Ahead of the 66th Grammy Award on February 4, the organisers have released a list of African musicians who have bagged the golden gramophones since the 1960s.
The list sparked controversies on social media after singers Wizkid and Tems were omitted from the 10 African winners of the prestigious award.
Per the list, Miriam Makeba, the late South African singer, remained the first from Africa to win a Grammy award.
Sade, the pop singer, followed in the list, making her the first Nigerian to win the global award while Burna Boy is the most recent and last Nigerian to win the prestigious gong.
Grammy Award – Africa Winners List
Miriam Makeba (South Africa) — Best Folk Recording (with Harry Belafonte) – 1966
Sade Adu (Nigeria/UK) — Best New Artist – 1986
Ali Farka Touré (Mali) — Best World Music Album – 1994
Cesária Évora (Cape Verde) — Best Contemporary World Music Album – 2004
Youssou N’Dour (Senegal) — Best Contemporary World Music Album – 2005
Angélique Kidjo (Benin/France) — Best Contemporary World Music Album – 2008
RedOne (Morocco) — Best Dance/Electronic Album – 2010
Tinariwen (Mali/Algeria/Libya) — Best World Music Album – 2012
Burna Boy (Nigeria) — Best Global Music Album – 2021
Black Coffee (South Africa) – Best Dance/ Electronic Album — 2022
Recall in March 2021, Wizkid bagged his first-ever Grammy award for his role in ‘Brown Skin Girl’, a 2019 song by Beyonce, the American musician. The project won the ‘Best Music Video’ category.
In 2023, Tems won her own first-ever Grammy award. The Afrobeats singer won the ‘Best Melodic Rap Performance’ category for her role in ‘Wait for U’, the 2022 hit song by Future featuring Drake.
Upon the release of the list by the organisers of the Grammys, questions were asked about what yardsticks were used to assemble the list.
Some users on X have argued that Wizkid and Tems were left off the list because they won Grammys as featured artists.
It, however, remains unclear why both music heavyweights from Nigeria were omitted from the list.
The 2024 Grammy Awards will take place on Sunday, February 4 in Los Angeles.
The award organizers also created the ‘Best African Music Performance’ category to recognize African artists.
Asake, Olamide, Tems, Burna Boy, Olamide, and Ayra Starr were all nominated in this category.
Latest Stories
-
NSMQ star Jochebed Adwoa Sutherland sweeps 12 awards at UG Vice-Chancellor’s Ceremony
5 mins -
Ghana’s Education Quality ranked 125 out of 183 countries in latest Global Youth Development Index
29 mins -
Emma Stone wants people to use her real first name
33 mins -
FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Sundowns, Esperance join Al Ahly and Wydad as CAF representatives
4 hours -
CAFCL: Al Ahly set up historic final with ES Tunis
5 hours -
We didn’t sneak out 10 BVDs; they were auctioned as obsolete equipment – EC
8 hours -
King Charles to resume public duties after progress in cancer treatment
9 hours -
Arda Guler scores on first start in La Liga as Madrid beat Real Sociedad
9 hours -
Fatawu Issahaku’s Leicester City secures Premier League promotion after Leeds defeat
9 hours -
Anticipation builds as Junior Speller hosts nationwide auditions
10 hours -
Etse Sikanku: The driver’s mate conundrum
11 hours -
IMF Deputy Chief worried large chunk of Eurobonds is used to service debt
11 hours -
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II celebrates 25 years of peaceful rule on golden stool
11 hours -
We have enough funds to pay accruing benefits; we’ve never missed pension payments since 1991 – SSNIT
11 hours -
Let’s embrace shared vision and propel National Banking College – First Deputy Governor
12 hours