The organization behind the prestigious Grammy Awards, the Recording Academy, is expanding its reach to assist music creators in Africa. They’ve announced agreements with cultural ministries and influential people in the music industry not only across Africa but also the Middle East.
“The Recording Academy is working with the Ministries of Culture in Kenya, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and Nigeria, the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi for the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), and the Ministry of Sports, Arts and Culture in South Africa. Additionally, MOUs have been signed with Ghana and the Ivory Coast,” the organisation wrote on the official Grammy Awards website.
The move is seen as a nod to the growing influence of African music across the globe. Going forth, the Academy will work with partners to further grow Africa’s music. The Academy will explore several key initiatives, including, online training of creators via the online learning platform, GRAMMY GO.
Secondly, the Recording Academy will help create content that showcases the established musical traditions and exciting new sounds coming out of Africa and the Middle East. This will also involve fostering cross-cultural exchanges among all music creators.
The collaboration will involve the Academy advocating for strong intellectual property (IP) laws to protect musicians in region. Lastly, the Academy will work with partners to develop and strengthen the music industry in Africa and the Middle East, ultimately boosting the overall music economy.
As a cornerstone of this initiative, the Recording Academy will publish a series of reports, highlighting the Academy’s research and insights into these music markets
In the past two years, the Grammys top brass, including CEO Harvey Mason Jr. and President Panos A. Panay, have been crisscrossing Africa and the Middle East. They’ve attended listening sessions, high-level briefings, and tours. Through these experiences, they’ve gained insights from both government ministries and the innovative music creators driving the music industry.
Capital of the African Grammy Awards
Earlier in the year, US ambassador to Kenya Margaret ‘Meg’ Whitman said she would be vouching for Kenya to be made the capital of the African Grammy Awards. Whitman said that four African countries that have been proposed for one to be made the headquarters of the African Grammy’s. She stated she would throw her weight behind Kenya.
Last year, the Recording Academy announced plans for future Grammy-related events in Africa. They chose five key cities to serve as regional hubs: Abidjan, Lagos, Nairobi, Johannesburg, and Kigali.
Africans to Have won The Grammy Awards
The first Grammy Awards, honoring musical excellence, took place in 1959. Since then a handful of Africans have won the Grammys, an award that favours artists in the west. South African Miriam Makeba was the first African winner in 1966. She won Best Folk Record for her collaboration with Harry Belafonte.
Sade, a Nigerian British singer, became the second African winner. He was awarded the Grammy for Best New Artist in 1986. This came two decades after the continent celebrated its inaugural award. Africa did not have to wait long for its third award. Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a male choir from South Africa, won Best Traditional Folk Recording in 1988. Their success continued, as they would go on to win four more Grammys, bringing their total nominations to an impressive 17.
Ali Farka Touré, a musical treasure from Mali, got his at the 37th Grammy Awards in 1994, winning Best World Music Album. His talent continued to shine, earning him two more Grammy wins throughout his career, bringing his total nominations to five. Cesária Évora from the island nation of Cape Verde was awarded the Best Contemporary World Music Album in 2004. Senegalese singer Youssou N’Dour, took home the same award a year later at the 47th Grammy Awards in 2005.
Lady Gaga’s rise was aided by the Moroccan-born producer RedOne. He’s the mastermind behind some of her biggest hits, including “Poker Face.” This track, along with the entire album it belonged to, “The Fame,” earned RedOne a Grammy for Best Dance/Electronic Album in 2010.
In 2012, at the 54th Grammys, the band known as Tinariwen won the award for World Music Album. The group of musicians is composed of members hailing from Mali, Algeria and Libya. South African flautist Wouter Kellerman is a two-time Grammy winner, with his first award coming in 2015 for Best New Age Album. He picked up his second in 2023 for the Best Global Music Performance category.
Five Time Winner Kidjo
Angélique Kidjo from Benin has five Grammy wins. She won her first in 2008 and has 14 nominations. Nigerian Afrobeats star Burna Boy, has one grammy award and 10 nominations to his name. Another Nigerian Afrobeats star WizKid has a Grammy award in the Best Music Video category. He was awarded for his collaboration on the track “Brown Skin Girl” with Beyoncé and Blue Ivy at the 63rd Grammys in 2021.
The South African DJ and producer known as Black Coffee took home the Best Dance/Electronic Album award in 2022. Nigerian singer-songwriter Tems has one Grammy win and five nominations, including a recent nod for Best Song Written for Visual Media in 2024 for her work on “Lift Me Up” from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” This song also garnered her an Oscar nomination in 2023. South African Singer Tyla Won the inaugural Best African Music Performance Grammy award.
