Harmonizing Excellence: The African Journey at the Grammys
Ancient, with influence spanning across all the continents of the world and categories featuring nearly every genre in existence… I give you THE GRAMMYS. Created way back in 1958 as a symbol of recognition for distinctive and exceptional musical bodies of work, the Gramophone Awards, as it was initially called, has over time become the quintessential badge of honor for all things pertaining to musical excellence.
In fact, for any project to be awarded this golden trophy, it would essentially mean that the individuals involved in the building process had employed such a high level of creativity in the crafting of the chosen opus that the finished work exhibited perfection or something very much near it. It is thus understandable why one’s project getting nominated as a candidate for the award is in itself high praise and a prime indicator of creative brilliance and virtuoso for the artist and their team.
Over the years, there have been a total of 65 Grammy award ceremonies, and in the course of that 65-year period, individuals and groups that have been nominated for the award have come from various ethnicities, countries, and continents of the world, and that definitely includes a number of people from Africa.
African Grammy Pioneers
From Miriam Makeba, the South African who was the first African to win a Grammy in 1966 for the category of Best Folk Record as a result of her collaborative album with Harry Belafonte ‘An Evening with Belafonte/Makeba’, to Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a male choir from South Africa who won Best Traditional Folk Recording in 1988 with their album ‘Shaka Zulu’ and went on to win another four Grammys over the course of their careers, to Mali’s Ali Farka Touré, who won the category for Best World Music Album in 1994 with his project ‘Talking Timbuktu’, as well as 2 more Grammy awards over the course of his career, to Cesária Évora the Cape Verdean woman who took home the award for Best Contemporary World Music Album in 2004 with her album ‘Voz d’amor’.
The Soweto Gospel choir of South Africa whose albums ‘Blessed’, ‘African Spirit’, and ‘Freedom’ won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional World Music Album in 2006, 2007, and 2019, respectively. The renowned Senegalese singer Youssou N’Dour who also won the Best Contemporary World Music Album category in 2010 for his album ‘Egypt (2004)’. Then there’s the Beninese-French musical legend, Angélique Kidjo who has five Grammy wins to her name, spanning from 2008 when she won her first Grammy for Best Contemporary World Music Album with her album ‘DJIN DJIN’ through to 2022 when she bagged her latest award for Best Global Music Album for her work ‘Mother Nature.’
Other Grammy winners include; Tinariwen, a collective of Tuareg musicians, who won a Grammy award in the Best World Music Album category of 2012. There’s the South African producer Black Coffee who earned his first Grammy with his first nomination in the Best Dance/Electronic Album category of 2022. Finally, the South African musician, producer, and composer, Wouter Kellerman has a win in the Best New Age Album and another Grammy for Best Global Music Performance which he won later.
Nigeria’s Resonance at the Grammys
It might seem as though I completely left out a whole African nation and its multiple Grammy nominees and winners, but there’s a reason why. Nigeria has had the second-highest number of Grammy winners on the continent, outnumbered only by South Africa, and has in recent years completely dominated the music industry, producing exceptional artists that have continually topped music charts across the continent, penetrated the intercontinental audience, and made waves across the globe in a way that has never before been done.
While King Sunny Ade, Nigeria’s music legend and forerunner had already set the pace by being the first Nigerian to be nominated for a Grammy award in 1984 for his album ‘Syncro System’, the first to actually win a Grammy was the Nigerian-British artist, Sade Adu when she took home the award for Best New Artist in 1986. She gained 3 more Grammys at later points in time in her career with her last, coming in 2011 when her song ‘Soldier of Love’ bagged the award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal. After her, there was Seal, another Nigerian-British singer who bagged 3 Grammy awards at once in 1996 with his song, ‘Kiss from a Rose’ and won a fourth award much later in 2011 as well. Right after Seal came Chamillionaire, a Nigerian-American who won a Grammy in 2006 for his song “Ridin” under the category, Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group. There was Sikiru Adepoju, a Nigerian percussionist and recording artist, who won the award in 2008 for Best Contemporary World Music Album with the ‘Global Drum Project.’ 2014 saw Kevin Olusola, a Nigerian-American artist and a member of the Pentatonix acapella music group, winning a Grammy award by virtue of his group, this one for the category of Best Instrumental Arrangements. The group, with him as a member, won Grammys on 2 other occasions.
Burna Boy, the self-proclaimed giant of Africa, finally joined the list of Grammy award winners in 2020 when his album, ‘Twice as Tall’ won the Best World Music Album. Wizkid soon followed, winning his first Grammy award after featuring in Beyoncé’s Brown Skin Girl video which won the Best Music Video category in the 2021 Grammy awards. Last but not least is Tems. Her vocals from her song “Higher” were used by Future on his single “Wait for U”, which led to her being credited as a featured artist alongside Drake on the song. This feature earned her her first Grammy Award in 2023 for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.
The African Showcase at the 2024 Grammys
The 2024 Grammys featured a prominent African presence, with Nigeria and South Africa dominating nominations. The artists and the categories their music was nominated for are as follows;
Burna Boy: Best Global Music Performance for the song ‘Alone’, Best Global Music Album for the album ‘I Told Them’, Best African Music Performance for the song ‘City Boys’, and Best Melodic Rap Performance for the song “Sittin’ On Top Of The World” featuring 21 Savage.
Davido: Best Global Music Performance for the song ‘Feel’, Best Global Music Album for the album ‘Timeless’, and Best African Music Performance for the song ‘Unavailable’ featuring Musa Keys.
Asake: Best African Music Performance for the song ‘Amapiano’ featuring Olamide.
Ayra Starr: Best African Music Performance for the song ‘Rush’.
Tyla: Best African Music Performance for the song ‘Water’ (Winner).
Other Nigerian Grammy Recognitions
While I have highlighted artists to have won the Grammy award over the years, It would be remiss of me to not mention artists whose creative genius earned them Grammy nominations at some point in their careers.
King Sunny Ade was nominated for Grammys on 2 occasions, once in 1984 and again in 1999, and while he bagged neither award, it remains a testament to his impact on the music industry. There’s Femi Kuti with 5 nominations in 2002, 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2022 respectively. Femi and his son Made Kuti were also nominated in 2022 for their joint album ‘Legacy+’. There’s Kah-Lo, who was nominated in 2017 for her work on Riton’s ‘Rinse and Repeat, and Timaya who earned a nomination as a result of his collaboration with Morgan Heritage on the song ‘Reggae Night’ in 2018.
While Africa did not secure wins beyond its designated category in 2024, the nominations underscored the continent’s growing influence on the global music stage. The rich tapestry of African talent showcased at the Grammys over the years, with artists from diverse backgrounds and genres, reflects the continent’s growing influence on the global music stage. From the pioneering Giants like Angelique Kidjo and King Sunny Ade who broke barriers to the contemporary giants like Burna Boy and Wizkid, Africa’s musical journey at the Grammys is a testament to its creativity, resilience, and undeniable impact. As the nominations and wins continue to soar, it is evident that the coming years hold immense potential for further growth and a continued, remarkable imprint on the world of music. The harmonious excellence of African artists at the Grammys not only celebrates individual achievements but also contributes significantly to the collective vibrancy and diversity of the global music landscape.
