10 Nigerian Albums That Have Received Grammy Award Nominations

Here we deliver 10 Nigerian and African artists that have received Grammy award nominations and recognition....CONTINUE READING>>>

The consistent thing since the early days of the Afrobeat, Juju and other creative sounds.

As hard as it may seem to believe, we have had over 10 albums from creative Nigerian artists all receive Grammy Award nominations.

The question many might have at the back of their minds would be what albums and which Nigerian artists have received the Recording Academy nods before the Burna Boy, Wizkid and Tems era. This is why Trackloaded compiled a complete list of 10 out of the different Nigerian albums that have received Grammy award nominations.

Which Nigerian Album Has Received A Grammy Award Nomination?

1. ‘Legacy +’ by Femi Kuti And Made Kuti

The list would not be complete without mentioning an Afrobeat legend. Femi Kuti has one of the highest Grammy nominations for an African, as the legend has received a nod from the Recording Academy six times for the prestigious Grammy Award. Although he has won none yet, the consistent nominations show the Academy’s appreciation for his art. Here are his albums that have been nominated: ‘Legacy + (2021)’ Fight To Win (2003), Day By Day (2010), Africa for Africa (2012), No Place For My Dream (2014), and others.

His latest nomination with the ‘Legacy+’ double album with his son Made Kuti comprises Femi Kuti’s Stop the Hate and Made Kuti’s For(e)ward.

‘Legacy +’ was produced by Sodi Marciszewer, who had worked with the legend Fela Kuti and was released under Partisan Records. 

2. ‘Made In Lagos’ by Wizkid

Starboy, Wizkid, has two Grammy nominations with the album “Made In Lagos” for the upcoming award ceremony on April 4, 2022. Starboy received a nod for the categories of Best Global Music Album and Best Global Music Performance for his hit song “Essence” on the “Made In Lagos” album.

The 14 tracks album is Wizkid’s fourth studio album, released on October 30, 2020, by Starboy Entertainment and RCA Records. The album features major acts in the music industry, from Burna Boy, Skepta, H.E.R., Ella Mai, Tay Iwar, Projexx, Tems, Damian Marley, and Terri.

Wizkid is a Grammy award winner in the Best Video category for his international collaboration with Beyonce on “Brown Skin Girl.”

3. ‘Twice As Tall’ by Burna Boy

Burna Boy has bagged two nominations with his album twice for the Grammy Awards. The albums “African Giant” and “Twice as Tall” have both received the nod from the Recording Academy and bagged a nomination for the prestigious award.

The talented musician has bagged an award for the Best World Music Album with the album “Twice as Tall” in 2021. ‘Twice as Tall’ is Burna Boy’s fifth studio album, released on August 14, 2020, by Spaceship Entertainment, Bad Habit, Atlantic Records and Warner Music.

The 14-tracks album had major collaborations with acts like Chris Martin of Coldplay, the legend Youssou N’Dour, Anthony Criss, Michael Omari, and several other heavyweights in the music industry.

4. ‘Love Drum Talk’ by Babatunde Olatunji 

Babatunde has received a Grammy nomination once with his album, “Love Drum Talk,” released on September 23, 1997, under Chesky Records. The 9 tracks classic album was Babatunde Olatunji’s last commercial release and was nominated by the Recording Academy for 1998, the Grammy award for Best World Music Album. Babatunde, however, has won once at the Grammy Awards with Mickey Hart’s album “Planet Drums” for Best World Music Album.

5. ‘Odu’ by King Sunny Ade 

King Sunny Ade is one of the most influential Juju musicians in Nigeria. He has been nominated twice for the Grammy Awards for two different albums. He was nominated for the Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk Recording for the album “Syncro System” in 1984 and Best World Music Album for “ODU” in 1999. Although he has won none of the categories, his impact by being one of the first artists to get nominated makes his achievement stand out.

Atlantic Records released the studio album “Odu” in 1998. It is an 11-track album that Andrew Frankel produced.

6. ‘Black Times’ by Seun Kuti And Egypt 80

‘Black Times,’ by Seun Kuti and the Egypt 80 band, received a Grammy Award nomination in 2018 in the World Music Category. ‘The artist released as a CD Album black Times,’ which Strut Records produced in 2018 himself. The creative artist became the second son of the Afrobeat giant Fela Kuti to bag a nomination at the prestigious Grammy Awards.

7. ‘No Place For My Dream’ By Femi Kuti

The instrumental rich afrobeat project from Femi Kuti, released on the 25th of June 2013, received the third grammy awards nod from the recording academy in the Best Global Music Album category for the prestigious award in 2014.

8. ‘African Giant’ By Burna Boy

Released in 2019, the African Giant by Burna Boy became the project to bag the talented singer his first Grammy Award nomination. Rich in the diversity of sound and also an impressive list of features, the ‘African Giant’ became that album that shredded more light on the diversity of the afrobeats sounds during the lockdown period.

9. Africa for Africa By Femi Kuti

The classic Afrobeat album rich in originality and diverse in sound, ‘Africa for Africa’ by Femi Kuti, which was released in 2010, received a Grammy award nomination in 2012 in the Best Global Music Album category of the Grammy awards. This became Femi Kuti’s second nomination in this category.

10. ‘Love Damini’ By Burna Boy

The announcement 0of the nominees for the 65th edition of the Grammy Awards saw Burna Boy pick up three album nominations at the prestigious awards. His 2022 project, which had many excited about its originality and creativity, ‘Love Damini, ‘ picked up a nomination in the Best World Albums category. The lead song off the project ‘Last Last’ took the world by storm and set numerous records. It also bagged his second Grammy Awards 2023 nomination in Best World Song Performance as well.