Nigerian Afrobeats stars faced disappointment at the 66th Grammy Awards, as Burna Boy, Davido, Tems, Ayra Starr, Olamide, and Asake collectively fell short in their quest for recognition across five categories. Despite securing 10 nominations, the Nigerian contingent was unable to secure any wins.
South African singer Tyla clinched the inaugural ‘Best African Music Performance’ trophy with her 2023 track, “Water,” leaving the Nigerian artists unrewarded in that category.
During the Grammy Premiere ceremony, where numerous awards are presented before the main live telecast, Burna Boy and Davido lost in the ‘Best Global Album’ category to Shakti, whose album “This Moment” triumphed over Burna Boy’s “I Told Them” and Davido’s “Timeless” albums, among others.
Additionally, their hopes were dashed in the corresponding ‘Best Global Music Performance’ category, which was won by Indian composer Zakir Hussain for the track “Pashto” featuring Bela Fleck and Edger Meyer.
Despite being slated to perform the nominated track “Sittin’ on Top of The World” with featured American rapper 21 Savage during the live telecast ceremony, Burna Boy’s chances were thwarted when Lil Durk’s collaboration with J Cole, “All My Life,” snagged the Grammy for Best Melodic Rap, leaving Burna Boy empty-handed from his four nominations.
Similarly, Tems, who secured her first Grammy last year in the Best Melodic Rap category, faced defeat in the ‘Song Written for Visual Media’ category, with Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For” prevailing over Tems’ contribution to the Black Panther theme song “Lift Me Up,” performed by Rihanna.
IMAGE: Premium times
