For far too long, African artistes have been lumped into categories that don’t quite capture their essence. This shift—from pigeonholing to proper placement—signals a growing recognition of African music’s diversity.
By Abioye Damilare Samson
In 2019, Angelique Kidjo stood on the Grammy stage, clutching her golden gramophone after her album, Celia, won the ‘Best World Music Album’ category and delivered a thoughtful acceptance speech. “This is for Burna Boy! Burna Boy is among the young artistes from Africa that is changing the way our continent is perceived”, she declared.
A year later, her words came full circle. Burna Boy returned to that same stage, clutching his golden gramophone for his album, Twice as Tall, to fulfil the vision Kidjo had so graciously laid out in her speech.
Since that moment, African music has continued its meteoric rise, reshaping soundscapes and dominating international charts and stages worldwide. Award institutions like the BETs, MTV EMAs, and VMAs have opened their arms to the sound, but the Grammys—long regarded as the zenith of global music honours—have been slower to align with this cultural shift.
All that changed last year with the launch of the Best African Music Performance category, a historic step that honoured the continent’s rich and evolving musical landscape. The inaugural win by South African star Tyla for her viral hit, “Water”, felt like a baton passed from a long-awaited recognition to a future brimming with potential.
This year, African artistes have entrenched themselves deeper into the global narrative, with the 2025 Grammy nominations painting a vivid picture of this evolving dominance.
In the ‘Best African Music Performance’ category, the stakes are thrillingly high. Yemi Alade earns her first-ever Grammy nod for “Tomorrow”. The ever-charismatic Davido and Lojay join forces with Chris Brown on the stateside song, “Sensational”, melding Afrobeats and R&B into a seamless, irresistible fusion. And then, the category’s familiar torchbearers make their return: Burna Boy’s introspective “Higher” and Tems’ sultry “Love Me Jeje”, who are the two most Grammy-nominated Nigerians.
But with every celebration comes controversy. For all its nods to inclusivity, the absence of certain deserving talents continues to spark conversation and fuel debates about why they are overlooked.
And, truth be told, this is nothing new. It happens every year when the Grammy nominations land. But this year, the debate feels especially justified.
When you consider the groundbreaking contributions from African artistes, one can’t help but ask: did the nominations miss the mark by overlooking key players who’ve been instrumental in defining the continent’s musical narrative?
From the first-time African nominees to the familiar names staking their claim, next year’s race promises to be both celebratory and fiercely competitive.
Here’s our breakdown of the standout African nominees, the potential winners, the heavy hitters, and the shocking snub in next year’s Grammy race.
The Battle for ‘Best African Music Performance’: Who’s Poised to Win in 2025?
Let’s start with the elephant in the room—or rather, the five powerhouses in the ‘Best African Music Performance’ category. If you’re even remotely familiar with Yemi Alade’s music journey, you will agree that her first Grammy nod feels like a well-deserved zenith of a journey built on relentless hustle, sonic finesse, and rock-solid faith in her vision.
She has spent over a decade forging her place at the top of African music, and with her nominated song, “Tomorrow”, she delivers a stirring anthem that’s laced with captivating vocals, the message of perseverance, and a music visual dripping with rich African aesthetics that align perfectly with the kind of art the Recording Academy has shown to favour in recent years.
But this is no easy fight. The competition is a fierce one. Burna Boy’s “Higher” is drenched in the kind of introspective brilliance that only he can pull off. Tems, with her “Love Me Jeje”, brings sultriness to the table, pulling off minimalist brilliance and giving us a beautiful sample from Nigerian classics that’s impossible to ignore. Asake and Wizkid’s “MMS” delivers mid-tempo Yoruba-bop.
And then there’s the undeniable mainstream magnetism of “Sensational” by Chris Brown, Davido, and Lojay. But despite all this, there’s something different about Yemi Alade’s nomination, which makes it feel like this is her time to take home that golden gramophone.
Beyond Pigeonholes: Tems’s “Burning” and the R&B Breakthrough
Tems’ nomination for Best R&B Performance with her song “Burning” marks a seismic shift in how African artistes are being recognised on the global stage. This, more than anything else, feels like progress.
For far too long, African artistes have been lumped into categories that don’t quite capture their essence. This shift—from pigeonholing to proper placement—signals a growing recognition of African music’s diversity. Tems’ “Burning” is pure R&B: sensual and undeniably soulful. The fact that it’s being judged in its rightful category—and not as an “Afrobeats adjacent” track—is significant.
Wizkid’s frustration earlier this year didn’t go unnoticed, calling out the “Afrobeats” label that always seemed too limiting. Sure, his approach may have been messy, but his point hit home: African influence on global music is undeniable, and it shouldn’t be confined to a single genre.
Now, with Tems in the R&B category, it feels like the pendulum is finally swinging. Could this be the moment when African music stops being boxed in and starts commanding the space it rightfully deserves?
Tems and Rema: A Battle for ‘Best Global Music Album’ Glory
In the ‘Best Global Music Album’ category, the spotlight falls on Tems and Rema. Tems’ debut album, Born In The Wild, is an emotional rollercoaster—intensely personal, sonically adventurous, and meticulously crafted. With just two guest features, it feels cohesive in a way that only great albums do.
Rema’s sophomore album, HEIS, however, takes a different route. It’s bold and experimental, weaving together Afro-Rave, Trap, and Alté influences in a way that feels uniquely his. But if previous Grammy precedents are any indication, Tems has the edge. Her album is a defining moment for an artiste who continues to rewrite the rules of what African music can be with her one-of-a-kind vocals.
Surprising Snubs
As celebratory as this moment is, it’s hard to ignore the absence of South Africa’s Titom & Yuppe and their remix of “Tshwala Bam” featuring Burna Boy. Beyond Africa, the track made a significant impact in 2024, blending Amapiano’s infectious rhythms with Burna’s unmistakable gravitas.
Despite the Recording Academy’s claim to prioritise artistry over popularity, this glaring omission from this year’s Grammy nominations—particularly in the ‘Best African Music Performance’ category—raises questions about the metrics used to select nominees. While it’s understandable that there’s limited room in each category, the exclusion of such an influential track does feel like a missed opportunity to acknowledge a song that truly captured the zeitgeist of African music in 2024.
Equally puzzling is the omission of Ayra Starr’s “Commas”, a genre-defying song that merges Afrobeats, R&B, and Pop with pristine production and striking vocals from Starr. Its omission from this year’s nominees can be considered as an oversight.
This raises a larger concern: why does the ‘Best African Music Performance’ category—designed to capture the diversity of an entire continent—have only five nominees, when categories like ‘Record of the Year’ and ‘Song of the Year’ accommodate up to eight entries?
The submissions from Ayra Starr, Tyla, Titom & Yuppe, Rema, and Victony are undeniable examples of the richness of African music in 2024. Limiting the nominees to five seems reductive, particularly in a year where the continent’s music has achieved unprecedented global acclaim.
The Recording Academy must confront these limitations. As historic as this category is, it should evolve to better capture the scope of African music’s genius and ensure that transformative records like “Tshwala Bam” and “Commas” are celebrated as they deserve to be.
Kidjo and Dawuni: African Legends Lead the Charge in the ‘Best Global Music Performance’
The sight of Angélique Kidjo and Rocky Dawuni in the ‘Best Global Music Performance’ category is a testament to their brilliance. Kidjo and Dawuni represent the very essence of African music: timeless, profound, and constantly evolving.
As we celebrate the rise of the new African wave—Tems, Burna Boy, Rema, and the likes—it’s crucial to remember that this wave didn’t come out of nowhere. It’s built on the shoulders of giants like Kidjo and Dawuni, who’ve been doing the heavy lifting for decades.
When it comes to predicting a winner in this category, given Angelique Kidjo’s history of dominance across multiple categories, Kidjo is poised to claim another golden gramophone next year. In all, all hands are crossed, waiting for February 2nd—the night when the winners will be revealed, and African talent will once again prove its place at the pinnacle of the global music award.
Abioye Damilare is a music journalist and culture writer focused on the African entertainment Industry. Reading new publications and listening to music are two of his favourite pastimes when he is not writing. Connect with him on Twitter and IG: @Dreyschronicle
Cover photo credit: The Grammys