Some of Nigeria’s biggest Afrobeats stars have bagged nominations for the 2026 Grammy Awards, reaffirming the country’s growing dominance on the global music stage.
The nominations were announced on Friday evening by the Recording Academy, with Davido, Burna Boy, Omah Lay, Ayra Starr, and Wizkid among the top Nigerian artists recognized in key international categories.
Davido and Omah Lay were jointly nominated in the Best African Music Performance category for their hit collaboration “With You.” The same category also features Burna Boy’s “Love,” Ayra Starr and Wizkid’s “Gimme Dat,” alongside Eddy Kenzo & Mehran Matin’s “Hope & Love” and Tyla’s “PUSH 2 START.”
Burna Boy Eyes Second Grammy Win
Burna Boy, who already holds a Grammy for Twice As Tall (2021), secured another major nomination for Best Global Music Album with his latest project, No Sign of Weakness.
He will compete against international heavyweights including Youssou N’Dour, Anoushka Shankar, Siddhant Bhatia, Shakti, and Caetano Veloso and Maria Bethânia.
Full List — Best African Music Performance
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Love – Burna Boy
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With You – Davido and Omah Lay
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Hope & Love – Eddy Kenzo & Mehran Matin
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Gimme Dat – Ayra Starr and Wizkid
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PUSH 2 START – Tyla
Best Global Music Album
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No Sign of Weakness – Burna Boy
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Sounds Of Kumbha – Siddhant Bhatia
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Éclairer le monde (Light the World) – Youssou N’Dour
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Mind Explosion (50th Anniversary Tour Live) – Shakti
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Chapter III: We Return To Light – Anoushka Shankar feat. Alam Khan & Sarathy Korwar
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Caetano e Bethânia Ao Vivo – Caetano Veloso & Maria Bethânia
The 2026 Grammy Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place in Los Angeles, USA, early next year.
If any of the Afrobeats nominees win, it will further solidify Nigeria’s status as the heartbeat of global Afro-inspired music, following recent international successes by Wizkid, Tems, and Burna Boy.
