Shock as Grammy Organisers Exclude Wizkid, Tems From List of Africans That Have Won The Award

Posted by Thandiubani on Tue 30th Jan, 2024 - tori.ng

The organisers recently shared a listicle of African musicians who have taken home golden gramophones since the 1960s.

Nigerians have expressed shock after Grammy organisers released a list of Africans that have won the award ahead of its 66th Grammy Awards.

Shockingly, the two Nigerian superstars, Tems and Wizkid were omitted in the list.

The 66th award will take place on February 4.

According to the list, Miriam Makeba, the late South African singer, remained the first from Africa to win a Grammy award. Sade, the pop singer, followed in the list, making her the first Nigerian to win the global award while Burna Boy is the most recent and last Nigerian to win the prestigious gong.

Below are the 10 winners from Africa, according to the Grammys:

Miriam Makeba (South Africa) — Best Folk Recording (with Harry Belafonte) – 1966
Sade Adu (Nigeria/UK) — Best New Artist – 1986
Ali Farka Touré (Mali) — Best World Music Album – 1994
Cesária Évora (Cape Verde) — Best Contemporary World Music Album – 2004
Youssou N’Dour (Senegal) — Best Contemporary World Music Album – 2005
Angélique Kidjo (Benin/France) — Best Contemporary World Music Album – 2008
RedOne (Morocco) — Best Dance/Electronic Album – 2010
Tinariwen (Mali/Algeria/Libya) — Best World Music Album – 2012
Burna Boy (Nigeria) — Best Global Music Album – 2021
Black Coffee (South Africa) – Best Dance/ Electronic Album — 2022

The development raises questions regarding the parameters used by the Grammys to make the list.

However, while clarifying Wizkid and Burna Boy’s Grammy status, the award organisers wrote: “Femi Kuti, King Sunny Adé, Babatunde Olatunji, and his rival WizKid had all received GRAMMY nods before Burna Boy became the first Nigerian male artiste to grab a golden gramophone for an original work. The Afrobeats megastar earned the prize for Best World Music Album in 2021 for his album Twice as Tall.”

See reactions below:

Congrats Best Music Video winner - 'BROWN SKIN GIRL' @Beyonce #BlueIvy @wizkidayo ✨ #GRAMMYs

WATCH NOW ⬇️––#GRAMMYPremiere https://t.co/b1dROc2jH3
— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) March 14, 2021

Congrats Best Melodic Rap Performance winner -
"WAIT FOR U" @1future ft. @Drake & @temsbaby #GRAMMYs
🎶 WATCH NOW https://t.co/PMy5r3LaPU pic.twitter.com/GUSnjDI5aB
— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) February 5, 2023

Grammy released a list of African artists who have won the Grammy Award and Wizkid is no where to be found on their list, so na Iron that boy dey flaunt since?😂😂
— David of Fct🌝 (@Dhavidote) January 29, 2024

So wizkid and tems no get Grammy ?😭
Life go tough for all fc gan oo😂 pic.twitter.com/k1vzcQosmp
— B H A D M A N 🦈 (@JamesLo80042146) January 29, 2024

Wizkid and Tems no get Grammy 🤌😂

What a great time to be alive 🔥🔥🔥🔥
— big muller (@mullerricchmind) January 29, 2024

No Wizkid,,,,, No Tems,,,, Lmao 😂
In the just listed African Grammy winners

When we say those two are built on other people's success known as Gumbody,, Dem go think say we dey hate,,lol 😂

Grammy just clarified us now
Wizkid FC know your place from Now on till Sunday 👍👍
— Big SAM 💦 (@Sammyschisom) January 29, 2024