Afrobeats, the throbbing, fusion sound emanating from West Africa and the diaspora, has been on the rise internationally for more than a decade. The genre has developed a footing in Western mainstream culture in recent years, and the Grammys are taking note.
The Recording Academy’s CEO, Harvey Mason Jr., reportedly stated that the Grammys were exploring creating an Afrobeats award category. Mason told reporters at the Global Citizen Festival in Ghana over the weekend that he had been meeting with genre players to discuss the possibility.
“We called in producers, songwriters, artists, executives and we had a virtual listening session where we heard from Afrobeats creators,” he said at a September 24th news conference. “[We] just talked about, ‘What are the different subgenres? What are the needs? What are the desires?’”
For example, the Recording Academy authorised the creation of two new categories in the global and Latin music disciplines during an April 2021 meeting, but the move did not take effect until the 2022 Grammys. The Recording Academy announced five new categories this year, including songwriter of the year and best scoring soundtrack for video games and other interactive media, that will be implemented at the 2023 Grammys.
“My goal is to make sure that we represent all genres of music, including Afrobeats, at the Grammys. But it has to be done properly,” Mason said during the news conference. “I think the listening session last week was very important, very valuable, and a step towards that path.”
Collaborations with Beyoncé, Drake, Ed Sheeran, and other celebrities have helped Afrobeats musicians break into mainstream pop. However, they have also gained mainstream success on their own. Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Tems have all received Grammy nominations (albeit they’ve been demoted to the global music category), with Burna Boy winning in 2021 for his album “Twice as Tall.” Last year, CKay’s “Love Nwantinti” conquered TikTok before making its way to the Billboard rankings.
The UK’s Official Charts Company will create an Afrobeats singles chart in 2020, while Billboard will start a US-based Afrobeats chart this year, indicating the genre’s growing popularity outside of Africa and the diaspora.
