Afrobeats and the Grammys at Nigeria Music Week
During the pandemic the world went remote and with this came an opportunity to connect across distances without a feeling of exclusion for not being able to be present. Nigeria Music Week was a success with the first ever addition of a representative from the Recording Academy, the organization that produces the GRAMMY AWARDS.
Afrobeats and GRAMMY Potential
It is time for the new wave of African artists to receive their roses.
Before short form video on social media, and youtube led discovery and distribution of music at a global scale, there were only compilation led ‘world music’ notions in the US and Western Europe of what was happening musically in Africa. The term ‘world music’ was synonymous with folkloric, ethnic, roots etc. (cringe)
Fast forward and you have viral dance challenges, and sub saharan African artists reaching 1 billion youtube streams. This is a sign that young people are using tools in their pocket to break through borders and distances.
It was a journey to introduce Afrobeats to the GRAMMYs by partnering with countless artists, labels, and agencies across the popular African music scene. This includes many of the top Nigerian artists such as Yemi Alade, Burna Boy, Rema, Niniola, Adekunle Gold, and others.
In this panel I outlined the power of community in the industry and how trends such as short form video trends, youtube, and streaming numbers were all the evidence they needed to prove to executives and GRAMMY Voters that their music was on the verge of global domination. As GRAMMY Award Managers we often get asked, “how do I win a GRAMMY?” and the answer is simple, your music needs to be recognized by your peers in the organization. This is why its important for African recording artists to apply for membership, submit their music, and not stay quiet about it.