Ferdinand Ekechukwu
The Recording Academy, organisers of the Grammy Awards, yesterday announced nominees for its 68th edition, with Afrobeats artistes well represented in the annual global music awards ceremony.
Scheduled to hold on Sunday, February 1, 2026, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, the event would celebrate recordings released between August 31, 2024, and August 30, 2025.
Among the African artists that made a strong showing across the global and African music categories were five Nigerians and nine continental acts earning nominations.
Burna Boy received two nominations — Best African Music Performance for “Love” and Best Global Music Album for “No Sign of Weakness,” making him the highest-nominated African artist in the 2025 edition.
Other Nigerian stars on the list include Davido, Omah Lay, Ayra Starr, and Wizkid, alongside continental heavyweights such as Angélique Kidjo (Benin), Eddy Kenzo (Uganda), Tyla (South Africa), and Youssou N’Dour (Senegal).
In the Best African Music Performance category, Nigeria’s dominance was unmistakable, with “Love” by Burna Boy, “With You” by Davido featuring Omah Lay, and “Gimme Dat” by Ayra Starr featuring Wizkid* all nominated.
Other contenders include “Hope & Love” by Uganda’s Eddy Kenzo and Mehran Matin, and “PUSH 2 START” by South Africa’s Tyla. Burna Boy also breaks through beyond Africa-focused recognition, landing nominations in Best Global Music Album for his 2025 album No Sign of Weakness.
In the Best Global Music Album category, Burna Boy is competing against Senegalese legend Youssou N’Dour (Eclairer le Monde – Light the World), Beninese icon Angélique Kidjo (Jerusalema in the performance category), and India’s Anoushka Shankar (Chapter III: We Return to Light).
This year’s nominations mark another major moment for Afrobeats and African pop, following the Grammy’s decision to expand and recognise African categories that reflect the continent’s growing global influence.
Beyond Africa, Kendrick Lamar leads this year’s field with nine nominations, including Album of the Year for GNX and Record of the Year for Luther with SZA.
Lady Gaga and Bad Bunny follow closely with seven and six nominations, respectively, while Sabrina Carpenter, Leon Thomas, and Tyler, the Creator also scored multiple nods across major categories.
The Recording Academy made changes this year to make the Grammys more inclusive and globally representative, adding that the updates reflect the “evolving landscape of world music.”
The 68th Grammy Awards will air live on CBS and Paramount+, celebrating artists across 95 categories, including pop, rap, R&B, gospel, rock, jazz, country, and global music.
Recall that Tems put Nigeria on the world map after winning the Best African Music Performance category at the 67th Grammys. Tems won the Best African Music award ahead of Yemi Alade’s ‘Tomorrow’, Asake ‘MMS’ ft Wizkid, Chris Brown’s ‘Sensational’ feat Davido & Lojay, and Burna Boy’s ‘Higher.’
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