African artists vie for Best African Music Performance at 68th Grammys

The Recording Academy has nominated Burna Boy for ‘Love’, Davido and Omah Lay for ‘With You’, Eddy Kenzo and Mehran Matin for ‘Hope & Love’, Ayra Starr featuring Wizkid for ‘Gimme Dat’, and Tyla for ‘Push 2 Start’. The shortlist reflects a broad geographic spread, with strong representation from West, East and Southern Africa.

Nigeria leads the category through Burna Boy and the Davido–Omah Lay collaboration, reinforcing the country’s continued influence on the global Afrobeats movement. Uganda’s Eddy Kenzo appears through a cross-border collaboration with Mehran Matin, highlighting the increasing prominence of East African artists and international partnerships.

Ayra Starr’s collaboration with Wizkid points to sustained cross-generational ties within African pop music, while Tyla’s nomination strengthens Southern Africa’s visibility in the category. South Africa’s presence at the ceremony is further underscored by Trevor Noah’s return as host. Noah is also nominated in other categories, contributing to the country’s profile across both music and spoken-word fields.

The nominations add to Africa’s growing representation at the Grammys, with several of the nominated artists also featured in other global categories. The Best African Music Performance category continues to serve as a key platform for recognising the continent’s diverse musical output on an international stage.