AFRIMMA 2026: Davido, Tems, Phyno Lead Nigeria’s Big Night In Dallas

Nigerian artistes and entertainers recorded a strong showing at the 2026 African Muzik Magazine Awards, AFRIMMA, with Davido, Tems, Ruger, Phyno, Mercy Chinwo and several other emerging winners in Dallas, Texas.

The awards were held on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at Annette Strauss Square in Dallas, with the official results recognising winners across 41 categories spanning African music, entertainment, comedy, sport and the diaspora.

Davido emerged with Album of the Year for his album 5ive, while Tems won Best Female West Africa and Ruger claimed Best Male West Africa.

Phyno also secured Best Male Rap Act, while Mercy Chinwo was named Best Gospel, giving Nigeria major victories across different musical categories.

Fola won Best Newcomer, while Real Warri Pikin took home Best Comedian, extending Nigeria’s presence beyond the music categories.

Other Nigerian winners included DJ Tunez, who won Best DJ Africa, Patoranking, who took Best Male Reggae/Dancehall, and Victor Osimhen, who was named Athlete of the Year.

Victony received the AFRIMMA Fans Choice Award, while Nasty Blaq won Best Influencer and Uche Montana was recognised in the Best Actor/Actress category.

London won Music Producer of the Year, Pink won Best Video Director, and DJ Prince emerged Best African DJ USA, according to the official results.

Nigeria also recorded victories in other categories through Kwate, who won Best African USA-Based Artist, while Big Smart was named Best Hypeman and Esther Mathew received the Community Impact Award.

The 2026 ceremony marked AFRIMMA’s return after a two-year break, with the organisers bringing the awards back to Dallas alongside a wider music and cultural festival.

The festival combined music, entertainment, food, fashion and cultural activities before the awards presentation, with the event bringing together artistes and performers from different parts of Africa and the diaspora.

Davido’s 5ive victory came in the Album of the Year category after the project had also featured among the leading nominations announced ahead of the ceremony.

The win added another international recognition to the album, while Tems’ victory in the female West Africa category and Ruger’s male West Africa award placed Nigerian artistes at the centre of the regional honours.

Phyno’s Best Male Rap Act victory further strengthened Nigeria’s showing in the rap category, while Mercy Chinwo’s Best Gospel award represented the country in the gospel segment.

Fola’s Best Newcomer win also marked recognition for an emerging Nigerian act at an awards ceremony that brought together established and rising talents from across the continent.

Beyond Nigeria, Congolese star Fally Ipupa won Artist of the Year, while also receiving the Crossing Boundaries with Music Award.

BNXN and Sarz won Song of the Year, while Diamond Platnumz and Juma Jux won Best Collaboration.

Timaya received the Timeless Impact Award, while Juma Jux also won the AFRIMMA Music Without Borders Award.

The official AFRIMMA results recorded 41 honours in total, including regional categories for West, East, Central, Southern and North Africa, as well as awards covering gospel, rap, reggae/dancehall, DJs, producers, dancers, comedy, acting, influencing and sport.

Ahead of the ceremony, AFRIMMA founder Anderson Obiagwu described the return of the awards as a major moment for African music, saying, “The return of AFRIMMA is a celebration of the incredible journey African music continues to make around the world.”

Obiagwu also said the nominees represented “the diversity, creativity, and excellence” associated with African music.

The official results were published after the September 12 ceremony, with AFRIMMA listing Davido’s 5ive as the Album of the Year and confirming the winners across all 41 categories.

For Nigeria, the awards produced a broad spread of recognition, covering established music stars, emerging artistes, gospel music, comedy, production, video direction, digital influence, acting and sport.

The 2026 AFRIMMA results therefore placed Nigerian talents across several of the ceremony’s major categories, with Davido, Tems, Ruger, Phyno, Mercy Chinwo, Fola and Real Warri Pikin among the prominent Nigerian names recognised in Dallas.

Kristina Reports will continue to bring readers verified updates from Nigeria’s entertainment industry and major international platforms where Nigerian talents are making an impact.