Category Awards
Per Category
1st Place
2nd Place
3rd Place
Music, Video, and Games each award 1st ($7,000), 2nd ($3,500), and 3rd ($1,500).
About the Create-Thon
CANEX Create-Thon 2026, powered by Gebeya, is a pan-African creative challenge where artists create music, videos, and games on Dala Studio, then compete for global votes and recognition from industry icons.
- JUL 20 – AUG 19Registration
- AUG 20Start creating
- AUG 24Submit project
- OCT 19Winners announced
- NOVCANEX Festival Showcase
- JUL 20 – AUG 19Registration
- AUG 20Start creating
- AUG 24Submit project
- OCT 19Winners announced
- NOVCANEX Festival Showcase
Three Ways In
What Will You Make?
Three categories. One platform. Whatever you make, make it undeniable.
Music
One Track, Any Genre
Somewhere in your head there's a song nobody else can hear. Afrobeats, amapiano, Highlife, gqom, gospel, drill — in any language your heart argues in. Get it out of your head and onto Dala.
One finished track (2–5 minutes), shared as a Dala link.
Video
A Trailer for Africa
The film doesn't have to exist. The goosebumps do. Cut a 60-second to 2-minute trailer for an African movie — real or imagined — that makes the whole continent demand the feature.
One trailer (60 seconds – 2 minutes), shared as a Dala link.
Games
Afro-Inspired Play
Build a world people don't want to leave. A game whose mechanics, story, world or art are rooted in the continent — from Lagos traffic runs to Nile myth dungeons. Playable beats polished.
A playable build or gameplay capture, shared as a Dala link.
Chapter 2 · The Path
How It Works
- Step 01
Register
Get in. It takes a minute.
Sign up for Create-Thon 2026 and you're inside Africa's biggest AI creative competition.
Registration: 20 July – 19 August 2026 - Step 02
What Will You Make?
Music, video, or games.
Choose the category your imagination already lives in. One entry, your call.
- Step 03
Create on Dala Studio
Make the real thing.
Build your track, trailer, or game on Dala Studio. AI does the heavy lifting — you stay the director.
Starting 20 August 2026 - Step 04
Submit & Rise
Ship it. Let Africa vote.
Submit your project. The public votes the Top 100, expert judges crown the winners.
Submission deadline 24 August 2026 · Winners announced 19 October 2026
Before you begin
Know the rules. Create with confidence.
Review the eligibility criteria, categories, submission rules, judging criteria, awards and key dates before you begin.
Chapter 3 · The Prizes
$0
Total Prize Pool
Cash awards across every category — and a stage the world watches.
$50,000 total prize pool.
The top creator from each of the top 20 countries takes $500.
Beyond the Money
Your Work. At .
The 3 top category winners earn an exclusive trip to the CANEX WKND Festival in Lagos, Nigeria — presenting their work to creators, investors, media, and industry leaders from Africa and around the world.
A stage most creators wait a lifetime for.
Judged by experts from the creative, technology, and business sectors — on idea, originality, execution, and creative use of AI.
In partnership with
Other partners
Before You Ask
Who can participate?
Creators from across Africa — amateur, emerging, or established.
Which countries are eligible?
Open to creators who are citizens or legal residents of an African country, aged 18 or older.
Is registration free?
Yes. Registration for Create-Thon 2026 is free.
What are the categories?
Music, video, and games.
Can I enter more than one category?
No. Each participant may submit only one project in one competition category. Team submissions are not allowed.
Do I have to use Dala Studio?
Yes. All projects must be created and developed using Dala Studio. Projects produced using other AI platforms will be disqualified.
How do I submit?
Through the competition platform. The deadline for submission is 24 August 2026.
How are winners chosen?
Public voting selects the Top 100; an expert panel selects the winners.
Where are the official rules?
How can I contact customer support?
Contact the Create-Thon support team at create-thon@gebeya.com
