Grammy wins have become one of those things that truly have become important to shaping the African music scene. This wasn’t always the case. When we listened to Faze’s Kolomental, we weren’t thinking, “he was a shoo-in for the Grammys,” even though I think he should have been — that was an absolute banger! However, that has changed. It seems like this decade everyone cares about who walks away with a statue on Music’s Biggest Night, and it seems like having that win transforms your song from just another hit to the definitive song of the genre, category, or year.
The Grammys introduced the Best African Music Performance category in 2024, and since then, the chances of African artists winning a Grammy have increased several times over. While many African artists have won Grammys and continue to win Grammys outside this category, it has definitely created a seat at the table.
With dozens of Grammy wins now accorded to African performers from categories like Best Folk Recording to Global Music to Gospel Music, it is hard to truly rank all these artists and their well-deserved wins, so instead we have picked seven that stand out and will attempt to rank them in descending order.
Fela Kuti’s Posthumous Win
The only reason this win is not higher is because it is a posthumous win. Although I doubt Fela would have given that much weight to something like the Grammys if he was alive, Fela deserves to have been alive and walk across the stage to receive a Grammy that he would have no doubt deserved. In 2022, The KutiMangoes 2 won Best Global Music Album, earning Fela Kuti a posthumous Grammy credit as a featured artist. Still, it is a great win that we celebrate.
Tyla’s Best African Music Performance Win
Tyla’s win for Best African Music Performance is the win that truly christened the then newly minted category, and it was a truly deserved one. Not only was “Water” the biggest Billboard hit in its category, peaking at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, but the song truly was everywhere. Dominating social media, especially TikTok, where you couldn’t go ten minutes without hearing it play, becoming a US radio smash hit, and of course inspiring waistlines to move like they hadn’t before. Tyla’s win also served to push amapiano further into the mainstream and helped show that African music isn’t just Afrobeats.
Tems’ “Wait For U” Win
Image Credit: Scott Dudelson/Getty Images For Coachella
Tems’ win for “Wait For U” was satisfying in so many ways. Not only had she earned her first No. 1 with “Wait For U,” alongside Future and Drake — already a super rare feat for an African and Nigerian artist — but Tems wowed everyone by winning a Grammy not in the African performance category but in the Melodic Rap Performance category. It’s an accomplishment that cannot be overemphasized.
Burna Boy’s Win for Twice As Tall
Is it wrong to credit Burna Boy for making us all care about Grammy wins the way we do now? I don’t think it is. Burna Boy’s frustrations over not winning a Grammy for African Giant, and the response from Nigerians who agreed with him, didn’t just lead to the creation of what some consider his magnum opus, Twice As Tall, but it led to him actually winning a Grammy. Of course, it influenced so many other artists to start making albums that could be up for Grammy consideration, and it made so many casual listeners start using Grammy wins as a yardstick for Afrobeats albums. Easily one of the most impactful Grammy wins of the decade.
Sade’s Best New Artist Win
Sade’s win for Best New Artist is perhaps the only win by an African-born artist in one of the Big Four categories. The Nigerian-British frontwoman and vocalist of the same-named band became a global sensation after the band’s debut album launched them to superstardom, helping them snag the Best New Artist Grammy in 1986, making Sade the first Nigerian to ever win a Grammy. Since then, Sade has established her voice as one of the most distinct and coolest ever to come out of the industry. I mean, just hear her voice where it is sampled on Rema’s “Is It A Crime?” Historic!
Angélique Kidjo’s First Grammy Win for Djin Djin
Popularly known as Mama Africa, Angélique Kidjo holds the record for the most Grammy wins by any African artist, with five. But like they say, you never forget your first. In 2008, Angélique Kidjo won Best Contemporary World Music Album for Djin Djin, kickstarting a storied legacy of wins that would shape the generations after her forever and ever.
Miriam Makeba Winning Best Folk Recording with Harry Belafonte for An Evening With Belafonte/Makeba (1966)
Let’s take it all the way to the beginning, to the very first Grammy win by an African artist. It might be a pleasant surprise for you to find out that the first Grammy win by an African wasn’t in a category like World Music but rather in a category that these days seems white-led. South African artist, activist, and all-round icon Miriam Makeba won the Grammy for Best Folk Recording for her collaboration with Harry Belafonte, An Evening With Belafonte/Makeba, at the 1966 Grammy Awards. Not only did it showcase African excellence in music but the versatility too. It is on her win that the seed of possibilities for many artists after her was planted.
