All Eyes On Nigeria As African Heavyweights Battle for Grammy Awards

Burna Boy, Davido, Ayra Starr and Tyla are among the leading contenders for Grammy’s Best African Music Performance category, one of the ceremony’s most keenly contested honours, as they seek to secure another global milestone.

The A-list stars are now set for Sunday’s industry’s biggest global night, with superstars Burna Boy, Davido, Ayra Starr and Tyla hoping to make history in Los Angeles.

Burna Boy tops the list of African nominees this year, having picked up two nominations announced on November 7, 2025 — Best African Music Performance for Love and Best Global Music Album for No Sign of Weakness — a feat that places him ahead of his peers in this award cycle.

Nigeria also boasts strong representation through Davido, Omah Lay, Ayra Starr and Wizkid, while other African nominees include Beninese legend Angélique Kidjo, Uganda’s Eddy Kenzo, South Africa’s Tyla and Senegal’s Youssou N’Dour.

All four are angling to add to their trophy cabinets by taking home the gala’s most coveted African award, Best African Music Performance.

On November 7, 2025, Burna Boy received two nominations — Best African Music Performance for “Love” and Best Global Music Album for No Sign of Weakness — making him the highest-nominated African artist in the cycle.

Other Nigerian stars on the list include Davido, Omah Lay, Ayra Starr and Wizkid, alongside continental heavyweights such as Angélique Kidjo (Benin), Eddy Kenzo (Uganda), Tyla (South Africa) and Youssou N’Dour (Senegal).

In the Best African Music Performance category, Nigeria’s dominance was unmistakable, with “Love” by Burna Boy, “With You” by Davido featuring Omah Lay, and “Gimme Dat” by Ayra Starr featuring Wizkid all nominated.

Other contenders include “Hope & Love” by Uganda’s Eddy Kenzo and Mehran Matin, and “PUSH 2 START” by South Africa’s Tyla.

Tyla seeks her second trophy, having won the inaugural Grammy Award for the same category at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2024 for her hit single “Water.”

As anticipation builds ahead of the ceremony, the strong African presence on the Grammy stage underscores the continent’s growing influence on global music. With Nigerian artistes leading the nominations and established stars from across Africa also in contention, Sunday’s awards promise to be a defining moment for African music, celebrating its diversity, creativity and expanding international reach—regardless of who ultimately takes home the coveted trophy