Nigeria sweeps 2026 AFRIMMA awards with Davido's album, BNXN-Sarz song topping categories
Nigeria dominated the 2026 African Muzik Magazine Awards (AFRIMMA) held September 12 in Dallas, Texas, marking the ceremony's return after a two-year hiatus. Davido's fifth studio album '5ive' (released April 2025) won Album of the Year, featuring collaborations with Chris Brown, Victoria Monét, Becky G, Omah Lay and Victony. BNXN and producer Sarz claimed Song of the Year for their track 'Back Outside' from the joint project 'The Game Needs Us'. DJ Tunez secured Best DJ Africa, defeating notable contenders including DJ Spinall and Uncle Waffles.
Other major Nigerian victories included Tems winning Best Female West Africa, Ruger taking Best Male West Africa, Phyno awarded Best Male Rap Act, and Fola named Best Newcomer. Mercy Chinwo won Best Gospel, while Timaya received the Timeless Impact Award. The Guardian of the Nation Award went to Government 'Tompolo' Ekpemupolo for his work protecting Niger Delta assets through Tantita Security Services. The event doubled as AFRIMMA's first-ever music festival, featuring African music, fashion, food and cultural activities.
With Nigerian artistes sweeping major international categories—from Album and Song of the Year to genre-specific and lifetime achievement awards—this reinforces Nigeria's position as Africa's cultural powerhouse. How does seeing homegrown talent like Davido, BNXN and Tems recognized on global stages reshape your expectations for Nigerian creativity in the next decade?