Nigeria Afrobeats stars Burna Boy and Wizkid have both 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 Beyoncé; Brown Skin Girl, from Lion King:
The Gift album. Beyoncé’s daughter Blue Ivy was also a winner on the song.
The Best Music Video award is given to the artist, video director and video producer.
Burna Boy, real name Damini Ogulu, a nominee for a second consecutive year, won with his ‘Twice As Tall’ album. Burna Boy, 29, beat four others including the Malian band, Tinariwen.
The 63rd Grammy Awards was held in Los Angeles. Traditionally billed as “music’s biggest night”, this year’s ceremony is different because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Grammys nomination described Twice As Tall as “a masterclass in the vibe and hustle that have made Burna Boy an international musical force”.
The album features a wide range of international artists such as Stormzy, Youssou Ndour, Naughty By Nature, and Chris Martin of Coldplay, and had Sean Combs as executive producer.
Born in Nigeria’s Port Harcourt, Burna Boy released his first album, LIFE, an acronym for Leaving an Impact For Eternity, in 2013.
That album was followed by the release of Redemption in 2015 and Outside in 2018 that included the international hit track, Ye. But it was with his 2019 African Giant album that Burna Boy really hit the international scene and earned his first Grammys nomination which he lost to Angelique Kidjo at the 2020 Grammy Awards.
Often compared to Nigerian superstar Fela Ransome-Kuti, whose songs Burna has sampled generously, he has become increasingly vocal about social causes in Africa.
