The race for the 2025 All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) has officially entered its next phase as the 13-member jury touched down in Lagos for a week-long adjudication session.

From August 8 to 16, the panel will comb through thousands of music entries submitted by African artistes, producers, songwriters, video directors, DJs, dancers, choreographers, record labels, and even unrecorded talents from across the continent and the diaspora.

The marathon review will end with the unveiling of the much-anticipated AFRIMA 2025 Nominees List.

This year’s edition themed “Unstoppable Africa” is hosted in partnership with the African Union, the Federal Government of Nigeria, and Lagos State, celebrating the continent’s musical brilliance across 40+ categories spanning every genre and region.

Speaking ahead of the task, Ms. Hadja Kobele, the African Diaspora (North America) representative on the jury, assured that the team is ready to deliver a credible and transparent selection process.

“We take this job very seriously,” Kobele said. “Whether the entry comes from a household name or an emerging voice, our criteria remain the same musical quality, originality, impact, and cultural relevance. AFRIMA is about honouring the music, the message, and the creators, not industry politics or social media hype.”

The jury, made up of respected industry veterans from Africa and beyond, will now work round-the-clock to ensure only the finest talents make the cut  keeping AFRIMA’s reputation as the continent’s most prestigious music award firmly intact.