Rema, Shallipopi shine at 9th AFRIMA Awards

By Gbenga Adebayo

The 9th edition of the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) was held in Lagos on Sunday, with Nigerian artistes Rema and Shallipopi emerging among the major winners of the night.

Divine Ikubor, popularly known as Rema, 24, won three awards at the ceremony, including Best Male Artiste in Western Africa, Artiste of the Year, and Best African Artiste, Duo or Group in African RnB and Soul for his song, Calm Down.

He defeated Burna Boy, Davido, Wizkid and Asake in the Best Male Artiste in Western Africa and Artiste of the Year categories.

While receiving his awards, Rema thanked his fans and the organisers, saying their support meant a lot to him.

Shallipopi also recorded a strong showing, as his song, Laho, won Best Song of the Year and Best Collaboration.

Burna Boy won the Album of the Year award, while Yemi Alade’s You Are from Iyanu: The Animated Series emerged as Best Soundtrack in a Movie, Series or Documentary.

Singer Qing Madi was named Most Promising Artist of the Year at the awards, marking a milestone in her career.

Other winners on the night included Tanzanian singer Jux, who won Best Male Artiste in Eastern Africa, and Congo DR’s Cindy Le Coeur.

The ceremony took place at the Convention Centre, Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, and featured performances by several African artistes.

Sunday marked the end of the five-day AFRIMA programme, which ran from January 7 to 11, 2026.

AFRIMA 2026 brought together artistes from across the continent and was hosted in Lagos for the third time, following previous editions held in Ghana and Senegal.

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