EMY Africa has announced the nominees and first five honorary honourees for its 11th awards, with the ceremony scheduled for Saturday, 21st November 2026, at the Grand Arena of the Accra International Conference Centre.
The nominations were unveiled during a TV3 broadcast on Saturday, 24th October 2026, by Kojo and Albert Chris Soboh, alongside presenters Kafui Dey and Keni Ribeiro.
This year’s competitive categories include established and emerging figures from music, film, fashion and sport. Eight artists are in contention for Man of the Year – Music: DopeNation, Sarkodie, Asake (Nigeria), KiDi, Stonebwoy, Black Sherif, Kweku Smoke and Juma Jux (Tanzania).
The acting and design categories feature Majid Michel, Uzor Arukwe (Nigeria), Chris Attoh, Femi Adebayo (Nigeria), Kenneth Tetteh, Oscar Nyesiga (Uganda), Kenneth Ize (Nigeria), IB Kamara (Sierra Leone), Atto Andoh and Benjamin Asare.
Sports nominees include Antoine Semenyo, Emmanuel Wanyonyi (Kenya), Seth Gyimah, Melvin Osei Opoku, Julian Owusu, Hashim Samiru and Christian Saint. Discovery of the Year has five nominees: Dayo Adedeji (Nigeria), along with the other contenders recognised for emerging achievement across the awards’ fields.
The awards follow a year in which EMY Africa expanded its activities beyond Ghana. Its Washington, D.C. Soiree introduced the platform to audiences in the United States, while its London programme featured the Africa Rising Symposium, the launch of the UK Special Issue of EMY Africa Magazine and the EMY Africa London Soiree.
Those events were intended to give African achievement a broader audience while preserving the stories behind the people being recognised.
Youth Changemaker nominees
Sponsored by Peace First, the Youth Changemaker Award celebrates young people taking action in their communities. This year’s seven nominees are Wanjiku Cynthia Mwangi (Kenya), Simeon Kalua (Malawi), Rwikaza Gentil (Rwanda), Monica Patrick (Tanzania), Mirriam Ngoma (Zambia), Houssam Boutadghart (Morocco) and Candybell Kensah (Ghana).
The first honorary awards recognise contributions to humanitarian service, the arts, media and film, as well as the work of young achievers reaching new audiences and influencing their communities.
The honourees are Oseadeeyo Owiredu Wadie I (Richard Kwasi Owiredu Wadie), Dotun Popoola (Nigeria), Abena Amoakoaa Sintim-Aboagye (Chef Abbys), Berthold Kobina Ackon (Wode Maya) and Mosunmola Abudu (Mo Abudu) (Nigeria).
EMY Africa said further honorary honourees would be announced in the coming week.
Public voting is now open in the competitive categories through the relevant poll buttons at www.emyafrica.com or by liking nominees’ posts on the official EMY Africa Instagram page. Nominees, honourees and guests will gather in Accra for the awards ceremony on 21st November.
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