Popular Nigerian Afrobeat singers, Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu aka Burna Boy, and Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun aka Wizkid have broken the records by being the first Nigerians to ever win The Grammy Awards presented by the Recording Academy to recognize achievements in the music industry.
Burna Boy, whose fourth studio album ‘African Giant’ was released in July 2019, was nominated for Best World Music Album at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards but was lost to Angelique Kidjo.
His fifth album ‘Twice as Tall’ was also nominated for the same category at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, making him the first Nigerian with back-to-back nominations at the Grammys.
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Burna Boy, who is the first Nigerian to win a Grammy in his second attempt for his fifth album ‘Twice As Tall’, was deemed one of the best to be recorded by the 29-year-old. ‘Twice As Tall’ which was released on August 14, 2020, is a mixture of Afrobeat, dancehall, pop, and hip hop.
The Grammys described ‘Twice As Tall’ as “a masterclass in the vibe and hustle that have made Burna Boy an international musical force”.
“He continues to torch limitations, seamlessly blending styles and genres and fearlessly fuelling the fire heating the melting pot of pop, Afrobeat, dancehall, reggae and more,” it said.
Wizkid who won the Best Music Video for his duet with Beyonce on the song: ‘Brown Skin Girl’ off the 2019 album, ‘The Lion King’, featuring Beyonce’s first child, Blue Ivy Carter, won the Best Music Video category.
The announcement was made at the premiere of the 2021 edition of the Grammy Awards in Santa Monica.
The official Twitter account of Grammy tweeted: “Congrats, Best Music Video winner – ‘BROWN SKIN GIRL’ @Beyonce #BlueIvy @wizkidayo”
As of press time, it was unclear if Wizkid will get a certificate or a gong for his role in the song and in its video.
Wizkid, 30, is believed to have won the award alongside Beyonce, Saint Jhn and other featured artists, as well as Jenn Nkiru, who directed the video.
“Brown Skin Girl” was made for Beyonce’s album, “Lion King: The Gift”, which featured other Nigerian artists like Burna Boy, and Yemi Alade.
The music video for “Brown Skin Girl” was released on August 24, 2020, and as of the time of this win, has over 31 million views on YouTube.
