Every November, the Grammy nominations arrive like an annual pulse check for global music. It’s not just about trophies anymore, it’s about who’s being seen, who’s being heard, and who’s still fighting for recognition. This year’s 68th Grammy nominations were no different, especially for Afrobeats a genre that continues to stretch beyond borders but still struggles for full acknowledgment on the world’s biggest music stage.

When the Recording Academy unveiled the 2026 nominations on November 7, the global category list revealed both progress and disappointment. The Best African Music Performance category, now in its third year, remains a double-edged sword a space that celebrates African sounds yet occasionally boxes them in. Still, it was a strong showing: Burna Boy, Davido, Ayra Starr, Wizkid, and Tyla all earned nominations, representing the breadth of today’s Afrobeats and its pop, R&B, and amapiano influences.

The Recognized: Progress Worth Celebrating

Burna Boy’s nomination for “Love” feels like a given at this point. He’s the genre’s most consistent Grammy figure, balancing global acclaim with homegrown credibility. Each year, Burna seems to re-enter the Grammy conversation as both pioneer and standard-bearer. Davido’s “With You,” featuring Omah Lay, also earned a nod a track that perfectly merges pop precision with emotional depth. It’s a reminder that Afrobeats isn’t just about rhythm; it’s about resonance.

Ayra Starr’s Gimme Dat, featuring Wizkid, rounds out the heavy hitters in the category and it’s arguably the most exciting nomination. It symbolizes the genre’s generational shift: younger artists not only sustaining but redefining the Afrobeats narrative. Wizkid’s appearance here also reinforces his quiet influence less flashy lately, but still omnipresent in shaping Afrobeats’ global evolution. Tyla’s “Push 2 Start” also continues her remarkable ascent as a South African pop-R&B hybrid artist who bridges Afrobeats and amapiano effortlessly.

These names underline an important point; African artists are no longer merely guests in the global conversation; they are shaping it. The nominations affirm how mainstream Afrobeats has become, with its stars now regulars at international award tables. Yet, as the applause rings, the silence around certain names is equally deafening.

The Snubbed: Who’s Missing and Why It Matters

Every award season brings heartbreak, but for Afrobeats, this year’s omissions hit deeper. One of the most surprising snubs is Asake, whose 2025 run was nothing short of dominant. His album Work of Art continued to redefine the sonic boundaries of street-inspired Afrobeats. With streaming numbers in the hundreds of millions and undeniable cultural impact, many fans believed his name was a lock for either Best African Music Performance or Global Music Album. Yet, he’s nowhere on the list.

Shallipopi’s Laho was another shocking snub, after the nonstop waves Laho pulled globally, fans and even music executives expected to see the song get a nomination.

Another noticeable absence is Rema. Coming off the massive success of Calm Down and its global crossover momentum, Rema’s continued growth this year with tracks that blurred Afropop, dance, and R&B deserved more recognition. His exclusion from both African and general categories raises a question: is the Recording Academy truly catching up with Afrobeats’ global evolution, or still playing it safe?

Fans also pointed out omissions from Ghana and East Africa, where acts like King Promise, Amaarae, and Diamond Platnumz delivered projects that deserved at least consideration. The imbalance reveals a persistent issue Afrobeats’ recognition often revolves around a handful of Nigerian megastars, leaving equally innovative artists from other regions of Africa underrepresented.

The Bigger Picture: Progress With Limits

To be fair, the Grammys are showing more openness than ever. The Best African Music Performance category didn’t exist five years ago. Yet, while the inclusion is progress, it also confines. Many fans feel that African artists are still being placed in “global” or “regional” boxes rather than being allowed to compete in mainstream pop, R&B, or rap categories genres their music already dominates on global charts.

The issue isn’t about validation but visibility. When artists like Burna Boy or Tems break through to the general categories, it sends a message: African music isn’t niche; it’s global. But when others remain isolated in one or two limited slots, the global diversity of the sound isn’t reflected. The snubs aren’t merely oversights they show how institutional systems still struggle to understand Africa’s creative complexity.

Another factor often overlooked is the submission strategy. Grammy nominations are heavily influenced by how labels and teams submit their work. Many African acts, particularly independent or emerging ones, still lack the infrastructure or campaign know-how to navigate the Grammy system effectively. It’s a gap that speaks less to talent and more to access.

Lessons

At its core, the Grammy conversation isn’t about awards it’s about acknowledgment and influence. Afrobeats no longer needs validation from Western institutions to prove its worth, but recognition still matters for what it symbolizes. The genre’s global spread from Lagos to London, Johannesburg to New York thrives on visibility. Every nomination is a doorway; every snub, a mirror showing what must still change.

If there’s one takeaway from this year’s list, it’s that Afrobeats has entered a new era: one where its victories and omissions both speak volumes. Artists like Burna Boy, Davido, and Ayra Starr are carrying the torch brilliantly, but the next challenge is ensuring the light spreads beyond the few to the many.

The Grammys are evolving, slowly but surely. But for Afrobeats, evolution isn’t enough revolution is the goal. Until then, we celebrate the wins, call out the gaps, and keep pushing for a world where African music is recognized not for fitting into global categories, but for defining them.