At the 66th Grammy Awards, Nigerian Afrobeats stars faced disappointment as Burna Boy, Davido, Tems, Ayra Starr, Olamide, and Asake failed to secure wins from 10 nominations across five categories.
The inaugural ‘Best African Music Performance’ trophy went to South African singer Tyla for her 2023 track, “Water.” Notably, the announcements occurred at the Grammy Premiere ceremony, where numerous awards are presented before the main telecast.
In the ‘Best Global Album’ category, Burna Boy, the 2021 winner, and Davido lost to Shakti. The world fusion band’s album, “This Moment,” triumphed over Burna Boy’s “I Told Them,” Davido’s “Timeless,” and others. Similarly, in the corresponding Best Global Music Performance category, Indian composer Zakir Hussain claimed victory for the track “Pashto” featuring Bela Fleck and Edger Meyer.
Despite being nominated for Best Melodic Rap, Burna Boy faced disappointment as Lil Durk’s collaboration with J Cole, “All My Life,” secured the Grammy. Burna Boy, slated to perform the nominated track “Sittin’ on Top of The World” at the live telecast ceremony, missed out on the coveted award.
Tems, a previous Grammy winner, experienced a setback in the Song Written for Visual Media category. Her contribution to the Black Panther theme song ‘Lift me Up,’ performed by Rihanna, lost to ‘What Was I Made For’ performed by Billie Eilish for the 2023 fantasy drama ‘Barbie’.
