The rapper took home five awards, including record of the year for Luther, a duet with SZA, and best rap album for GNX.

But he was pipped to the night’s biggest prize – album of the year – by Puerto Rican star Bad Bunny.

Here’s a list of everyone who won, and who was nominated, in the main categories.

The “big four” awards

Song of the year

• Winner: Billie Eilish – Wildflower
• Lady Gaga – Abracadabra
• Doechii – Anxiety
• Rosé & Bruno Mars – APT
• Bad Bunny – DtMF
• Hunter/x – Golden
• Kendrick Lamar feat SZA – Luther
• Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild

Record of the year

• Winner: Kendrick Lamar feat SZA – Luther
• Bad Bunny – DtMF
• Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild
• Doechii – Anxiety
• Billie Eilish – Wildflower
• Lady Gaga – Abracadabra
• Chappell Roan – The Subway
• Rosé & Bruno Mars – APT

Album of the year

• Winner: Bad Bunny – Debí Tirar Más Fotos
• Justin Bieber – Swag
• Sabrina Carpenter – Man’s Best Friend
• Clipse – Let God Sort Em Out
• Lady Gaga – Mayhem
• Kendrick Lamar – GNX
• Leon Thomas – Mutt
• Tyler, the Creator – Chromakopia

Best new artist

• Winner: Olivia Dean
• Katseye
• The Marias
• Addison Rae
• Sombr
• Leon Thomas
• Alex Warren
• Lola Young

Pop and dance

Best pop vocal album

• Winner: Lady Gaga – Mayhem
• Justin Bieber – Swag
• Sabrina Carpenter – Man’s Best Friend
• Miley Cyrus – Something Beautiful
• Teddy Swims – I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy Pt 2

Best pop solo performance

• Winner: Lola Young – Messy
• Justin Bieber – Daisies
• Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild
• Lady Gaga – Disease
• Chappell Roan – The Subway

Best pop duo/group performance

• Winner: Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande – Defying Gravity
• Huntr/x – Golden
• Katseye – Gabriela
• Rosé & Bruno Mars – APT
• SZA With Kendrick Lamar – 30 For 30

Best dance/electronic recording

• Winner: Tame Impala – End Of Summer
• Disclosure & Anderson .Paak – No Cap
• Fred again.., Skepta, & PlaqueBoyMax – Victory Lap
• Kaytranada – Space Invader
• Skrillex – Voltage

Best dance/electronic album

• Winner: FKA Twigs – Eusexua
• Fred again.. – Ten Days
• PinkPantheress – Fancy That
• Rüfüs Du Sol – Inhale / Exhale
• Skrillex – F*** U Skrillex You Think Ur Andy Warhol But Ur Not!! <3

Best dance/pop recording

• Winner: Lady Gaga – Abracadabra
• Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco – Bluest Flame
• Zara Larsson – Midnight Sun
• Tate McRae – Just Keep Watching
• PinkPantheress – Illegal

Best traditional pop vocal album

• Winner: Laufey – A Matter Of Time
• Laila Biali – Wintersongs
• Jennifer Hudson – The Gift Of Love
• Elton John & Brandi Carlile – Who Believes In Angels?
• Lady Gaga – Harlequin
• Barbra Streisand – The Secret Of Life: Partners, Volume 2

Latin

Best Latin pop album

• Winner: Natalia Lafourcade – Cancionera
• Rauw Alejandro – Cosa Nuestra
• Andrés Cepeda – Bogotá (Deluxe)
• Karol G – Tropicoqueta
• Alejandro Sanz – ¿Y ahora qué?

Best música urbana album

• Winner: Bad Bunny – DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS
• J Balvin – Mixteip
• Feid – Ferxxo Vol X: Sagrado
• Nicki Nicole – Naiki
• Trueno – Eub Deluxe
• Yandel – Sinfónico (En Vivo)

Rock and metal

Best rock performance

• Winner: Yungblud ft Nuno Bettencourt, Frank Bello, Adam Wakeman, II – Changes (Live From Villa Park) Back To The Beginning
• Amyl and The Sniffers – U Should Not Be Doing That
• Linkin Park – The Emptiness Machine
• Turnstile – Never Enough
• Hayley Williams – Mirtazapine

Best rock song

• Winner: Nine Inch Nails – As Alive As You Need Me To Be
• Sleep Token – Caramel
• Hayley Williams – Glum
• Turnstile – Never Enough
• Yungblud – Zombie

Best rock album

• Winner: Turnstile – Never Enough
• Deftones – Private Music
• Haim – I Quit
• Linkin Park – From Zero
• Yungblud – Idols

Best alternative music album

• Winner: The Cure – Songs Of A Lost World
• Bon Iver – Sable, Fable
• Tyler, The Creator – Don’t Tap the Glass
• Wet Leg – Moisturizer
• Hayley Williams – Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party

Best alternative music performance

• Winner: The Cure – Alone
• Bon Iver – Everything Is Peaceful Love
• Turnstile – Seein’ Stars
• Wet Leg – Mangetout
• Hayley Williams – Parachute

Best metal performance

• Winner: Turnstile – Birds
• Dream Theater – Night Terror
• Ghost – Lachryma
• Sleep Token – Emergence
• Spiritbox – Soft Spine

Rap

Best rap performance

• Winner: Clipse, Pusha T & Malice feat Kendrick Lamar & Pharrell Williams – Chains & Whips
• Cardi B – Outside
• Doechii – Anxiety
• Kendrick Lamar feat Lefty Gunplay – TV Off
• Tyler, The Creator feat Teezo Touchdown – Darling, I

Best melodic rap performance

• Winner: Kendrick Lamar with SZA – Luther
• Fridayy feat Meek Mill – Proud Of Me
• JID feat Ty Dolla $ign & 6Lack – Wholeheartedly
• Terrace Martin & Kenyon Dixon feat Rapsody – WeMaj
• Partynextdoor & Drake – Somebody Loves Me

Best rap song

• Winner: Kendrick Lamar feat Lefty Gunplay – TV Off
• Doechii – Anxiety
• Clipse, Pusha T & Malice feat John Legend & Voices of Fire – The Birds Don’t Sing
• Tyler, The Creator feat GloRilla, Sexyy Red & Lil Wayne – Sticky
• GloRilla – TGIF

Best rap album

• Winner: Kendrick Lamar – GNX
• Clipse, Pusha T & Malice – Let God Sort Em Out
• GloRilla – Glorious
• JID – God Does Like Ugly
• Tyler, The Creator – Chromakopia

Country

Best country solo performance

• Winner: Chris Stapleton – Bad As I Used To Be
• Tyler Childers – Nose On The Grindstone
• Shaboozey – Good News
• Zach Top – I Never Lie
• Lainey Wilson – Somewhere Over Laredo

Best country duo/group performance

• Shaboozey & Jelly Roll – Amen
• Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton – A Song To Sing
• Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson – Trailblazer
• Margo Price & Tyler Childers – Love Me Like You Used To Do
• George Strait & Chris Stapleton – Honky Tonk Hall Of Fame

Best country song

• Winner: Tyler Childers – Bitin’ List
• Shaboozey – Good News
• Zach Top – I Never Lie
• Lainey Wilson – Somewhere Over Laredo
• Chris Stapleton – A Song To Sing

Best contemporary country album

• Jelly Roll – Beautifully Broken
• Kelsea Ballerini – Patterns
• Tyler Childers – Snipe Hunter
• Eric Church – Evangeline vs The Machine
• Miranda Lambert – Postcards From Texas

R&B and Afrobeats

Best R&B performance

• Winner: Kehlani – Folded
• Justin Bieber – Yukon
• Chris Brown feat Bryson Tiller – It Depends
• Leon Thomas – Mutt (Live From NPR’s Tiny Desk)
• Summer Walker – Heart Of A Woman

Best R&B song

• Winner: Kehlani – Folded
• Summer Walker – Heart Of A Woman
• Chris Brown feat Bryson Tiller – It Depends
• Durand Bernarr – Overqualified
• Leon Thomas – Yes It Is

Best R&B album

• Winner: Leon Thomas – Mutt
• Giveon – Beloved
• Coco Jones – Why Not More?
• Ledisi – The Crown
• Teyana Taylor – Escape Room

Best African music performance

• Winner: Tyla – Push 2 Start
• Burna Boy – Love
• Davido feat Omah Lay – With You
• Eddy Kenzo & Mehran Matin – Hope & Love
• Ayra Starr feat Wizkid – Gimme Dat

Production and songwriting

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical

• Winner: Cirkut (Lady Gaga, Rosé, Jade)
• Dan Auerbach
• Dijon
• Blake Mills
• Sounwave

Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical

• Winner: Amy Allen (Rosé, Jennie, Sabrina Carpenter)
• Edgar Barrera
• Jessie Jo Dillon
• Tobias Jesso Jr
• Laura Veltz

Film and TV

Best comedy album

• Winner: Nate Bargatze – Your Friend, Nate Bargatze
• Bill Burr – Drop Dead Years
• Sarah Silverman – PostMortem
• Ali Wong – Single Lady
• Jamie Foxx – What Had Happened Was

Best compilation soundtrack for visual media

• Winner: Sinners – Various artists
• A Complete Unknown – Timothée Chalamet
• F1 The Album – Various artists
• K-Pop Demon Hunters – Various artists
• Wicked – Various artists

Best score soundtrack for visual media (includes film and televison)

• Winner: Ludwig Göransson – Sinners
• John Powell – How To Train Your Dragon
• Theodore Shapiro – Severance: Season 2
• John Powell & Stephen Schwartz – Wicked
• Kris Bowers – The Wild Robot

Best score soundtrack for video games and other interactive media

• Winner: Austin Wintory – Sword of the Sea
• Pinar Toprak – Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora – Secrets of the Spires
• Wilbert Roget II – Helldivers 2
• Gordy Haab – Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
• Cody Matthew Johnson & Wilbert Roget II – Star Wars Outlaws: Wild Card & A Pirate’s Fortune

Best song written for visual media

• Winner: Huntr/x – Golden (From K-Pop Demon Hunters)
• Nine Inch Nails – As Alive As You Need Me To Be (From Tron: Ares)
• Miles Caton – I Lied To You (From Sinners)
• Elton John & Brandi Carlile – Never Too Late (From Elton John: Never Too Late)
• Jayme Lawson – Pale Pale Moon (From Sinners)
• Rod Wave – Sinners (From Sinners)

Best audiobook narration

• Winner: Dalai Lama – Meditations: The Reflections Of His Holiness The Dalai Lama
• Kathy Garver – Elvis, Rocky & Me: The Carol Connors Story
• Trevor Noah – Into The Uncut Grass
• Ketanji Brown Jackson – Lovely One: A Memoir
• Fab Morvan – You Know It’s True: The Real Story Of Milli Vanilli

Best music video

• Winner: Doechii – Anxiety
• Sade – Young Lion
• Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild
• Clipse – So Be It
• OK Go – Love

Best music film

• Winner: John Williams – Music by John Williams
• Devo – Devo
• Raye – Live at the Albert Hall
• Diane Warren – Relentless
• Pharrell Williams – Piece By Piece

Jazz and classical

Best jazz vocal album

• Winner: Samara Joy – Portrait
• Dee Dee Bridgewater & Bill Charlap – Elemental
• Terri Lyne Carrington & Christie Dashiell – We Insist 2025!
• Michael Mayo – Fly
• Nicole Zuraitis, Dan Pugach, Tom Scott, Idan Morim, Keyon Harrold & Rachel Eckroth – Live at Vic’s Las Vegas

Best jazz instrumental album

• Winner: Sullivan Fortner feat Peter Washington & Marcus Gilmore – Southern Nights
• Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade – Trilogy 3 (Live)
• Branford Marsalis Quartet – Belonging
• John Patitucci feat Chris Potter & Brian Blade – Spirit Fall
• Yellowjackets – Fasten Up

Best alternative jazz album

• Winner: Nate Smith – Live-Action
• Ambrose Akinmusire – Honey from a Winter Stone
• Robert Glasper – Keys To The City Volume One
• Brad Mehldau – Ride Into The Sun
• Immanuel Wilkins – Blues Blood

Best jazz performance

• Winner: Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade – Windows (Live)
• Lakecia Benjamin feat Immanuel Wilkins & Mark Whitfield – Noble Rise
• Samara Joy – Peace Of Mind/Dreams Come True
• Michael Mayo – Four
• Nicole Zuraitis, Dan Pugach, Tom Scott, Idan Morim, Keyon Harrold & Rachel Eckroth – All Stars Lead To You (Live)

Best musical theatre album

• Winner: Buena Vista Social Club
• Death Becomes Her
• Gypsy
• Just In Time
• Maybe Happy Ending

Best opera recording

• Winner: Heggie: Intelligence – Kwamé Ryan, conductor (Houston Grand Opera; Gene Scheer)
• Huang Ruo: An American Soldier – Carolyn Kuan, conductor (American Composers Orchestra; David Henry Hwang)
• Kouyoumdjian – Adoration Alan Pierson, conductor (Silvana Quartet; The Choir Of Trinity Wall Street)
• O’Halloran: Trade & Mary Motorhead – Elaine Kelly (Irish National Opera Orchestra; Mark O’Halloran)
• Tesori: Grounded – Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus; George Brant)

Best orchestral performance

• Winner: Messiaen: Turangalîla-Symphonie – Andris Nelsons, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra)
• Coleridge-Taylor: Toussaint L’Ouverture; Ballade Op. 4; Suites From ’24 Negro Melodies’ – Michael Repper, conductor (National Philharmonic)
• Ravel: Boléro – Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra Of Venezuela)
• Still & Bonds – Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor (The Philadelphia Orchestra)
• Stravinsky: Symphony In Three Movements – Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor (San Francisco Symphony)

Source: BBC

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The post All the winners at the 2026 Grammy Awards appeared first on Frontpageng.

The world of music has honoured a giant: Fela Anikulapo Kuti.

Fela was more than a musician. He was a fearless voice of the people, a philosopher of freedom, and a revolutionary force whose music confronted injustice and reshaped global sound.

In Yoruba mythology, he has transcended to a higher plane as an Orisa. He is now eternal.

His courage, creativity, and conviction defined a generation and continue to inspire the world. In Yoruba mythology, he has transcended to a higher plane as an Orisa. He is now eternal.

Fela Kuti has blazed the trail with the Recording Academy of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award, becoming the first African to receive this honour, though posthumously.  The award is an affirmation of his enduring global influence and the foundational role he has played in the evolution and impact of Africa on modern music.

He defined Afrobeat, and you can hear and see his influence in generations of Nigerian musicians and in Afrobeats and beyond.

Fela lives.

*Tinubu, GCFR, is the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria

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On behalf of the entire nation, President Tinubu commended the singer for her unique artistry, which he said had brought pride to Nigeria on the global stage for the second time.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, said his principal applauded the rise of a new generation of young and multi-talented Nigerian musical artists who had propelled Afrobeats to international prominence, projecting the country’s reputation as a powerhouse of musical innovation, creativity and cultural influence.

“From Africa to Antarctica, Asia to Australia, Europe to the Americas, the Nigerian music industry, particularly, Afrobeats has become a source of national pride, promoting a sense of identity and self-expression while uniting people across borders,” he said.

READ ALSO: Tinubu/El-Rufai: Intrigues, power game ahead of 2027 polls

Onanuga said Tinubu congratulated other Nigerian artists nominated for this year’s Grammy Award: Yemi Alade, Asake, Wizkid, Lojay, Davido, and Burna Boy.

He said the president thanked the patriots for putting Nigeria on the global map of great achievers in the music industry and for showcasing the country’s creative excellence.

“You are all inspiration and role models to many young people. The nation remains deeply grateful for your contributions to music, job creation, and tourism promotion. I wish you all continued success in your musical careers.”

The post Grammy Award: Tinubu celebrates Nigerian music star, Tems appeared first on Frontpageng.

The awards took place at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Tems clinched the award with her love song Love Me Jeje, defeating Tomorrow by Yemi Alade, MMS by Asake featuring Wizkid, Sensational by Chris Brown featuring Davido and Lojay, and Higher by Burna Boy.

Receiving the award, Tems said: “Dear God, thank you so much for putting me on this stage and bringing me this team.”

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She also dedicated the award to her mother.

Tems, 29, now has more Grammy awards than any other Nigerian artiste.

The award marks her second Grammy win.

In 2023, she won the Best Melodic Rap Performance for the song Wait For U with American hip-hop stars Future and Drake.

Source: NAN

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The “Twice As Tall” crooner disclosed this in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Monday.

He wrote: “Album dropping 12AM.”

According to the Afrobeat superstar, the new album will be dropping on July 30.

The announcement came after his recent celebration of the fifth anniversary of his Grammy nominated 2019 album “African Giant”, which he marked with a concert at the kolo Camden, United Kingdom.

The multiple award-winning artiste has continued to make headlines for being at the forefront of exporting Nigerian music with his award-winning albums and historic sold-out concerts.

In 2019, he won the Best International Act at the BET Awards, and was named an Apple Music Up Next artist.

He also released his fourth studio album, African Giant, which went on to win Album of the Year at the All Africa Music Awards.

The album was nominated for Best World Music Album at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards and he clinched  the African Artist of the Year at the 2020 Ghana Music Awards.

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Burna Boy released his fifth studio album, ‘Twice as Tall’, in August 2020, which fetched him the Best World Music Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.

His sixth studio album Love Damini was released in 2022 and became the highest debut of a Nigerian album on the Billboard 200 chart.

Love Damini also became the highest-charting African album in France, the Netherlands and the UK.

In October of same year, Burna Boy was awarded the Member of the Order of the Federal Republic plaque for his achievements in music.

In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked him number 197 on its list of the 200 greatest singers of all time and he won his fourth Best International Act at the BET Awards in 2023, among others.

He made history again when his seventh album, ‘I Told Them’ released in October 2023, earned him nominations for the 2024 Grammys, which became his fourth consecutive album to be nominated for the Grammys.

Source: NAN

The post Burna Boy announces release of new album appeared first on Frontpageng.

The track underscores one of the most emotional moments in the hit movie, as the doll questions her reality.

It also won the Grammy for best song written for visual media at Sunday’s ceremony in Los Angeles.

The other winners included SZA, Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift, who used her speech to announce a new album.

Swift could make history later if she scoops her fourth best album award.

She is currently tied on three wins with Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon and Frank Sinatra.

Eilish beat Swift and other stars including SZA, Cyrus and Olivia Rodrigo to the prize for song of the year, which recognises songwriters.

“Damn, that’s stupid guys,” she remarked to the crowd as she accepted the award with her brother and co-writer Finneas.

“Everybody in this category – that was a crazy list of incredible people, incredible artists, incredible music. I feel crazy right now.”

The Barbie album, which was put together by producer Mark Ronson, also picked up the award for best compilation soundtrack for visual media.

Dua Lipa opened the ceremony with an athletic medley of her songs including her contribution to the Barbie album, Dance the Night, which was also up for song of the year.

R&B star SZA is the show’s leading nominee with nine nods.

For her performance, the singer staged a recreation of the Crazy 88 fight scene from Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill to accompany her song of the same name.

She was joined by a phalanx of sword-wielding female dancers who swiftly dispatched hordes of men in suits – a reference to her song’s comical tale of killing her ex.

The first award of the night went to Miley Cyrus, who picked up best pop vocal performance for her song Flowers.

It was the star’s first Grammy, a fact she noted in her acceptance speech, telling the story of a boy whose futile attempts to catch a butterfly ended when he stopped swinging around a net and stayed still.

“And right when he did is when the butterfly came and landed right on the tip of his nose. And this song, Flowers, is my butterfly,” she said.

Billed as “music’s biggest night”, the Grammys are the industry’s most prestigious awards.

Rodrigo, Eilish, Burna Boy and Travis Scott were also among the performers, with stars like Swift, Beyoncé and Doja Cat in the audience.

But rare appearances by two music legends eclipsed the younger stars.

Tracy Chapman’s hit Fast Car was rejuvenated last year when country star Luke Combs covered it.

Tracy Chapman has only performed in public a handful of times since going into semi-retirement in 2009, but she joined country singer Luke Combs, who had a smash hit with a cover of her song Fast Car last year.

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Then Joni Mitchell gave a poignant seated rendition of her classic Both Sides Now – her first Grammy performance at the age of 80.

The Canadian singer-songwriter had earlier picked up best folk album for a live album that captured her return to the stage in 2022 after a brain aneurysm.

That was one of many awards that were handed out during a four-hour “premiere ceremony” on Sunday afternoon.

That pre-ceremony also saw multiple wins for indie-rock trio Boygenius, whose debut album The Record combines 1970s California rock harmonies with lyrics about love and friendship.

Rapper Killer Mike won three awards but was later filmed apparently being taken away in handcuffs backstage.

Kylie Minogue won her second ever Grammy, best pop dance recording, for the viral smash Padam Padam.

And South African singer Tyla made history by picking up the first ever award for best African performance.

The 22-year-old, who came fourth in the BBC’s Sound of 2024, won for her viral smash Water, which inspired a TikTok dance craze last summer.

“I still have to remind myself that it’s my song,” she said. “Everywhere I go, it’s playing and people know it. I don’t even know [how to describe] the feeling.”

Source: BBC

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Top on the list of these Nigerian artistes is Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, popularly known as “Burna Boy” who according to Spotify’s ratings bagged second most streamed album after Wizkid who got first as the artiste with the most streamed album.

This was according to a statement released by Mr Owoyemi Ajayi, Spotify’s Account Manager.

Spotify is a global online streaming platform.

Ajayi said commendations go to a combination that includes talented artistes, exceptional producers, DJs, local and international promoters, leading entertainment Public Relations, marketing professionals, and a growing local audience.

“The Afro-fusion artiste hit the music world like a storm with the release of his global breakout album, “African Giant.”

“This has since staked a claim as one of the biggest stars on the music scene worldwide, a crossover sensation who refuses to compromise.

“Known for using his music as a tool for telling the story of his life and his surroundings, Burna Boy’s ability to weave tales of love and educate listeners on politics and expressions of vulnerability, while creating authentic Afrobeats, is how he’s been able to capture the world’s attention,” he said.

Ajayi said in spite the fact that Burna Boy didn’t release an album in 2021, this has still been a standout year for him, who has won a string of awards and sold out venues across the globe.

He noted that the two-time Grammy nominee won the award for Best Global Music Album in the World Music category for his 2020-released Twice as Tall album.

“As he noted while receiving his Grammy Award, ‘This is a big win for Africans of my generation all over the world’.

“His recent features on chart-topping singles like Question, Ginger and Yaba Buluku reinforces his vocal appendage as an Afro heirloom that artistes the world over seek to possess on their songs.

“From the thick gold chains that adorn his neck to his vast collection of rings and gold and jewel-encrusted teeth grills, Burna Boy has also carved a fashion niche for new-generation Afro-fusion acts.

“With huge global monthly listeners, Nigerian singer, rapper, and songwriter, Burna Boy is undoubtedly one of Africa’s biggest musical exports,” he said.

In Spotify’s recently released 2021 Wrapped data, Burna Boy featured prominently among the top 10 artistes in almost every listed country in Africa.

He ranked among the top 10 streamed artistes in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

The lowest position in these countries is number five in Kenya.

According to the Wrapped data, his album “Twice as Tall” is among the top 10 albums for the year in Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, as well as Uganda, and ranked in the top 30 in Kenya.

Burna Boy’s growth in the music industry and his many successes are inspirational as every step he takes elevates him, in the music industry in Nigeria, and the continent of Africa at large.

Burna Boy continues to march on, there’s a great possibility that the doors he walks through will be left open for the up-and-coming music artistes to follow in his footsteps.

He has been resilient in his pursuit to remain the ‘Odogwu’ or better still, the ‘African Giant’ of African music, most especially, the Afro sound.

Source: NAN

The post Burna Boy continues to dominate African market in 2021 –Spotify appeared first on Frontpageng.

The award known as ‘‘Distinguished Service Star of Rivers State, DSSRS,” is the second highest distinction in Rivers State Order and  is conferred on individuals in recognition of their exceptional service/performance in any field of human endeavour.

Governor Wike, conferred the honour on the internationally  acclaimed music icon who won the Best Global Music Album with his Twice As Tall album at the 63rd Grammy Awards during a grand reception organised by the Rivers State government for him in Port Harcourt.

At the award ceremony which was attended by people from all walks of life, the governor said the honour aimed to show gratitude publicly to indigenes of Rivers State who have shown outstanding talent with their works and stood out head and shoulders above others in their endeavours.

The governor who described the homecoming reception for Burna Boy, who hails from Ahoada West Local Government Area of the state as a joyous moment for the state, also announced that the government would allocate him a land in Old Government Residential Area of Port Harcourt and give him money to build a house there.

“Rivers State government will provide a land at Old GRA for Burna Boy.  Not only are we to provide that, we are going to give him money to build for himself. We are going to do that for him let others be encouraged, that if you get to this level, Rivers State government will promote you. We are happy with you (Burna Boy), we are happy with your parents for what they have done.”

Governor Wike explained that the ceremony was one of the happiest days of his life and assured that his administration would not relent in promoting indigenes of the state like Burna Boy and others who he said, made the state proud in any field of human endeavour.

“I will do what is required as a governor to encourage him (Burna Boy) and his parents and to encourage all our artists to know that the time has come when we must look inward; when we must come home. All of you, you go to Abuja, you go to Lagos, home is home. Who would have believed in this world that an Ahoada man will win Grammy. Who would have believed it? So, you should know that this is God’s own state.”

The governor commended Timaya, Duncan Mighty  and other artists who graced the award ceremony in honour of Burna Boy and  announced a gift of N10million each to all the artists that performed during the concert.

Burna Boy who was accompanied by his parents, siblings and crew, expressed profound gratitude to the government and people of Rivers State for considering him worthy of the award.

“I have collected honours everywhere in the world, but it feels different when you get it from home. This is my most humblest moment and I thank each and everyone of you. I thank the best governor I have ever experienced. I don’t like politics and politicians but this my governor has shown me that there is hope for the youths and there is hope for us.

“This award is not only for me but for all of you and the future Burna Boys. I love you Port Harcourt, everywhere I go, I carry you with me.”

Rivers State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mrs. Tonye Briggs Oniyide, said that in the entertainment sector, a nomination to any honours platform is an indication that the artist has provided value through his hard work.

“This victory on the world stage underscores the ability of raw talents in our state, it underlines our ability to focus on our goal. To our celebrant, I urge you to always remember that Rivers State is your own. Always find time to identify with the development here. Come home to join in the task of grooming young talents in the industry. Port Harcourt needs your music academy from where we can raise the Burna Boys of tomorrow.”

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“Congratulations to Burna Boy on being conferred the 2021 Grammy, the world’s most prestigious musical awards. He has made notable contributions in the field of music which have brought glory to Nigerians at home and abroad. We are proud of his path-breaking achievements,” he said.

The president also congratulates Wizkid who emerged as a joint winner of the Grammy Awards in a different category.

President Buhari acknowledged the efforts of forerunners like King Sunny Ade and Femi Kuti whose creative exertions earned them Grammy nominations, paved the way and brought Nigerian music to global reckoning.

The president said he believed that the record breaking musical achievements were a recognition of the Nigerian creative talents and the awards would open doors to other aspiring citizens.

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The minister, while congratulating the music stars for their feats, said that Afrobeat genre of music had propelled Nigeria’s increasing dominance of the music world.

In a statement issued by the minister in Lagos, Mohammed described the awards as fitting rewards for the persistent and hardwork of the duo.

He expressed the hope that the clinching of the prestigious awards by the two music stars would not only spur them to greater heights, but would also serve as a source of inspiration for others.

The two Nigerian Afrobeats stars won awards at the 2021 Grammys.

Burna Boy won the Best Global Music Album category, while Wizkid won the Best Music Video for his song with American music star, Beyoncé; Brown Skin Girl, from Lion King: The Gift album.

Beyoncé’s daughter, Blue Ivy, was also a winner on the song.

Burna Boy, real name Damini Ogulu, a nominee for a second consecutive year, won with his Twice As Tall album.

The 63rd Grammy Awards was held in Los Angeles, United States of America.

Source: NAN

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