BNXN became the first Africa-based Afrobeats star to speak at Cannes Lions’ Forum Stage, in a panel exploring African creativity as a global economic force.
For years, Cannes Lions has been the world’s biggest stage for advertising and creative industries, but African music never had a seat at its most prestigious table. That changed this week, when Nigerian Afrofusion star BNXN walked onto The Forum Stage and became the first Africa-based Afrobeats artist to ever do so.
It wasn’t just a photo opportunity. It was a statement.
The session, titled Culture to Capital: African Creators Changing the Global Landscape, was organised by Black At, a platform that connects Black executives, creators, and entrepreneurs on major global stages. Alongside BNXN sat Chika Uwazie, co-founder of Afropolitan, and Carlo Murison of TwoTone Global.
Together, they tackled a question that’s been simmering for years: can African culture stop being just an export, and start being an economic engine that Africans themselves control?
BNXN’s Message: “Ownership Over Everything
Rather than talking about hit songs or chart positions, BNXN used his moment to push for something deeper, stronger policies, better industry regulation, and real investment in creative infrastructure.” His point was simple: “African artists shouldn’t just make global hits, they should own what they make.“
Murison built on that, stressing that data and audience insight are what will let African creators negotiate as equals in rooms that have historically underestimated them. Uwazie, meanwhile, spoke to the rise of the creator economy, how African entrepreneurs are now building their own platforms rather than waiting for validation elsewhere.
Peter Ukhurebor, founder of Black At, put it plainly: this wasn’t just a panel, it was a declaration that Africa belongs at the centre of global creative conversations, not on its edges.
It’s a subtle but important shift. Afrobeats has already conquered playlists and stadiums worldwide. Now the fight is over boardrooms, who owns the masters, who shapes the deals, who gets a say in how African culture is packaged and sold globally.
BNXN’s appearance at Cannes Lions might not trend the way a new single would, but its impact could run deeper. It signals that African creatives are no longer content being the story, they want a hand in writing it.
