AfroDives

Earlier in the year, precisely on February 10, when Kunle Afolayan reacted to the critics of his series, Anikulapo: The Ghoul Awakens, he argued that he made the project for intellectuals, people who could think, not clout chasers. “We make films for the intellectuals, not gbas gbos; we make films for people who can think. I don’t expect that everybody will like or understand the film.

Tech About It 1.0 wants to bridge tech, music, and media for the next generation of African creatives. The anticipation for Tech About It 1.0 continues to grow. The eagerness is palpable, and it is understandable. With the panellists, guest speakers, programme content, and conversations still rolling out, the media voices that have been onboarded have already got people talking.

The sustained growth of Afrobeats, the explosion of tech and the ubiquitousness of media mean that the intersection of these three important paths has become more significant than ever before. If you are pursuing a career in music, you can’t avoid tech unless you want to do community hawking of songs. Likewise, you can’t afford to not be talked about in the media. Music aside, no matter the career you pursue in 2026, it is practically impossible to shun tech or digital media.

Once upon a time, Nollywood films lived almost exclusively on DVD shelves and living room players. Cinema releases were rare, international premieres even rarer. Then came 2016. That year, which has become a huge source of nostalgia for many on social media, marked a turning point for Nigerian cinema. Audiences, both at home and abroad, flocked to opening nights. Some returned for second viewings.

If someone copied our analysis of the 2024 Grammy Awards and pasted it under a 2026 headline, it would fit perfectly, as only the date would need changing. That’s how identical the outcomes feel. The same narrative returned: Tyla wins Best African Music Performance, Nigerian Afrobeats nominees go home empty-handed, tempers flare online, and calls to “build our own Grammys” resurface. 2026 wasn’t a surprise. It was déjà vu. Rinse and repeat.

By Asake’s standards, 2025 was his quietest year since he burst onto the scene in 2022. His neck-breaking momentum, relentless run of projects, and dominance across charts and stages meant a slowdown was inevitable. That slowdown came in the previous year. Instead of continuing his annual album streak — Mr Money With The Vibes (2022), Work of Art (2023), Lungu Boy (2024) — the Nigerian superstar opted to hold back on albums and focus on singles.

In 2025, AfroDives continued to establish itself as a vital hub for African pop culture, providing readers with insightful analysis and commentary on music, film, and the evolving cultural conversations shaping the continent’s entertainment space. Along the way, we also crossed the 2000-subscriber mark. Yaay! 🎉 While we didn’t quite hit our productivity targets, reader interest never waned. Engagement remained strong, and audiences kept showing up for the stories that mattered.

Another December, another blockbuster from legendary actress, Funke Akindele, who has made it one, two, three billion-naira projects in three years to continue her unmatched streak in the Nigerian movie industry. A review of Funke Akindele’s Behind The Scenes. Photo credit: Gemini. For 2025, the 48-year-old delivers a story centred on Aderonke Faniran (née Fernandez), a wealthy real estate mogul weighed down by the endless needs of friends and family.

When Daniel Etim Effiong’s The Herd hit cinemas on October 17, 2025, it arrived just a month before the abduction of 24 schoolgirls in the Danko Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State. The incident would soon spread into Niger and Kwara, with hundreds of Nigerians losing their freedom to terrorists.

After a long trip around the calendar, another Grammy season is here, and the nominations for the 2026 edition have just been announced. The shortlist for the 68th edition of the Gramophone Awards comes with a blend of everything: the predictable, the twist and the awakening, particularly for music practitioners on the African continent who continue to see their stock rise on the American award exchange. As is our annual rite, we break down the winners and losers from the 2026 Grammys nominations.