Nigeria’s top music stars Burna Boy, Davido, Omah Lay, Ayra Starr, and Wizkid have earned major nominations for the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, reaffirming the country’s position as a global music powerhouse.
The Recording Academy unveiled the full list of nominees on Friday ahead of the ceremony set for Sunday, February 1, 2026, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The awards will honour recordings released between August 31, 2024, and August 30, 2025.
Burna Boy leads the pack of African nominees with two nods: Best African Music Performance for his single Love and Best Global Music Album for No Sign of Weakness. The feat makes him the most nominated African artist this year and reinforces his standing as one of the continent’s most accomplished global acts.
Davido and Omah Lay secured a joint nomination in the Best African Music Performance category for their hit collaboration With You, while Ayra Starr and Wizkid earned a spot with Gimme Dat. With three out of five nominees from Nigeria in that category, the country’s dominance in Afrobeats and global pop culture remains unmistakable.
Other African nominees include Benin’s Angélique Kidjo, Uganda’s Eddy Kenzo, South Africa’s Tyla, and Senegalese legend Youssou N’Dour — all recognized for their influential contributions to African and world music.
Beyond the continent, American rapper Kendrick Lamar leads the nominations with nine, followed by Lady Gaga with seven, including a nod for Album of the Year for Mayhem.
This year’s Grammy ceremony introduces two new categories Best Traditional Country Album and Best Album Cover in line with the Recording Academy’s commitment to promoting diversity and creative innovation across genres.
Major Categories and Nominees
Best African Music Performance
- Love – Burna Boy
- With You – Davido ft. Omah Lay
- Hope & Love – Eddy Kenzo & Mehran Matin
- Gimme Dat – Ayra Starr ft. Wizkid
- PUSH 2 START – Tyla
Best Global Music Album
- No Sign of Weakness – Burna Boy
- Sounds Of Kumbha – Siddhant Bhatia
- Éclairer le monde (Light the World) – Youssou N’Dour
- Mind Explosion – Shakti
- Chapter III: We Return To Light – Anoushka Shankar ft. Alam Khan & Sarathy Korwar
- Caetano e Bethânia Ao Vivo – Caetano Veloso & Maria Bethânia
Album of the Year
- Debí Tirar Más Fotos – Bad Bunny
- Swag – Justin Bieber
- Man’s Best Friend – Sabrina Carpenter
- Let God Sort Em Out – Clipse
- Mayhem – Lady Gaga
- GNX – Kendrick Lamar
- Mutt – Leon Thomas
- Chromakopia – Tyler, the Creator
Record of the Year
- DtMF – Bad Bunny
- Manchild – Sabrina Carpenter
- Anxiety – Doechii
- Wildflower – Billie Eilish
- Abracadabra – Lady Gaga
- Luther – Kendrick Lamar ft. SZA
- The Subway – Chappell Roan
- APT – Rosé & Bruno Mars
Best New Artist
- Olivia Dean
- Katseye
- The Marias
- Addison Rae
- Sombr
- Leon Thomas
- Alex Warren
- Lola Young
According to the Recording Academy, the 2026 nominations celebrate “artistic excellence, innovation, and impact across the evolving global music landscape.”
With Afrobeats now a central influence in contemporary pop and world music, Nigeria’s strong representation at the Grammys highlights the genre’s sustained global rise and cultural significance.
The 68th Annual Grammy Awards will air live from Los Angeles, celebrating musical excellence, diversity, and creativity across the world’s most prestigious stage.
