The nominees for the 65th annual Grammy Awards were announced on Tuesday (November 15) ahead of the presentation ceremony scheduled for February 2023.
African artists: Ghanaian musician and activist Rocky Dawuni, Beninese singer-songwriter Angélique Kidjo, Nigerian Afrobeats star Burna Boy, Uganda’s Eddy Kenzo, and South Africa’s Wouter Kellerman, as well as Zakes Bantwini and Nomcebo Zikode are up for honors after scoring nominations ahead of next year’s music’s biggest night.
Burna Boy and Angélique Kidjo were nominated for Best Global Music Album for their respective LPs from 2022, “Love, Damini,” and “Queen of Sheeba.” The latter is also up for the Best Song Written for Visual Media category, while the former’s commercial success “Last Last” is also nominated for the Best Global Music Performance category, which is keenly contested by 3-time Grammy-nominated artists Rocky Dawuni, Eddy Kenzo, Wouter Kellerman, Zakes Bantwini, and Nomcebo Zikode.
Nigerian singer Tems is up for a double after being nominated for Best Melodic Rap Performance and Best Rap Song for her appearance and participation on Future and Drake’s “Wait For U.”
Angelique Kidjo won her fifth GRAMMYs at the 64th edition held early this year after beating Rocky Dawuni’s Voice Of Bunbon, Vol. 1, Daniel Ho & Friends’ East West Players Presents: Daniel Ho & Friends Live In Concert, Femi Kuti And Made Kuti’s Legacy +, and WizKid’s Made In Lagos: Deluxe Edition to win the Best Global Music Album for her album “Mother Nature.”
Nigerian powerhouse Burna Boy took home Best Global Music Album at the premiere ceremony of the 63rd GRAMMY Awards. The win marked his first career GRAMMY win after receiving four successive nominations since 2019.
The music industry’s highest honor, presented by the Recording Academy, honours “artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position.”
The 2023 GRAMMYs, officially known as the 65th GRAMMY Awards, will air live on Sunday, Feb. 5, from Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena, and it will broadcast live on the CBS Television Network and stream live and on-demand on Paramount+ at 8-11:30 p.m. ET / 5-8:30 p.m. PT+. The special ceremony’s broadcast time, hosts, presenters, and performers will be announced soon.