Why the Grammy Best African Music Performance Category Needs More Than One Award

In 2023, the Recording Academy introduced the Best African Music Performance category, a move widely celebrated across Africa as long-overdue recognition of the continent’s influence on global music. According to the Academy, the category “recognizes recordings that utilize unique local expressions from across Africa,” including but not limited to Afrobeats, Afro-fusion, Afropop, Alte, Amapiano, Bongo Flava, Genge, Kizomba, Chimurenga, High Life, Fuji, Kwassa, Ndombolo, Ghanaian Drill, Afro-house, South African Hip-Hop, and Ethio-jazz.

At the 2024 Grammy Awards, South African singer Tyla won the inaugural trophy for “Water,” beating acts like Burna Boy, Davido, Asake and Olamide, and Ayra Starr. In 2025, Nigerian dominance was clear: seven of the eight nominees were Nigerian, with Chris Brown the only non-Nigerian recognized for his collaboration with Davido and Lojay. Nigerian singer Tems won that year, prompting widespread celebration in Nigeria.

In 2026, Tyla won again for “Push 2 Start,” surpassing Nigerian stars Ayra Starr, Davido, and Burna Boy. Unlike Tems’ win, Tyla’s second victory sparked outrage on Nigerian social media and cultural commentary circles. Producer Cobhams Asuquo jokingly said the Grammys were “using us to boost the GDP of Los Angeles,” while singer Teni claimed Davido had been robbed. Radio personality Osi Suave tweeted, “Nigeria makes the best music out of Africa… But we keep getting robbed.”

The backlash stems from the perception that Nigeria, often called the engine of African music, was being sidelined. Yet in reality, Nigerian artists have consistently dominated this category since its introduction. The outrage reflects a misunderstanding: Nigerians treat non-Nigerian wins as a loss, while the Grammys attempt to honor continental diversity but often reward the same commercially successful artists. Both views oversimplify Africa’s rich and varied music scene.

Africa has 54 recognized countries, thousands of ethnic groups, and countless musical traditions. Reducing all of this to a single Grammy category inevitably misrepresents the continent’s music. It is like trying to put Jazz, Blues, Country, R&B, Rock, and Hip-Hop into one American music award—it simply does not work.

In practice, the category favors globally popular tracks with strong international streaming numbers and crossover appeal. Tyla’s wins for “Water” and “Push 2 Start” exemplify this trend, as does Tems’ previous win. While these achievements are real and deserved, they reveal a bias: the Grammys tend to reward African music that has already succeeded in Western markets.

At the same time, locally dominant genres often remain invisible. Fuji music, with decades of Yoruba percussion tradition, rarely receives recognition. Genge, the high-energy Kenyan hip-hop style, and Ethio-jazz remain underrepresented despite their cultural significance.

This approach risks creating a distorted picture of African music for global audiences. It emphasizes commercial appeal over diversity and innovation, leaving genres that dominate local markets underappreciated. African music is not a monolith, and treating it as such does a disservice to artists, audiences, and traditions across the continent.

The solution is simple: create more than one category. Awards could be divided by region or genre rather than lumping everything into a single continental category. A Best West African Music Performance award could celebrate Afrobeats, Alte, and Fuji. A Best Southern African award could recognize Amapiano, 3-Steps, Kwaito, Gqom, and Afro-house. Best East African could highlight Bongo Flava and Gengetone.

This would honor Africa’s diversity, give artists in less globally prominent genres a chance at recognition, and increase the Grammys’ credibility as a truly global awards body. Until such changes are made, debates over winners will continue, Nigerian fans will feel slighted, and innovative local music will remain underrepresented.