Here’s All You Need to Know About African Artists at the 2025 Grammys
With several African artists nominated, we round up all the context and talking points for African music at the upcoming 67th Annual Grammy Awards.
Nigerian star Tems is nominated for Best African Music Performance, Best Global Music Album and Best R&B Song at this year’s Grammy Awards.
TheGrammys are almost here and will be taking over music conversations across the world once again. The fanfare around the awards places an enormous responsibility on the Recording Academy and their choices, particularly around non-Western music.
Scheduled for February 2, the 67th Grammy Awards have gotten many people talking about whether they will aim to correct long-heldcomplaints on cultural nuance if the Academy truly represents the music and not just what passes as fitting.
The relationship between award recipients and the public remains complex, withcritics consistently pushing the Academy to do better. In light of this, some context on important details and conversations leading up to the much-billed "biggest night in music" is crucial.Who are the African nominees at the 2025 Grammys?
Several African artists represent the continent across genres. The most notable nomination isTems in the Best R&B Song category, which she got for the record "Burning." As our contributor Nelson C.J.writes, Tems' nomination in the R&B category can help the awards reconsider how they view Afrobeats artists.
Multiple-time winnerAngélique Kidjo is nominated in the Best Global Music Performance for "Sunlight To My Soul," a record that features theSoweto Gospel Choir. Snagging his fourth Grammy nomination is Ghanaian reggae legend Rocky Dawuni for his single "Rise" — this is also his second nomination in the category.
Undoubtedly, most eyes will be on the Best African Music Performance category, where some of Africa's biggest stars will go head-to-head in the new (and controversially limiting) category. It's a Nigerian-dominated category that includes Tems' second nod for "Love Me Jeje," her rootsy, ‘90s-sampling record.
Other nominees in that category includeYemi Alade with her powerful song "Tomorrow," produced byDeeYasso, marking her first Grammy nomination. AsakeandWizkid's assured anthem"M.M.S" is also featured in the category, along with"Sensational," theDavidoandLojay-featured song by Chris Brown. Completing the list is"Higher,"Burna Boy's first single from last year and his eleventh nomination for the Grammy Awards.
On the album front, bothRema'seclectic HEIS and Tems' emotive masterpieceBorn In The Wild are nominated for Best Global Music Album.
From the diaspora, American Nigerian artist Shaboozey is one of the biggest nominees on the night, scoring five nominations in the categories of Best New Artist, Best Melodic Rap Performance, Best Country Solo Performance, Best Remixed Performance, and Song Of The Year for the revelatory smash hit "A Bar Song (Tipsy)." British rapper of Nigerian descent Jordan Adetunji was also nominated for Best Melodic Rap Performance for the remix to his hit track "Kehlani."Who has the most nods?
After an impressive win at the 2023 Grammys for Best Melodic Rap Performance (for her role in Future's"WAIT FOR U"), the Nigerian singer-songwriter Tems is now a Grammys regular. This is no surprise, considering she embodies the perfect demonstration of African qualities within R&B and soul. This year, her three nominations across three categories — Best African Music Performance, Best Global Music Album and Best R&B Song — make her the most nominated African act.
What are the talking points?
The fact that a Nigerian will indeed walk away with a Grammy on that Sunday night is arguably the biggest talking point. We'veexploredhow this reveals the Grammys' lack of appreciation for the diversity of African music, essentially fitting a vast canvas of sound into the limiting scope of what is defined as "Afrobeats."
The Grammy Awards have increasingly engaged positively with African music in recent years. In 2022, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. demonstrated this commitment by visiting Rwanda and Ghana, where he met with music professionals tounderstand "the different subgenres, needs and desires of Afrobeats' creators." The Afrobeats category was created afterward.
Last year, the Academy announced its expansion into the Middle East and Africa. This move is supposed to "reflect [their] commitment to fostering a truly global community, where creators at every stage of their careers and from every corner of the world have the resources and support they need to thrive."
It's a commendable initiative, but fundamentally, the Academy must demonstrate its goodwill in interpreting genres, particularly regarding African artists. At this point, it goes beyond the constant Afrobeats reverence — they should take a student's approach to understanding that African acts create across genres, even pop music. When people watch the Grammys on Sunday, February 2, perhaps a question on their minds will be, "When will an African win a category over an American act?" When do we get to that level of good faith?
When and where to watch
Wildfires have been rocking the city of Los Angeles, where the 67th Grammys are to be held, effecting some serious changes regarding the events. Some record companies, such as the Universal Music Group and Sony Music, reportedly pulled off all their Grammy-related events. In a considerate decision, the Grammys haveannouncedthat it has canceled its pre and post-event parties.
For viewers at home, the event will begin with a three-hour red carpet show streamed by The Associated Press on YouTube and APNews.com. Live TV streaming services will be available on platforms that include CBS in their lineup: Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, and FuboTV.
The main show will air live on CBS and Paramount+ at 8 p.m. EST. Paramount+ and Showtime subscribers can also watch live and on-demand.
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