents.

West Africa led the submissions with 5,215 entries (48.68%), followed by Southern Africa with 2,080 (19.42%), and Eastern Africa with 804 (7.50%). Northern Africa sent in 267 entries (2.49%), Central Africa recorded 291 entries (2.72%), while Africans in the diaspora accounted for 75 entries (0.70%).

Adjudication began on Friday, August 8, in Lagos, with AFRIMA’s 13-member International Jury — a panel of seasoned music industry professionals from across Africa and the diaspora — screening, categorising, and scoring the entries until Sunday, August 17.

The evaluation focuses on quality, originality, impact, and cultural relevance, with the top scorers making it to the nominees’ list across regional and continental categories.

Speaking on the milestone, Adam Tiran, a Jury member representing Southern Africa, said: “The number of entries for AFRIMA 2025 is more than just a statistic; it shows how alive, creative, and unstoppable African music is right now.

It’s about growing confidence among artists that AFRIMA is the stage where their work can be seen, respected, and celebrated on a global scale. It’s clear that African music is not only growing fast but also making a big impact on the global stage.”

The official nominees list will be revealed on August 24, kicking off the voting phase on September 5. From that date, the AFRIMA Academy and fans worldwide can vote for their favourite acts via the official AFRIMA website.

Voting will close 24 hours before the Awards Night on November 30. An appointed international auditing firm will monitor and audit all results to ensure transparency and credibility.