Lagos, Nigeria
CNN
—
For the first time, African music will have its own category at the Grammys. The Recording Academy will showcase three new categories for this year’s awards, including “Best African Music Performance” — featuring some of Afrobeats’ global superstars.
“By introducing these three new categories, we are able to acknowledge and appreciate a broader array of artists,” said Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr., in a press release last year to announce the categories, which also include Best Pop Dance Recording and Best Alternative Jazz Album. “We are excited to honor and celebrate the creators and recordings in these categories, while also exposing a wider range of music to fans worldwide.”
The addition of the Best African Music Performance category follows a meteoric rise in the global popularity of Afrobeats. On Spotify alone, Afrobeats streams have grown over 550% since 2017, according to the streaming platform, making it one of the “fastest growing genres.”
Ahead of the 2024 Grammy Awards on February 4 in Los Angeles, here’s what to know about the five Best African Music Performance nominees poised to make history.
Arya Starr
Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe, known as Ayra Starr, is nominated for her hit “Rush,” on her debut studio album “19 & Dangerous.” The song charted globally, went viral with a dance challenge on TikTok, was listed on former US President Barack Obama’s annual playlist for 2022, and currently has over 300 million streams on Spotify and almost 300 million views on YouTube. Signed to Mavin Records, the 21-year-old Afropop singer has collaborated with Kelly Rowland, Stormzy and fellow Nigerian stars Tiwa Savage and Wizkid.
Asake & Olamide
These two Nigerian powerhouses each scored their first nomination for their hit song “Amapiano.” Asake, whose real name is Ahmed Ololade, had the highest-charting Nigerian debut album in history on the Billboard charts in 2022, with his album “Mr. Money with the Vibe.” The Grammy-nominated track is the third single off his second album, “Work of Art,” and celebrates Amapiano — another African music genre that has gained worldwide popularity and acclaim. The 29-year-old is signed to YBNL records, which is owned by Olamide. In a 2021 interview with CNN, Olamide described his label-owning mindset as one of necessity: “There were no doors opening up,” he said, “so, I had to set up my own building and my own door.”
Tyla
South African Tyla, 21, is nominated for her massive hit “Water,” which spawned a viral dance movement after its release in 2023. The singer released her first single “Getting Late” in 2019 and has been on an upward trajectory since. She has described her sound as “Popiano” — a fusion of South Africa’s Amapiano genre and pop music. “Water” is the first single from her debut studio album “Tyla” and is the highest charting song by a South African solo artist on the Billboard Hot 100, debuting at No. 67 and rising all the way to No. 10.
Davido, featuring Musa Keys
Afrobeats superstar David Adeleke’s song “Unavailable” is one of his three nominations at this year’s Grammys. The Nigerian singer best known as Davido is also nominated for Best Global Album and Best Global Music Performance. The song is from his fourth studio album, “Timeless,” which hit No. 2 on Billboard’s World Album chart. Davido was also one of the most streamed artists on Spotify in Africa in 2023. Of the album, Davido told CNN during an interview in 2023 that he felt it would stand the test of time: “I know in years to come … we’re going to be talking about this album … it just put me in another dimension with making music.” But the singer made headlines of a different sort in the weeks leading up to the Grammys, when fellow Nigerian star Tiwa Savage filed a police complaint against him over alleged threats.
Burna Boy
