The All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) have officially announced Nigerian rapper and actor Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz, alongside Moroccan-Senegalese actress Liliane Maroune, as hosts for the ninth edition of the prestigious awards ceremony.
The organisers disclosed this in a statement released on Monday.
The 9th AFRIMA, organised by the International Executive Committee of AFRIMA in collaboration with the African Union Commission and supported by the Lagos State Government, is scheduled to take place from January 7 to 11, 2026, in Lagos.
According to the statement, Falz becomes the second Nigerian to anchor the AFRIMA stage, following music icon 2Baba, who co-hosted the maiden edition in 2014.
AFRIMA noted that over the years, the ceremony has featured notable hosts from across Africa and the diaspora. These include 2Baba (Nigeria) and Maryse Acotie (Togo) in 2014; DNG (Kenya) and Aurélie Eliam (Côte d’Ivoire) in 2015; Ahmed Soultan (Morocco), Bonang Matheba (South Africa) and Ika De Jong (DRC) in 2016; Akon (Senegal/United States) and Sophy Aiida (Cameroon) in 2017; Michael Blackson (Ghana/USA), Pearl Thusi (South Africa) and Anita Erskine (Ghana) in 2018; Pearl Thusi and Eddie Kadi (DRC/UK) in 2019 and 2021; as well as Ahmed Sylla (France/Senegal), Sophy Aiida and Pearl Thusi at the eighth edition held in January 2023.
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Explaining the choice of hosts, AFRIMA’s Regional Director for Central Africa, Nde Ndifonka, said: “FalzTheBahdGuy brings intelligence, strong ideas and a powerful African voice that connects with both young and old audiences.
“Liliane embodies elegance, diversity and the contemporary African woman with international influence. Together, they clearly show the strength and richness of African music and culture. They both understand Africa, speak for Africa and live the African experience in their own ways.”
The statement further outlined activities lined up for the five-day celebration, described as Africa’s biggest music awards event. Proceedings will kick off on Wednesday, January 7, with a Welcome Soirée for guests and nominees at the British Deputy High Commission House in Lagos.
The Africa Music Business Summit will follow on Thursday, January 8, at the Eko Convention Centre, Eko Hotels and Suites. On Friday, January 9, fans are expected to gather at Ikeja City Mall, Alausa, for the AFRIMA Music Village.
Prompt News reports a Nominees and Industry Party is scheduled for Saturday, January 10, ahead of the Main Awards Ceremony on Sunday, January 11, also at the Eko Convention Centre. The red carpet will begin at 3:00 pm (WAT), with the ceremony to be broadcast live to audiences in more than 84 countries worldwide.
