Nigerian afrobeats musicians rule the new category of Best African Music Performance at the 66th Grammy Awards, according to the Recording Academy’s recent announcement of nominees.
Four of the five nominees in this category, which was unveiled in June, are Nigerian talent. These include the songs “Amapiano” by Asake and Olamide, “City Boys” by Burna Boy, “Unavailable” by Davido featuring Musa Keys, and “Rush” by Ayra Starr. Tyla, a recent phenomenon from South Africa, is the fifth nominee with her song “Water.”
Asake, Olamide, and Ayra Starr have never received a Grammy nomination before, which is a huge accomplishment for the afrobeats genre and the Nigerian music industry.
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Burna Boy is nominated for two Grammy Awards this year: Best Global Music Album for “I Told Them” and Best Melodic Rap Performance for “Sittin’ on Top of the World,” which features 21 Savage. Davido’s album “Timeless” received a nomination in the latter category as well.
SZA receives nine nominations for her album “SOS,” placing her as the front-runner for the 66th Grammy Awards. Several musicians, including Jon Batiste, boygenius, Brandy Clark, Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, and Taylor Swift, who received six nominations, are noteworthy contenders. Victoria Monét has the most nominations with seven. The recordings nominated were made available between October 1, 2022, and September 15, 2023.
The Grammy Awards will be presented at the Crypo.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 4, 2024.
