The 2025 Grammy Awards are just around the corner, and all eyes are on the African artists nominated this year. The big question is: will African artists bring home some well-deserved wins?
Set to take place on Sunday, February 2nd, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, the ceremony will be hosted by Trevor Noah for the fifth consecutive year. Fans can catch the show live on CBS or stream it on Paramount+, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, and FuboTV.
This year, several African artists have been recognised in various categories. Let’s dive into their nominations:
Yemi Alade received her first-ever Grammy nomination with her song “Tomorrow” in the Best African Music Performance category.
Burna Boy’s “Higher” from his “I Told Them” album is nominated for Best African Music Performance, marking his second consecutive nomination in this category. This nomination brings his total Grammy nods to an impressive 11.
Tems continues her incredible Grammy journey with three nominations this year. Her song “Love Me JeJe” is up for Best African Music Performance, while “Burning” is nominated for Best R&B Song. Her debut album “Born in the Wild” also earned a nomination for Best Global Music Album. Tems, who first captured Grammy attention in 2023 with a win for Best Rap Song for her contribution to Future’s “Wait For U,” now boasts a total of 8 Grammy nominations.
Asake and Wizkid are both nominated for their collaboration on “MMS” in Best African Music Performance. This marks Asake’s second nomination, while Wizkid adds another nod to his collection with 5 nominations and 1 win.
Davido earned a nomination for Best African Music Performance with “Sensational,” his collaboration with Chris Brown and Lojay. This adds to his previous nominations for Best Global Music Album for “Timeless,” Best African Music Performance for “Unavailable,” and Best Global Music Performance for “Feel” in 2024.
Rema’s first-ever nomination for Best Global Music Album with “HEIS” is a proud moment for African artists on the global stage.
Shaboozey, an American artist of Nigerian descent, has five nominations this year: Song of the Year for “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” Best Country Solo Performance for the same song, Best Melodic Rap Performance for his feature on Beyoncé’s “Spaghetti,” Best Rap Song for “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” and Best Rap Performance for his feature on “Spaghetti.”
Angélique Kidjo earned a nomination for Best Global Music Performance with her track “Sunlight to My Soul,” featuring the Soweto Gospel Choir. Angélique, a five-time Grammy winner, has had a long history at the Grammys with albums like “Djin Djin” (2008), ‘Eve” (2015), and “Mother Nature” (2022).
And, Ghanaian reggae artist Rocky Dawuni is nominated for Best Global Music Performance for his song “Rise.” This is his second nomination in this category, following his 2016 nod for Best Reggae Album with “Branches of the Same Tree,” bringing his total Grammy nominations to four.
Which of these African Artists Will Be Going Home with a Grammy Next Sunday?