The nominees for the 2026 EMY Africa Awards have been revealed. The 11th edition of the awards, which celebrate the achievements of African men and young changemakers, will take place on Saturday, November 21, 2026, at the Grand Arena of the Accra International Conference Centre, according to a report by 3News.
The nominees were announced by Kojo Soboh and Albert Chris Soboh, with hosts Kafui Dey and Keni Ribeiro, during a broadcast on TV3 on Saturday, October 24, 2026, 3News reports. Public voting is open through the official EMY Africa website and the awards' Instagram page.
The music category features some of Africa's biggest names: DopeNation, Sarkodie, Asake (Nigeria), KiDi, Stonebwoy, Black Sherif, Kweku Smoke and Juma Jux (Tanzania), according to the report.
Sarkodie comes into the awards on the back of a busy month that included his Rapperholic concert in Kumasi and being named an ambassador of KNUST. Black Sherif and KiDi have also had strong years, with major brand deals and international shows.
The Actor of the Year nominees are Majid Michel, Uzor Arukwe (Nigeria), Chris Attoh and Femi Adebayo (Nigeria).
Designer of the Year features Kenneth Tetteh, Oscar Nyesiga (Uganda), Kenneth Ize (Nigeria), IB Kamara (Sierra Leone) and Atto Andoh.
In sport, the nominees for Man of the Year are Benjamin Asare, Antoine Semenyo, Emmanuel Wanyonyi (Kenya) and Seth Gyimah.
The Discovery of the Year category includes Melvin Osei Opoku, Julian Owusu, Hashim Samiru, Christian Saint and Dayo Adedeji (Nigeria).
The Youth Changemaker Award, sponsored by Peace First, has nominees from across the continent: Wanjiku Cynthia Mwangi (Kenya), Simeon Kalua (Malawi), Rwikaza Gentil (Rwanda), Monica Patrick (Tanzania), Mirriam Ngoma (Zambia), Houssam Boutadghart (Morocco) and Candybell Kensah (Ghana), 3News reports.
Organisers also named the first recipients of honorary awards:
More honorary recipients will be announced in the coming weeks, according to the organisers.
EMY stands for Exclusive Men of the Year. The awards were created to celebrate African men who excel in their fields, and have since added categories recognising young changemakers and women achievers. Over the years, the event has grown into one of Accra's most glamorous nights, known for its red carpet and fashion.
This year's programme has also gone international, with events in Washington, D.C. and London, including the Africa Rising Symposium and a UK special issue of EMY Africa Magazine, the report says.
Several honourees will be familiar to Ghanaian audiences. Wode Maya is one of Africa's best-known YouTubers, known for travel and lifestyle videos that showcase the continent. Chef Abbys has built a following as a chef, and Mo Abudu is the founder of EbonyLife, one of Africa's leading media companies.
Ghanaians make up a large share of the nominees, from musicians and actors to designers and athletes such as Antoine Semenyo, who plays in England's Premier League. The mix of Ghanaian and continental names reflects the awards' ambition to celebrate achievement across Africa while keeping their base in Accra.
With voting under way, fans will be rallying behind their favourites ahead of November 21. The ceremony is likely to be one of the highlights of Accra's busy end-of-year social calendar, drawing celebrities, business leaders and fashion lovers from across the continent.
