The global music stage is set for another historic moment as the Recording Academy announces the nominees for the 67th Grammy Awards in 2026. For the second consecutive year, the spotlight shines brightly on the continent with the GRAMMY Award for Best African Music Performance. This dedicated category offers a monumental platform for Africa's top musical talents to gain unparalleled worldwide recognition.
A Legacy Continues: Building on a Historic Category
This year marks the second edition of the Best African Music Performance award, solidifying its place in Grammy history. The inaugural award in 2025 was claimed by South Africa's Tyla for her global hit "Water," which also made history by cracking the Billboard Hot 100 chart. While Tyla will not defend her title this year, the door is open for a new champion to emerge from a fiercely competitive field of five nominees.
This category represents a significant milestone. Although African artists like Miriam Makeba, Sade, and Angélique Kidjo have won Grammys in other categories before, having a dedicated award for African music performance underscores the growing influence and distinct artistic identity of the continent's sound.
The 2026 Nominees: A Showcase of African Excellence
The nominated tracks and artists represent the vibrant diversity and sheer quality of contemporary African music.
Chris Brown "Sensational" feat. Davido & Lojay: This collaboration from Chris Brown's album 11:11 is a powerful fusion of styles. While Brown brings his R&B pedigree, the track's undeniable Afrobeat foundation is powered by Nigerian stars Davido and Lojay. For Davido, this is his second consecutive nomination in this category, following his nod last year.
Yemi Alade "Tomorrow": The "Mama Africa" of pop, Yemi Alade, earns her first-ever Grammy nomination with this bright and charming song from her album Rebel Queen. The track, which blends highlife and dancehall, celebrates Black music with vocals in both English and Nigerian Pidgin.
Burna Boy "Higher": The African Giant is back, nominated in this category for the second year running. Following his 2021 Grammy win for Best Global Music Album (Twice as Tall), Burna Boy is nominated for "Higher" from his 2023 album I Told Them. The song, built on an amapiano beat, resonated deeply, setting a Spotify record for an African artist with 1.3 million streams in a single day.
Asake & Wizkid "MMS": This collaboration is a masterful blend of jazz, R&B, and Afrobeats. Asake, a leader of Africa's new musical wave, teams up with Grammy-winning star Wizkid (who won for his feature on Beyoncé's "Brown Skin Girl"). Their song "MMS" artfully mixes English, Yoruba, and Nigerian Pidgin, creating a locally rooted track that achieved global appeal.
Tems "Love Me JeJe": Tems steps into the spotlight as a leading artist, nominated for the lead single from her hit debut album Born in the Wild. Although she already owns a Grammy (for her sample on Future's "Wait For U"), this nomination is for her own work. "Love Me JeJe," a tender reimagining of a 1997 classic, topped the UK Afrobeats charts and hit No. 3 on Billboard's U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart.
The Road to Grammy Night
With the award ceremony just a few months away, anticipation is building. Each nominee carries the hopes of a continent eager to see its music celebrated on the world's most prestigious stage. The songs in contention are more than just hits; they are cultural artifacts brimming with soul, representing a genre that continues to demand and earn its place in the global music landscape.
Whether it's Burna Boy seeking his second Grammy, Davido aiming for his first win, or a breakthrough victory for Yemi Alade, Asake & Wizkid, or Tems, one thing is certain: an African artist will once again make history at the 67th Grammy Awards in 2026.
