The African Union (AU) and the International Executive Committee of the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) have unveiled the global calendar for the landmark 10th edition, with the main events scheduled for May 18–23, 2027, in Lagos, Nigeria, culminating in the grand awards ceremony on May 23.

The calendar was unveiled at the 10th AFRIMA Creative Industry Roundtable and Global Calendar Unveiling held at Sofitel in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, United States. AFRIMA President/Executive Producer, Mike Dada, announced that the Call for Entries will open worldwide on October 11, 2026, and close on January 10, 2027.

According to Dada, collation and pre-screening of entries will take place from January 11–14, followed by adjudication from January 15–22 and the global 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, covering 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, ahead of the main events from May 18-23, 2027, starting with the AFRIMA Diamond Showcase.

“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 announced.

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.

At the well-attended event, 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; DJ Sly King from Ghana among others; and renowned Guinness world record holder choreographer, dance instructor and fitness coach Kaffy, who also hosted at the event.

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.”

Also speaking at the conference, Reddy called for a more sustainable African creative economy where creators receive fair commercial value for their work. “Creators must make real money from their work, not be used and discarded after their content generates value. Africa’s 54 nations must collaborate and build stronger partnerships with the rest of the world to open markets, attract investment, and take African music and creativity to global audiences,” he said.

Established in 2013 by the International Executive Committee of AFRIMA in partnership with the African Union, AFRIMA has become Africa’s biggest, most prestigious and longest-running music awards platform, developing, celebrating and promoting African music, culture and creative talent globally. Its broadcast reaches audiences in more than 84 countries, with millions of viewers worldwide.

•PHOTO: A cross section of stakeholders at the AFRIMA Global Calendar Unveiling & Stakeholders Conference held at Sofitel Los Angeles on September 20, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Arnold Turner/Getty Images for AFRIMA)