Afrobeats Head

Category: Awards

  • NO11 submits “HOW FAR” for Best African Music Performance at 2027 Grammys

    NO11 submits “HOW FAR” for Best African Music Performance at 2027 Grammys

    NO11 has submitted “HOW FAR,” featuring Ayjay Bobo and Monochrome, for consideration in the Best African Music Performance category at the 2027 Grammy Awards. Released in January 2026, the song gained traction on social media and reached No. 8 on the Official Nigeria Top 100, according to TurnTable Charts.

    The track became associated with the emerging “nepopiano” wave, a term combining “nepo baby” and Amapiano to describe music linked to young artists from privileged or well-connected backgrounds. “HOW FAR” gained attention through TikTok snippets before reaching streaming charts, helping bring NO11 to a wider audience.

    NO11 later released a remix of “HOW FAR” on March 3, 2026, featuring South African artists Focalistic and CIZA alongside Nigerian artists Famous Pluto and Ayjay Bobo. The remix brought together artists from Nigeria and South Africa, combining their contributions on a new version of the track. An official music video followed later that month.

    The Grammy submission is for consideration, not a confirmed nomination. The Recording Academy’s first-round voting determines the nominees, who are scheduled to be announced on November 16, 2026. The 2027 Grammy Awards will take place on February 7, 2027, in Los Angeles.

  • Tyla wears Mowalola at the 2026 MTV VMAs

    Tyla wears Mowalola at the 2026 MTV VMAs

    Tyla attended the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards in an all-snakeskin look from Mowalola’s Spring/Summer 2027 collection. She attended the ceremony as a presenter.

    The South African singer wore a blue snakeskin bra with a matching pencil skirt pulled low on her waist, paired with a snakeskin choker and matching snakeskin heels. She wore her hair partially braided at the front, with the rest flowing down to her waist.

    Tyla was not nominated for an award at this year’s ceremony. Her previous VMA nominations included Best New Artist and Best R&B in 2024, and Best Choreography in 2025. She won Best Afrobeats in both years, for “Water” in 2024 and “PUSH 2 START” in 2025.

    The 2026 VMAs also marked the first year without the Best Afrobeats category. The award was introduced in 2023, when Rema and Selena Gomez won for “Calm Down,” before Tyla won it in 2024 and 2025. The category was left out of this year’s nominations.

    Tyla’s appearance comes after the July release of her sophomore album, “A*Pop,” and adds another Mowalola look to her recent fashion appearances.

  • NAACP Image Awards adds 10 new African categories

    NAACP Image Awards adds 10 new African categories

    The NAACP Image Awards will introduce 10 new categories dedicated to African music, film and television at its 58th edition in 2027.

    The new categories are:

    • Outstanding African Album
    • Outstanding African New Artist
    • Outstanding African Song
    • Outstanding African Motion Picture
    • Outstanding Actor in an African Motion Picture
    • Outstanding Actress in an African Motion Picture
    • Outstanding Directing in an African Motion Picture
    • Outstanding African Television Series
    • Outstanding Actor in an African Television Series
    • Outstanding Actress in an African Television Series

    The categories cover three areas of African entertainment: music, film and television. The recording categories give African artists dedicated recognition for albums, songs and emerging artists, while the film and television categories extend that recognition to productions and individual performers.

    According to the NAACP, the new categories are part of an effort to build a cultural connection between Africa and the global Black diaspora and recognise the influence of African creative work across music, film and television. The 58th edition will have 108 categories in total.

    The introduction is particularly notable for African music, where artists have increasingly appeared in the broader NAACP Image Awards categories. Tems, for example, is among the artists previously recognised by the awards.

    For African creatives, the new categories could provide a more direct route to recognition within one of the longest-running awards programmes for Black entertainment. The bigger question will be how the new categories interact with the awards’ existing international and general categories, and whether African artists will continue to compete outside the Africa-specific fields as their work reaches wider audiences.

    Submissions for the 58th NAACP Image Awards opened in August, with the 2027 ceremony date yet to be announced. Projects released between January 1 and December 31, 2026 are eligible for consideration.

  • The Headies updates Best Male Artiste nominees, adds Davido

    The Headies updates Best Male Artiste nominees, adds Davido

    The Headies has updated its Best Male Artiste nominees to include Davido.

    The previous list featured Adekunle Gold, Asake, FOLA, Mavo, Rema, Wizkid and Burna Boy. Davido now appears at the top of the updated list.

    The change comes on the same day The Headies updated its Song of the Year nominees to include Olamide’s “99” featuring Young Jonn, Asake, Seyi Vibez and Daecolm.

  • The Headies updates Song of the Year nominees, adds Olamide’s “99”

    The Headies updates Song of the Year nominees, adds Olamide’s “99”

    The Headies has updated its Song of the Year nominees to include Olamide’s “99” featuring Young Jonn, Asake, Seyi Vibez and Daecolm.

    The previous list featured Kunmie’s “Arike”, Poco Lee, Shoday and Rahman Jago’s “Hey Jago”, Ayra Starr’s “Hot Body”, FIDO’s “Joy Is Coming”, Wizkid’s “MMS” and Davido and Omah Lay’s “With You”.

    The update brings the category to eight nominees and comes alongside changes to other categories, including Best Male Artiste.