Black At has made history at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity by producing the first Forum panel to feature an Africa-based Afrobeats artist, marking a landmark moment for African creativity on the world’s largest stage for the creative and marketing industries.

The panel, Culture to Capital: African Creators Changing the Global Landscape, brought together Grammy-nominated Nigerian Afrofusion artist BNXN, entrepreneur and Afropolitan co-founder Chika Uwazie, and Carlo Murison, Co-Founder of TwoTone Global, for a conversation exploring how African creators are transforming culture into scalable businesses and driving the continent’s creative economy.

The session represents a defining milestone for Cannes Lions, with BNXN becoming the first Africa-based Afrobeats artist to speak on The Forum stage. His participation reflects the growing global influence of African music and its role as a powerful economic and cultural force.

During the discussion, BNXN highlighted the need for stronger public policy, improved industry regulation, and greater investment in creative infrastructure to help African artists build sustainable global careers while retaining ownership of their work.

Carlo Murison emphasized the importance of data, measurement, and market intelligence, noting that better access to audience insights and creative analytics will allow African creators and businesses to compete more effectively on the global stage.

Chika Uwazie focused on the rapid evolution of the creator economy, explaining how African entrepreneurs, storytellers, and digital creators are building global communities, owning their narratives, and redefining what influence and cultural leadership look like in the digital age.

Together, the panel demonstrated that Africa’s creative industries have evolved beyond cultural exports into powerful economic engines capable of generating investment, innovation, and long-term global impact.

“This was more than a panel it was a statement that African creators belong at the center of the global creative conversation,” said Peter Ukhurebor, Founder of Black At. “For too long, Africa has been represented through its stories. Today, Africa is helping shape the future of creativity itself.”

The historic session reinforces Black At’s commitment to creating access for African and Black creative leaders across the world’s most influential platforms while ensuring the continent’s voices are represented where global industry decisions are made.

About Black At

Black At is a global leadership platform connecting Black executives, creators, marketers, entrepreneurs, and innovators through world-class programming, industry partnerships, and thought leadership. Through initiatives spanning Cannes Lions, the United Nations General Assembly, Africa Tech Festival, and other global convenings, Black At is building pathways for representation, collaboration, and economic opportunity across the global creative economy.

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