This Thursday, September 3, 2026, the Folies Bergère theatre in Paris hosts the first edition of the Africa Next Awards, an international ceremony designed to honour one hundred personalities from thirty-five African countries.
Launched by the Boss+ organisation, the event aims to "celebrate the women and men who contribute to the influence and development of the African continent" and to become, according to its organisers, "an annual gathering dedicated to African excellence and that of the diaspora."
The honours cover a wide range of profiles: entrepreneurs, innovators, artists, leaders, researchers, investors, civil society actors and bearers of innovative solutions are among the one hundred laureates selected for this inaugural edition.
Rather than reserving a separate category for women, the organisers chose to integrate them across all one hundred honoured profiles, a choice presented as a deliberate option for inclusive representation of African and diaspora leadership.
The evening begins at 7:30pm, with doors opening at 7pm, in the historic venue at 32 rue Richer, in Paris's 9th arrondissement, with tickets starting at 50 euros.
On the eve of the ceremony, no name-by-name list of the one hundred laureates had been made public by the organisers, who chose to describe the profiles and sectors represented rather than announce the selected names in advance.
