Afrobeats Head

Tag: Awards

  • HBO submits Wizkid’s “Long Live Lagos” documentary for 2027 Grammy consideration

    HBO submits Wizkid’s “Long Live Lagos” documentary for 2027 Grammy consideration

    HBO has submitted Music Box: Wizkid: Long Live Lagos for consideration in the Best Music Film category at the 2027 Grammy Awards.

    Directed and produced by Karam Gill, the documentary follows Wizkid as he prepares for his performance at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. The film explores his career, the international growth of Afrobeats and how his music challenges perceptions of Nigeria and African identity.

    The documentary premiered at the 2025 Tribeca Festival before debuting on HBO and its streaming platform on December 11, 2025. It features contributions from people including Femi Kuti, Wizkid’s manager Jada Pollock, broadcaster Julie Adenuga and music executive Seni Saraki.

    Wizkid holds his daughter Morayo at the premiere of “Wizkid: Long Live Lagos” during the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival.

    The submission is for consideration and does not guarantee a nomination. The 2027 Grammy nominees are scheduled to be announced on November 16, 2026, ahead of the awards ceremony on February 7, 2027.

  • Shakira submits Burna Boy collaboration “Dai Dai” for 2027 Grammys

    Shakira submits Burna Boy collaboration “Dai Dai” for 2027 Grammys

    Colombian singer Shakira has submitted six entries for consideration at the 2027 Grammy Awards, including “Dai Dai,” her collaboration with Nigerian singer Burna Boy, according to a list shared by The Grammy Guru and published by Showbiz by PS.

    “Dai Dai,” released as an official song for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, was submitted for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Global Music Performance and Best Music Video. The song blends Afrobeats with Caribbean influences and features vocals from both artists. Shakira previously said she waited about 20 days for Burna Boy to deliver his verse before completing the track.

    Burna Boy and Shakira perform “Dai Dai” at the 2026 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony

    Shakira also submitted “Zoo” for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop Solo Performance, Best Song Written for Visual Media and Best Music Video. “Choka Choka” was entered for Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Music Video.

    Her “Hips Don’t Lie (Anniversary Edition),” featuring Ed Sheeran and Beéle, was submitted for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. “Algo Tú” was entered for Best Latin Song, while the Clean Bandit remix of “Dai Dai” was submitted for Best Remixed Recording.

    “Dai Dai” has also performed strongly in Germany, where it spent 13 weeks at No. 1 on the official singles chart, according to Sony Music Germany. The label reported in October that the track had earned a Gold certification in the country.

    These are submissions for consideration, not confirmed Grammy nominations. The Recording Academy’s first-round voting runs from October 12 to 22, with nominees for the 2027 awards scheduled to be announced on November 16. The ceremony 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.