KAMPALA, Uganda — Kenya dominated the 2026 East Africa Music Awards (EAMA) ceremony in Kampala on Friday night, claiming eight of the twelve major awards in what commentators are calling the most impressive showing by any single country in the awards' fifteen-year history.
Nairobi-based afrofusion artist Nviiri the Storyteller claimed the night's biggest prize, winning both Artist of the Year and Album of the Year for his critically acclaimed project "Nairobi Nights." He dedicated the award to "every young Kenyan who dares to dream in a city that never sleeps."
A Night for Kenya
Gengetone collective Ethic Entertainment picked up Best Group and Best Music Video, while Nadia Mukami won Best Female Artist for the second consecutive year. The award for Best Collaboration went to a cross-border project between Kenya's Sauti Sol and Tanzanian star Harmonize, in one of the night's most celebrated moments.
"Kenya is no longer just participating in African music — Kenya is defining it. The world is watching and the world is listening."
— Bien-Aime Baraza, Sauti Sol
The ceremony, held at the Serena Kampala Hotel, was attended by artists from seven East African nations and broadcast live across the region. The full list of winners is available on the EAMA website.
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