Nigerian artistes’ outing at the 66th Grammys held on Sunday, February 4, is still a surprise, as their failure to win in any of the categories they were nominated has made many to ask the question: What went wrong?

Though African Giant hitmaker, Damini Ogulu, better known as Burna Boy, performed at the main stage of the award show, making him the first African to achieve the feat, this did not, however, compensate for the loss. Asake, Olamide, Davido, Ayra Starr and Burna Boy lost the inaugural ‘Best African Music Performance’ award to Tyla, a 22-year-old South African singer who’s enjoying a dream start to her time in the global pop circuit.

Her story is the stuff icons are made of: the beauty of art and spontaneity of fortunes within the space. A real African miracle. Her smash hit record, Water, crossed over in 2023 as one of the biggest songs ever released by an African.

Ten years ago, it was unthinkable for Nigerians to lose their heads over the Grammy awards, as the country’s music industry had no stake in it. However, things are very different now, as Nigerian sounds, Afrobeats, in particular, and the country’s music stars are gaining attention, acceptance and beginning to become recurring actors in the global categories.

The only Nigerian who got Grammy nomination between 2000s and 2010s was the legendary Femi Kuti, whose globally celebrated Afrobeat music earned him nominations for the ‘World Album Category’ in 2002, 2009, 2011, and 2013.

Notwithstanding his loss in every nomination, his inclusion carried significant value for Nigerian music, as it inspired hope that the industry would someday produce a Grammy winner. But Burna Boy was the first person to make history by becoming the first Afrobeats artiste to be nominated for the Grammys in 2020 for his fourth album, African Giant.

His loss to the global music icon, Angelique Kidjo, gave him one foot in the door, and with his fifth album, Twice As Tall, he kicked the door open by bringing home the Grammy in 2020 as lead artiste. Since then, Nigerian star Ayodeji Balogun better known as Wizkid has earned two nominations for his album Made In Lagos and hit single, Essence.

Between 2020 and 2023, Burna Boy, Wizkid, Tems, Made Kuti, and his father Femi Kuti have earned 11 nominations among themselves in the ‘Global Music’ categories. In comparison, between 2000 and 2020, the Nigerian music industry had five nominations with Femi Kuti’s four nominations and his kid brother, Seun Kuti’s 2019 nomination.

Outside the Global Music category, Wizkid has earned two nominations – one for Drake’s One Dance, which was one of the singles on Album of the Year nominated Views and the other in 2021 for ‘Best Music Video’ for Beyonce’s Brown Skin Girl which he won.

Tems also has two nominations with Future’s Wait For U for ‘Best Melodic Rap Performance’, which she won and ‘Best Rap Song’, Beyonce’s Album of the Year nominated Renaissance.

In calculation, the Nigerian music industry has garnered 23 nominations since 2000, with 16 of those nominations and three wins coming after 2020. While this is a paltry figure, it shows the current growth in the industry and the need for more artistes to compete and grow the nominations list.

While many Nigerians, especially fans of the nominated artistes may feel robbed or cheated by the Recording Academy, organisers of the award, stakeholders in the Nigerian music industry said Nigerian artistes must be prepared to raise their quality and continue to compete to break into more categories in the spirit of growing the nominations list which will invariably lead to more losses. See latest music.

Ranting on social media does the industry no good. The entitlement that we must win every award because Afrobeats songs are far more popular than that of the other nominees is an illusion.

Reacting to the development, Founder, Afrobeats Intelligence and Nigerian professional member of the Recording Academy, Joey Akan said, “It hurts to see your friends and colleagues walk down the prestigious aisle, climb on stage and breathlessly mumble out an often pre-crafted speech, in acceptance of a trophy that could have been yours.

“It doubly hurts; we’ve only just got here. Afrobeats to the world is nascent around the Grammy circles, as the culture and organisation navigate mutual rules of engagement.

“In everyone’s defence, in recent years, Afrobeats has enjoyed a fair deal of collaboration with the Grammy. There are more Lagos-based members invited to the academy ranks, and their showcases and editorials feature Nigerian talents.

He noted that with Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Tems winning the coveted award in recent times, thus giving the country a measure of joy, thus making it to dream again, the Sunday, February 4 night loss feels like a betrayal.

“With an African record number of nominations, a new category where Nigerians dominated the nominations, including unfamiliar categories like Best Melodic Rap Performance, where Burna Boy got a nod, we had reason to expect something, everything, anything,” Akan said.

He continued, “The tears from the local industry players and creatives do reek of a layered brand elitism. It’s fashionable to cry for the Grammys. Even though we’re technically guests, invited to an American spectacle to diversify their ranks we’re still fringe players at the Recording Academy, with negligible numbers incapable of swinging the odds in our favour.

“We still have a few voting cycles to cry some more. And that privilege of crying depends on Afrobeats maintaining its hold on pop culture. We are still building over there, and today’s lesson teaches us that growth isn’t linear.”

Akan further said that “Rather than mope around and petulantly kick some dust, let’s fight back by getting stronger at home. Tails between our legs as the realisation that all we got is us. If we don’t take care of home, build, support and elevate it locally, we are at risk of delegating our pride to foreigners. It’s the only way out.

“Afrobeats have intrinsic value. But the current business model has funneled the entire ecosystem into exportation. And while we can boast of improved finances and investment pathways, we’re now forced to negotiate our cultural impact on parameters that weren’t created for us, in spaces where our existence is still a moot point,” he added.