Over 161,000 submissions were received from creator audiences and fans from across Africa and the diaspora. After a rigorous vote audit for the inaugural program, 156,972 votes have been uniquely verified and winners will be revealed live at the Landmark Event Centre, Lagos on March 15, 2026.
The Moment Awards today confirmed the close of its 2026 public voting phase, certifying 156,972 verified votes across 14 voting award categories. Submissions poured in from fans across Africa and the global diaspora, with a total of 161,124 entries received before a structured integrity audit was applied, removing 4,152 duplicate or invalid votes and returning the cleanest result in the awards’ history.
The public vote covered 14 categories and 67 nominees. The category that drew the greatest community enthusiasm was Creator for Social Impact, which received 109,356 verified votes, accounting for the majority of total submissions and underscoring the depth of public investment in creators using their platforms for good.
The People’s Choice Award also reflected genuine public enthusiasm and community engagement. With 293 valid votes across 88 nominees, the category saw strong participation, and the winning margin of 14 votes between first and second place represents a decisive outcome. Separately, the Pioneer Award is an honorary recognition presented on the night to an individual whose contributions have laid the foundation for Africa’s creator economy; it is not subject to public vote.
With voting now officially sealed, planning is in full gear for The Moment Awards Night. The team is in the final stretch of preparations for what promises to be a landmark evening for Africa’s creator economy.
How the Votes Were Verified
Every submission was processed through a two-layer deduplication audit: one vote per Voter ID per category, and one vote per IP address per category. The earliest valid submission was retained in each case. To ensure complete objectivity, all results were independently analyzed and cross-verified using three independent and separate tools and methods, all of which returned identical outcomes.
Sponsored Award Categories
The Moment Awards thanks the following partners for sponsoring individual award categories:
- Monie Point: Tech Creator of the Year
- Rode: Rising Creator of the Year
- Jeroid: Creator Entrepreneur of the Year
The Moment Awards Night, March 15, 2026
The ceremony takes place on Saturday, March 15, 2026 at the Landmark Event Centre, Lagos. The evening will bring together creators, industry leaders, sponsors, and supporters from across Africa and the diaspora to celebrate outstanding achievement across content creation, creative entrepreneurship, and cultural impact. Winners across all categories will be announced live on the night.
“The response from the public, over 156,000 verified votes, is proof that Africa is ready to celebrate its creators at this scale,” said Adeola Adeniran (Marie), Head of Programs, The Moment Awards. “We’ve done the work to make sure every vote counted. Now we cannot wait to celebrate these incredible nominees and final winners on March 15.”
About The Moment Awards
The Moment Awards honour the creators, innovators, and entrepreneurs shaping Africa’s digital economy. Hosted by Mainstack, the awards recognise outstanding achievement across content creation, creative entrepreneurship, and cultural impact. Africa’s creator economy generated $3 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $18 billion by 2030. The Moment Awards was created to give Africa’s digital creators the same calibre of recognition that the Grammys provide for music and the Oscars provide for film. Winners join an elite community of Africa’s most influential digital voices, gaining access to expanded opportunities for partnerships, media coverage, and global recognition.
The Moment Awards Leadership
- Adeola Adeniran (Marie): Head of Programs
- Grace Fasetire: Marketing Manager
- Elizabeth Odetokun: Events Manager
Event Details
- Date: Saturday, March 15, 2026
- Venue: Landmark Event Centre, Lagos, Nigeria
- Website: moment.mainstack.com
Last updated: March 12, 2026
