It was an evening of celebration as the All Africa Music Awards, (AFRIMA), hosted its 2025 Patron’s Dinner with International Jury in Lagos. The gathering brought together policymakers, stakeholders in Africa’s creative economy, music executives, artistes, media representatives, and AFRIMA’s international jurors from 14 countries.

Powered by Dr. Bisi Onasanya, Chairman of The Address Homes, this year’s patron’s dinner cum jury session brought together jurors from across the five African sub-regions and the diaspora.

For over a week, they worked tirelessly to select nominees from a total of 10,717 entries received for this year’s AFRIMA. The selected nominees list will be announced to the public on Sunday, August 24, following the conclusion of adjudication process.

Expressing the Federal Government’s readiness to back the edition, Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, commended AFRIMA’s global impact.

She said, “AFRIMA is a testimony of how the creative sector in Nigeria has developed to a global standard, even without strong government backup. We are proud of what AFRIMA stands for and the impact it has made in Africa and on a global scale, projecting our identity, culture, language, and music.

“As a government, we will continue to support initiatives like this not just because it celebrates art but because it strengthens the economy and unites us,” Musawa added.

Representing the Lagos State Government, the Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Toke Benson-Awoyinka assured stakeholders, artistes, and fans across the continent that the State is fully prepared to welcome Africa and the rest of the world.

Benson-Awoyinka, who was joined at the event by the State’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotosho, said, “I think we are in the right place at the right time. For us in Lagos, hosting AFRIMA 2025 is not just another event; it is a big honour.”

Onasanya said the focus is on creating a sustainable legacy and delivering the best AFRIMA yet.

“Tonight, we proudly recognise the incredible work of our jury members and say a big thank you to them. This year, we are excited to welcome Africa to AFRIMA. Africa and the rest of the world will see an amazing show in Lagos because we are confident of organising a successful event.”

In his appreciation, AFRIMA President and Founder, Mike Dada, thanked the jury, patrons, and creative stakeholders for their role in sustaining AFRIMA’s growth and success, saying, “I am truly grateful for the support from every corner of our creative industry; from the Federal Government of Nigeria, our Official Host City, Lagos State government and Governor Babajide Sanwolu, our patron, to the media, the artistes, producers, and record executives.”