The Nigerian contingent faced disappointment as South African singer Tyla clinched the inaugural ‘Best African Music Performance’ trophy with her 2023 track, “Water”, at the Grammy Awards.
Afrobeats stars, including Burna Boy and Davido, contended in various categories announced at the Grammy Premiere ceremony. Burna Boy, the 2021 Best Global Album winner, and Davido lost the category this year to Shakti, with their album “This Moment”.
In the Best Global Music Performance category, Burna Boy and Davido also faced defeat, losing to Indian composer Zakir Hussain for the track “Pashto” featuring Bela Fleck and Edger Meyer.
Despite being billed to perform at the live telecast ceremony, Burna Boy lost out in the Best Melodic Rap category to Lil Durk’s collaboration with J Cole, “All My Life”.
Tems, who won her first Grammy last year in the Best Melodic Rap category for her collaboration with Future and Drake on the track ‘Wait for You’, lost in the Song Written for Visual Media category.
Her work on the Black Panther theme song ‘Lift me Up’ performed by Rihanna, lost to ‘What Was I Made For’ performed by Billie Eilish for the 2023 fantasy drama ‘Barbie’.
Ada Peter
