The biggest surprise out of the 2026 AFRIMMA Awards might be that BNXN and Sarz walked away with Song of the Year over Davido.
“Back Outside” beat out a stacked field that included Davido’s “With You” featuring Omah Lay, Diamond Platnumz’s “Joy,” and Moliy’s “Shake It to the Max” featuring Shenseea and Skillibeng, which is no small thing given how much airplay those tracks pulled this year.
The ceremony was held on September 12, 2026, in a festival format, which already set it apart from the usual awards night setup.
It was a deliberate shift in how AFRIMMA presented itself, and by most accounts it gave the event more energy than a traditional seated show would have.
Davido still had a strong night despite losing Song of the Year to BNXN and Sarz. His album “5ive” took home AFRIMMA Album of the Year, beating out projects from Black Sherif, Omah Lay, Asake, Burna Boy, and Tyla, which is a competitive shortlist by any measure.
Director Pink from Nigeria claimed Best Video Director, edging out TG Omori, who was also nominated and is arguably the most talked-about director in Afrobeats right now.
That result will raise some eyebrows, especially among fans who feel TG Omori has been the defining visual voice of the genre over the past couple of years.
Diamond Platnumz picked up Best Collaboration for “Joy” featuring Juma Jux, beating out pairings like Davido and Omah Lay, BNXN and Sarz, and even the Fally Ipupa and Wizkid link-up on “Jam.”
It is a win that underlines how much weight Diamond still carries across East and Central Africa, not just in his home country of Tanzania.
The Crossing Boundaries with Music Award went to Fally Ipupa from the DR Congo, which felt like a meaningful recognition of how far his sound has traveled beyond Congolese borders.
He beat out Burna Boy, Rema, Wizkid, and Aya Nakamura, all artists who have had very visible international moments in the past year, so that choice reflects a deliberate nod to longevity and cultural reach over recent chart performance.
Shenseea was part of the Song of the Year conversation through her feature on “Shake It to the Max” with Moliy and Skillibeng, which shows the awards are still paying attention to cross-genre Caribbean and African collaborations.
That track did not win, but its nomination signals that the lines between Afrobeats and dancehall continue to blur in ways the industry is actively tracking.
What stands out across the full winners list is how the night split between legacy acts and newer creative forces.
BNXN and Sarz represent a production-forward wave that is reshaping what a hit sounds like in 2026, while Davido and Diamond Platnumz continue to prove they are not going anywhere.
The conversation about who really owns this moment in African music is far from settled.
