By Benjamin Njoku

The All Africa Music Awards, AFRIMA, in partnership with the African Union Commission, AUC, is set to host The Diamond Party and Prize Presentation on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at Voyage Lagos.

The event is part of AFRIMA’s broader commitment to sustainable talent development and the long-term growth of Africa’s creative and cultural industries.

It will celebrate seven outstanding emerging African artists whose stage names are Ellacentric, Black Astro, Yamayeh Vibez, Mayowa Afolabi, DELLFIRE, El Nayaan and Blinkz Baba. They are collectively known as The AFRIMA Diamonds, discovered through the AFRIMA Talent Discovery and Promotion Initiative, one of the institution’s strategic development pillars designed to identify, nurture, empower and elevate the next generation of African music stars.

The Diamond Party represents the culmination of a year-long talent discovery and development process that attracted entries from emerging artistes across the continent.

Following a rigorous selection process conducted by AFRIMA’s International Jury, seven exceptional talents were selected and subsequently given the opportunity to perform at the AFRIMA Music Village during the 9th AFRIMA Awards held in Lagos.

The performances introduced the young artistes to an audience of over 10,000 music fans physically present at the venue, while also extending their reach to millions of viewers across global broadcast networks and digital streaming platforms within Africa and the diaspora.

Speaking ahead of the Diamond Party, Member of the International Jury of AFRIMA representing Northern Africa, Marwane Fachane, stated that AFRIMA’s developmental focus goes far beyond celebrating established stars, emphasizing the organisation’s commitment to building sustainable pathways for emerging African creatives.

He noted that the initiative forms part of AFRIMA’s wider agenda to contribute meaningfully to the sustainable growth of Africa’s creative economy by connecting emerging artistes to critical stakeholders across the music value chain.