It’s official — Africa’s rhythm still pulses through the world’s biggest stage. The Recording Academy has announced the nominees for the 2026 Grammy Awards, and once again, the continent’s stars are rewriting what global pop sounds like.
Burna Boy, Davido, Ayra Starr, and Tyla—four names that continue to shape the cultural lexicon of modern music—stand tall among this year’s nominees. What began as a wave has become a tide, a movement too expansive to ignore. Afrobeats, Amapiano, and everything in between have crossed oceans, bent genres, and softened even the most rigid industry borders.
Leading the charge, Burna Boy proves once more that consistency is its own kind of revolution. His song “Love” earns a nod for Best African Music Performance, while his album No Sign of Weakness lands in the Best Global Music Album category—his seventh consecutive Grammy nomination since 2020. It’s less about dominance now, more about legacy.
Davido, too, returns to the fold, his collaboration “With You” featuring Omah Lay securing a spot in the Best African Music Performance category. What once felt like a local triumph now reads as a universal anthem—a love song that travels easily across languages and time zones.
Meanwhile, Ayra Starr, the genre’s poster girl for Gen Z soul and sonic glitter, earns her place with “Gimme Dat” alongside Wizkid, a track that’s been impossible to escape on dance floors from Lagos to Lisbon. South Africa’s Tyla, still fresh from the global success of “Water,” lands another nomination for “Push 2 Start.” She’s proof that lightning can, in fact, strike twice—especially when it’s powered by rhythm and reinvention.
Uganda’s Eddy Kenzo and Mehran Matin also make the list with Hope & Love, while Beninese legend Angélique Kidjo continues her quiet reign with “Jerusalem,” reminding everyone that African music is not a trend—it’s the root.
The 68th Annual Grammy Awards will take place on February 1, 2026, at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena, airing on CBS and streaming worldwide on Paramount+.
Below, a list of the major category 2026 Grammy nominees:
Best African Music Performance
- Love – Burna Boy
- With You – Davido featuring Omah Lay
- Hope & Love – Eddy Kenzo & Mehran Matin
- Gimme Dat – Ayra Starr Featuring Wizkid
- PUSH 2 START – Tyla
Best Global Music Album
- Sounds Of Kumbha – Siddhant Bhatia
- No Sign of Weakness – Burna Boy
- Eclairer le monde – Light the World – Youssou N’Dour
- Mind Explosion – Shakti
- Chapter III: We Return To Light – Anoushka Shankar Featuring Alam Khan & Sarathy Korwar
- Caetano e Bethânia Ao Vivo – Caetano Veloso And Maria Bethânia
Best Global Music Performance
- EoO – Bad Bunny
- Cantando en el Camino – Ciro Hurtado
- JERUSALEMA – Angélique Kidjo
- Inmigrante Y Que? – Yeisy Rojas
- Shrini’s Dream – Shakti
- Daybreak – Anoushka Shankar Featuring Alam Khan & Sarathy Korwar