Each year, either the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences or the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences bestows a Grammy award in the United States. Its primary purpose is to recognize outstanding works in the global music industry.
Here’s a list of some of the Nigerian artistes who have won the Grammys are:
1. Sade Adu
Helen Folasade Adu, popularly known as Sade Adu, is a Nigerian-born British singer and songwriter who has won a Grammy award.
Sade is one of the most successful British female artists in history, and her influence on contemporary music is widely acknowledged.
She is the first artist of Nigerian descent to win a Grammy. Her first Grammy was for “Best New Artist” in 1986, and her second was for “No Ordinary Love” in 1994, for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals.
She won her third Grammy in 2002 for “Lovers Rock” in the Best Pop Vocal Album category, and her fourth in 2011 for “Soldier of Love” in the Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals category.
2. Burna Boy
Another Grammy winner is Nigerian singer Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, better known as Burnaboy.
He rose to prominence in 2012 with the release of ‘Like to Party,’ the lead single from his debut studio album L.I.F.E.
His ‘Twice as Tall’ album won Best World Music Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.
3. Seal
Another Nigerian Grammy winner is Henry Olusegun Adeola Samuel, a Nigerian-British singer and songwriter better known as Seal.
With hit songs like ‘Crazy’ and ‘Killer,’ he has sold over 20 million records worldwide. He was also known for his hit song ‘Kiss from a Rose,’ which was released in 1994.
Seal has 14 Grammy nominations and four wins to his name. In 1996, he won three Grammys for his song “Kiss From A Rose,” and in 2011, he won his fourth for “Imagine.”
4. Kelvin Olusola
Kevin Olusola is a musician, beatboxer, cellist, rapper, record producer, singer, and songwriter from Nigeria.
He is best known for his work as the beatboxer for the vocal group Pentatonix.
Pentatonix, Olusola’s musical group, won the Grammy Award three times.
Pentatonix won a Grammy in the Best Arrangement, Instrumental or Acappella category in February 2015 for their song ‘Daft Punk,’ a medley of Daft Punk songs. Pentatonix won a Grammy in the same category in February 2016, this time for Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from their “That’s Christmas to Me” album.
Pentatonix won a Grammy in the “Best Country Duo/Group Performance” category in February 2017 for “Jolene,” which featured Dolly Parton.
5. Wizkid
Wizkid, the iconic singer and songwriter Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, won his first Grammy award after appearing in Beyoncé’s Brown Skin Girl video.
They won the Grammy Award for Best Music Video in 2021.
6. Cynthia Erivio
Born January 8, 1987, Cynthia Oniedin Manas China Saoku Uerivo is a Nigerian English actress and singer-songwriter best known for her success as a serie in the color purple revival on Broadway.
She won the 2017 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.
7. Chamillionaire
Nigerian-American rapper Hakim Temidayo Seriki, also known as Chamillionaire, is another Grammy-winning star.
He won the 2007 Grammy Award for his song “Riddin” in the category “Best rap performance by duo or group”.
8. Lekan Babalola
Lekan Babalola is a Nigerian jazz percussionist and musician born in Lagos, Nigeria, and began playing conga from an early age. He has seven albums and two Grammy Awards in his name.
In 2006, he won a Grammy for his work “In the Center of the Moon” by Ali Farka Toure and was credited on three tracks.
He also won his second Grammy Award in 2009 for the work of Cassandra Wilson’s 2008 album “Lavary”.
9. Sikiru Adepoju
Another Nigerian Grammy Award winner is Sikir Adepoju. He is a Nigerian percussionist and recording artist specializing in traditional African music and world music. He also plays a variety of instruments and styles.
He won the first Grammy Award in 1991 as part of Mickey Hart’s group Planet Drum. The group’s title album won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album. This is the first time I have won a Grammy Award in this category.
He won again on February 8, 2009 as part of Mickey Heart’s latest group, the Global Drum Project. The title album won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.