4 Nigerian nominees who lost Grammy Awards

King Sunny Ade (KSA)

King Sunny Ade (KSA): nominated twice for Grammys

Grammy Awards.

By Taiwo Okanlawon

It’s Grammy night, biggest music awards night holding at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, United States. It will recognize the best recordings, compositions, and artists from October 1, 2018, to August 31, 2019.

Nigerian singer Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, better known as Burna Boy is in the race for the Best World Music Album category. He is competing for the award with Altin Gun (Gece), Bokanté & Metropole Orkest Conducted By Jules Buckley (What Heat), Nathalie Joachim With Spektral Quartet (Fanm D’ayiti) and Angelique Kidjo (Celia).

While we are counting down to the big show, we would like to take a trip down memory lane and bring you four times Nigerians have been nominated for the World Best Music Category of the prestigious award.

The Best World Music Album category recognizes performers outside the United States who showcase non-European, indigenous influences in their body of work. The award was first handed out in 1992 to Mickey Hart.

See below the Nigerians that have earned Grammy nominations in World Best Music Category:

King Sunny Ade

King Sunny Ade.

Chief Sunday Adeniyi Adegeye is a juju singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.

The living legend, King Sunny Ade, has been nominated for a Grammy twice. The first time was in 1983 in the Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk Recording for his album ‘Synchro System’. The second time was in 1998 for his ‘Odu’ album in the Best World Music category.

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Babatunde Olatunji

Michael Babatunde Olatunji

Babatunde Olatunji (April 7, 1927 – April 6, 2003) was a Nigerian drummer, educator, social activist, and recording artist. Olatunji was nominated once for his album Love Drum Talk in 1998.

Femi Kuti

Femi Kuti: received four nominations.

Olufela Olufemi Anikulapo Kuti is the eldest son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti and a grandchild of a political campaigner, women’s rights activist and traditional aristocrat Funmilayo Ransome Kuti. He began his musical career playing in his father’s band, Egypt 80.

Femi Kuti has the highest grammy nominations in Nigeria, he has been nominated four times.

Fight to Win in 2002, Day by Day in 2010, the definitive album that helped to establish Femi as a true original with his own unique style. Africa for Africa in 2012 and “No Place for My Dream” in 2014.

Seun Kuti

Seun Kuti

Oluseun Anikulapo Kuti the youngest son of famous afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. Seun leads his father’s former band Egypt 80.

Seun fetched his first Grammy nomination with his album Black Times in 2019. His nomination came on the heels of his older brother Femi who had been nominated four times in the category. It also marked the first time two brothers have been nominated in the same Grammy category.

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