AFRIMMA came back after a two-year break, and it came back loud. The event returned in Dallas, Texas, with organizers introducing a music festival alongside the awards ceremony, and it ran from September 12 to 14, this time built around a full weekend rather than just a one-night ceremony. That format shift mattered. It meant AFRIMMA wasn’t just handing out plaques; it was throwing a festival built around African music, culture, food, and fashion, with artists performing on top of collecting hardware.
For a platform like AfrobeatsGlobal, this is exactly the kind of night worth breaking down properly. Not just who won, but who the wins say something about, because AFRIMMA has quietly become one of the clearest snapshots of where African music stands globally right now.
Album and Song of the Year
Davido walked away with the Album of the Year award for 5ive, beating a stacked field that included Burna Boy’s No Sign of Weakness, Asake’s M$NEY, Tyla’s A-Pop, and Black Sherif’s Top of The Morning Era. Davido entered the ceremony as the leading nominee with five nominations, putting him firmly among the night’s biggest contenders, so this win was the payoff he was chasing.
Song of the Year went to BNXN and Sarz for “Back Outside,” a track that had already spent months proving itself as one of their biggest of 2026 before it picked up a trophy.
Artist of the Year and Crossing Boundaries
Fally Ipupa took home Artist of the Year, which is a big deal for a Congolese star competing in a room dominated by Nigerian nominees. He also took Best Male East Africa honors instead to Juma Jux, while Fally Ipupa won the Crossing Boundaries with Music Award, so it was effectively his night as much as it was Davido’s.
DJ, Newcomer and Rap Categories
DJ Tunez won Best DJ Africa, and he reacted to the recognition on Instagram, thanking AFRIMMA and everyone who voted for him. Fola picked up Best Newcomer, a category that’s meant to flag who’s next, and his win lines up with the momentum he’s had going into a new album.
Phyno took Best Male Rap Act, holding off a genuinely competitive list that included Nigerian stars 6UFF and Odumodublvck, South Africa’s A-Reece and Blxckie, and Ghana’s Black Sherif. On the women’s side, Eno Barony from Ghana won Best Female Rap Act.
Regional and Genre Winners
Ruger won Best Male West Africa, and Tems took Best Female West Africa, keeping both titles in Nigeria, while Juma Jux secured the Best Male East Africa award. Jux doubled up when his collaboration with Diamond Platnumz, “Joy,” won Best Collaboration. In the gospel category, Mercy Chinwo won Best Gospel. And representing Southern Africa, Tyla was named winner in her category, which fits a year where A-Pop also made her one of the strongest Album of the Year contenders.
The Bigger Picture
There’s a pattern worth pointing out for anyone tracking Afrobeats’ bigger picture: this wasn’t a Nigeria-only sweep. Ghana, DR Congo, Tanzania, and South Africa all walked away with real hardware, not just nomination slots. That’s the story AFRIMMA keeps telling every year: that African music isn’t one country’s genre anymore; it’s a continent’s movement, and Dallas just gave it another stage to prove that on.
Which win surprised you the most this year? Drop your thoughts in the comments, and don’t forget to follow AfrobeatsGlobal for the fastest breakdowns on every African music award, milestone, and moment that matters.
Check out our previous blog post on Wendy Shay Speaks On Gender Bias In Ghana Music.
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