Grammy Awards 2026: African Nominees Burna Boy, Davido, Ayra Starr, Wizkid, and Omah Lay Shine

Africa is led by Burna Boy, Davido, Ayra Starr, Wizkid, and Omah Lay as the Recording Academy announces the 2026 Grammy nominees.

As Burna Boy, Davido, Omah Lay, Ayra Starr, and Wizkid secure significant nominations at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, Nigeria’s music giants continue to dominate the international scene, securing the nation’s place as a prominent force in both African and international music.

Ahead of the ceremony, which is set for Sunday, February 1, 2026, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, the Recording Academy released the whole list of nominees on Friday. Records recorded between August 31, 2024, and August 30, 2025, will be honored during the event.

With two big nominations—Best African Music Performance for his smash song “Love” and Best Global Music Album for “No Sign of Weakness”—Burna Boy lead the field of African nominees. This honor solidifies his status as one of Africa’s most internationally acclaimed singers and makes him the most nominated African artist in this year’s cycle.

With You, a duet that struck a powerful chord throughout the continent and beyond, garnered Davido and Omah Lay a joint nomination in the Best African Music Performance category. Their popularity is a reflection of the increasing interest in Nigerian music that combine emotion, culture, and rhythm around the world.

Nigeria’s unparalleled supremacy in the Afrobeats genre is further demonstrated by the nominations that Ayra Starr and Wizkid received for Gimme Dat in the same category. Nigeria’s impact continues to shape the continent’s musical identity on the international scene, as evidenced by the fact that three of the five candidates in the Best African Music Performance category are from Nigeria.

Angélique Kidjo from Benin, Eddy Kenzo from Uganda, Tyla from South Africa, and Youssou N’Dour from Senegal are among the other African contenders; they are all renowned for their contributions to both traditional and international African music.

Outside of Africa, global superstars like Lady Gaga and Kendrick Lamar are at the top of this year’s Grammy list. With nine nominations, Lamar is in the lead, followed by Lady Gaga with seven, including her fifth nomination for Album of the Year for Mayhem.

In keeping with the Academy’s continued dedication to diversity, representation, and innovative thinking in the field, this year’s Grammy Awards will also introduce two new categories: Best Traditional Country Album and Best Album Cover.

The competing lineup for the Album of the Year category includes Justin Bieber’s Swag, Kendrick Lamar’s GNX, Lady Gaga’s Mayhem, and Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend.

Doechii’s Anxiety, Bad Bunny’s DtMF, Lady Gaga’s Abracadabra, and Billie Eilish’s Wildflower are among the nominees for Record of the Year.

Rising artists including KATSEYE, Olivia Dean, Addison Rae, Leon Thomas, and Sombr are highlighted in the Best New Artist category, which highlights the upcoming generation of international talent leaving their impact on the business.

This year’s nominations honor “artistic excellence, innovation, and impact across the evolving global music landscape,” according to the Recording Academy. The participation of several Nigerian musicians in the top categories demonstrates the continent’s increasing influence on worldwide music trends, as Afrobeats and African music have become essential components of global culture.

The 2026 ceremony, which promises to honor not just creativity and performance but also the spirit of cultural exchange that continues to bring audiences from all over the world together through sound, is highly anticipated by music lovers worldwide.

Full List of Major Nominees

Best African Music Performance

• Love – Burna Boy

• With You – Davido Featuring Omah Lay

• Hope & Love – Eddy Kenzo & Mehran Matin

• Gimme Dat – Ayra Starr Featuring Wizkid

• PUSH 2 START – Tyla

Best Global Music Album

• No Sign of Weakness – Burna Boy

• Sounds Of Kumbha – Siddhant Bhatia

• Éclairer le monde (Light the World) – Youssou N’Dour

• Mind Explosion – Shakti

• Chapter III: We Return To Light – Anoushka Shankar Featuring Alam Khan & Sarathy Korwar

• Caetano e Bethânia Ao Vivo – Caetano Veloso and Maria Bethânia

Album of the Year

• Debí Tirar Más Fotos – Bad Bunny

• Swag – Justin Bieber

• Man’s Best Friend – Sabrina Carpenter

• Let God Sort Em Out – Clipse

• Mayhem – Lady Gaga

• GNX – Kendrick Lamar

• Mutt – Leon Thomas

• Chromakopia – Tyler, the Creator

Record of the Year

• DtMF – Bad Bunny

• Manchild – Sabrina Carpenter

• Anxiety – Doechii

• Wildflower – Billie Eilish

• Abracadabra – Lady Gaga

• Luther – Kendrick Lamar feat. SZA

• The Subway – Chappell Roan

• APT – Rosé & Bruno Mars

Song of the Year

• Abracadabra – Lady Gaga

• Anxiety – Doechii

• APT – Rosé & Bruno Mars

• DtMF – Bad Bunny

• Golden – Hunter/x

• Luther – Kendrick Lamar feat. SZA

• Manchild – Sabrina Carpenter

• Wildflower – Billie Eilish

Best Pop Vocal Album

• Swag — Justin Bieber

• Man’s Best Friend — Sabrina Carpenter

• Something Beautiful — Miley Cyrus

• Mayhem — Lady Gaga

• I’ve Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 2) — Teddy Swims

Best New Artist

• Olivia Dean

• Katseye

• The Marias

• Addison Rae

• Sombr

• Leon Thomas

• Alex Warren

• Lola Young

The 2026 Grammy Awards, which honor international artistry, cultural diversity, and musical achievement in the most coveted categories worldwide, will be held in Los Angeles early the following year.