Superstars Burna Boy, Davido, Ayra Starr and Tyla headline Africa’s presence at the ceremony, all vying for the Best African Music Performance award — widely regarded as the Grammys’ most significant recognition for African music.
Burna Boy leads the African nominees this year after receiving two nominations on November 7, 2025: Love for Best African Music Performance and No Sign of Weakness for Best Global Music Album. The feat makes him the most-nominated African artiste in this Grammy cycle.
Nigeria dominates the nominee list overall, with Davido, Omah Lay, Ayra Starr and Wizkid also earning nominations. They are joined by celebrated continental figures including Angélique Kidjo of Benin, Uganda’s Eddy Kenzo, South African sensation Tyla, and Senegalese legend Youssou N’Dour.
In the Best African Music Performance category, Nigerian entries stand out strongly. Burna Boy’s Love, Davido’s With You featuring Omah Lay, and Ayra Starr’s Gimme Dat featuring Wizkid all secured nominations, underlining Nigeria’s continued influence on the global Afrobeats movement.
Other contenders in the category include Hope & Love by Eddy Kenzo and Mehran Matin, as well as PUSH 2 START by Tyla.
Tyla enters the ceremony aiming to secure her second Grammy win in the category, having claimed the inaugural Best African Music Performance award at the 66th Grammy Awards in February 2024 for her global hit Water. Her 2025 entry, PUSH 2 START, has emerged as one of the most commercially successful songs in the category.
The track topped the US Billboard Afrobeats Songs chart for 20 non-consecutive weeks, held the No. 1 position on the UK Afrobeats Singles chart, and debuted at No. 88 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It has earned multiple international certifications, including platinum status in Brazil and New Zealand and gold in several other territories. The song also won Best Afrobeats at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards.
Davido’s With You featuring Omah Lay is another strong contender and could potentially earn the singer his first Grammy win. The song reached No. 1 on the UK Afrobeats Singles chart, peaked at No. 5 on the US Billboard Afrobeats Songs chart, debuted at No. 1 on Nigeria’s TurnTable Top 100, and has surpassed 100 million streams on Spotify. It also won Most Iconic African Song at the 2025 AMAN Awards and marked Davido’s fifth Grammy nomination.
Gimme Dat, the collaboration between Ayra Starr and Wizkid, also enjoyed significant success, peaking at No. 3 on Nigeria’s TurnTable Top 100 and surpassing 50 million streams on Spotify. Starr, a two-time Grammy nominee, and Wizkid, a six-time nominee with one previous win, remain strong contenders for the award.
Burna Boy’s Love, taken from his album No Sign of Weakness, matched its critical acclaim with commercial success, reaching No. 1 on Nigeria’s TurnTable Top 100, No. 2 on the US Billboard Afrobeats Songs chart, and No. 4 on the UK Afrobeats Singles chart. Already a Grammy winner for Twice As Tall at the 63rd Grammy Awards, Burna Boy is looking to extend his record, having accumulated 13 career nominations.
With multiple chart-topping hits and globally recognised artistes in contention, the Best African Music Performance category is set to deliver a defining moment for African music, regardless of which artiste ultimately takes home the trophy.