The 2025 Grammy Awards nominations have highlighted Nigerian artists and the soaring popularity of Afrobeats, with several prominent musicians from Nigeria landing major nominations across key categories. This year marks the second consecutive appearance of the Best African Music Performance category, underscoring the genre’s rise on the global stage.
Leading the nominations, Burna Boy, a Grammy veteran, earned a nod in Best African Music Performance for his track “Higher” from the album I Told Them, solidifying his influence within the genre. Rising star Asake also secured a nomination alongside Wizkid for their collaborative track “MMS,” a blend of classic Afrobeat and contemporary sounds.
Davido joined the nominees with a feature on Chris Brown’s “Sensational,” marking his second Grammy nod in Best African Music Performance, and Lojay, another fast-rising star, earned his first Grammy nomination with the same song. Yemi Alade also celebrated her first solo Grammy nomination for “Tomorrow” in the same category, while Tems led with three nominations across multiple genres, including Best African Music Performance for “Love Me Jeje,” Best Global Music Album for Born in the Wild, and Best R&B Song for “Burning.” This triple nod makes her the only African artist nominated in different Grammy categories this year.
Other Nigerian nominees include Rema, who received a nomination for Best Global Music Album for HEIS, joining an impressive international roster in this category.
The full list of nominees in key categories featuring Nigerian artists includes:
Best African Music Performance
- Asake & Wizkid – “MMS”
- Burna Boy – “Higher”
- Chris Brown – “Sensational” Featuring Davido & Lojay
- Tems – “Love Me Jeje”
- Yemi Alade – “Tomorrow”
Best Global Music Album
- Antonio Rey – Historias de un Flamenco
- Ciro Hurtado – Paisajes
- Matt B & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – Alkebulan II
- Rema – Heis
- Tems – Born in the Wild
Best R&B Song
- “After Hours” – Kehlani
- “Burning” – Tems
- “Here We Go (Uh Oh)” – Coco Jones
- “Ruined Me” – Muni Long
- “Saturn” – SZA
With these nominations, Nigerian artists continue to shape the music landscape and expand Afrobeats’ reach worldwide. The 2025 Grammy Awards will be closely watched as these artists bring African music further into the global spotlight.