The Recording Academy, the body behind the Grammy Awards, has announced that from 2024, a new category called “Best Africa Music Performance” will be added to the awards list.
"The Recording Academy is proud to announce these latest Category changes to our Awards process. These changes reflect our commitment to actively listen and respond to the feedback from our music community, accurately represent a diverse range of relevant musical genres, and stay aligned with the ever-evolving musical landscape," said Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy.
According to a statement by the academy, some African genres to be eligible for the new award category include Afrobeats, Amapiano, Afro Pop, Alte, Bongo Flava, Genge, Kizomba, Chimurenga, High Life, Fuji, Kwassa, Ndombolo, Mapouka, Ghanaian Drill, Afro-House, South African Hip-Hop, and Ethio Jazz.
In the past few years, African music consumption and popularity, especially on streaming platforms, Spotify and Apple Music, has grown in leaps and bounds, appealing to a global audience.
According to data by Spotify, Burna Boy, Wizkid, Tems, Asake and Ayra Starr were the five most streamed African artists on the platform in 2022. On Apple Music, Davido’s latest album “Timeless” broke numerous records on the platform, including the much coveted record for the biggest African album in Apple Music history by first-day streams worldwide.
“We are excited to honor and celebrate the creators and recordings in these Categories, while also exposing a wider range of music to fans worldwide," concluded Mason Jr.