Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has once again etched her name in Grammy history. The megastar leads the 2025 Grammy nominations with an impressive 11 nods, making her the most nominated artiste ever with a total of 99 nominations.
That is even as Nigeria’s music scene has witnessed a meteoric rise on the international stage with an impressive 2025 Grammy nominations further evidence of this growth.
Leading the African contingent, Tems scored three nominations, bringing her career Grammy tally to eight. Her nominations span major categories, with “Love Me JeJe” up for Best African Music Performance and Born in the Wild competing for Best Global Music Album. Tems’ success not only highlights her individual talent but also represents the broader influence of Afrobeats and African sounds in the global music industry.
Joining Tems are celebrated Nigerian artistes Asake, Wizkid, Yemi Alade, Burna Boy, Davido and Rema, all nominated in the Best African Music Performance category. These artistes have been instrumental in introducing African music to international audiences, blending Afrobeat rhythms with global sounds. Wizkid and Asake’s collaboration on “MMS,” along with Burna Boy’s solo track “Higher,” have each received nominations, and Davido’s collaboration with Chris Brown on “Sensational” is another testament to the fusion of African and Western music.
Tems’ recognition in three categories has positioned her as one of the leading African voices at this year’s Grammys. Her song “Burning” is also nominated for Best R&B Song, highlighting her ability to cross genres and appeal to a wide-ranging audience. This success underscores how Nigerian artistes have evolved from local stars to global influencers, capturing Grammy nods alongside internationally acclaimed musicians.
See categories featuring Nigerian nominees:
Best African Music Performance
Asake & Wizkid – “MMS”
Burna Boy – “Higher”
Chris Brown Featuring Davido & Lojay – “Sensational”
Tems – “Love Me JeJe”
Yemi Alade – “Tomorrow”
Best Global Music Album
Antonio Rey – Historias de un Flamenco
Ciro Hurtado – Paisajes
Matt B & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – Alkebulan II
Rema – Heis
Tems – Born in the Wild
Best R&B Song
Coco Jones – “Here We Go (Uh Oh)”
Kehlani – “After Hours”
Muni Long – “Ruined Me”
SZA – “Saturn”
Tems – “Burning”
This year, Beyoncé’s nominations span multiple genres, including country and American roots, marking her first foray into these categories. Her latest album, Cowboy Carter, has been a critical and commercial success, earning her nominations in several top categories. The album is up for Album of the Year, while the hit single “Texas Hold ‘Em” is nominated for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Beyoncé’s versatility is on full display with nominations in the country and American roots categories, including Best Country Album, Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “II Most Wanted” featuring Miley Cyrus, and Best Americana Performance for “Ya Ya”.
The full list of Beyoncé’s 2025 Grammy nominations includes:
– Record of the Year: “Texas Hold ‘Em”
– Album of the Year: Cowboy Carter
– Song of the Year: “Texas Hold ‘Em”
– Best Pop Solo Performance: “Bodyguard”
– Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: “Levi’s Jeans” featuring Post Malone
– Best Melodic Rap Performance: “Spaghettii” featuring Linda Martell and Shaboozey
– Best Country Solo Performance: “16 Carriages”
– Best Country Duo/Group Performance: “II Most Wanted” featuring Miley Cyrus
– Best Country Song: “Texas Hold ‘Em”
– Best Country Album: Cowboy Carter
– Best Americana Performance: “Ya Ya”.
Her fans, otherwise known as Beyhive, highly anticipate this year’s awards hoping the Recording Academy will finally award Beyoncé the coveted Album of the Year. Historically, only three Black women have won this award: Natalie Cole (1992), Whitney Houston (1994), and Lauryn Hill (1999). Beyoncé has been nominated four times previously for her albums I Am…Sasha Fierce, Beyoncé, Lemonade and Renaissance.
This year also marks a significant milestone as Beyoncé becomes the first Black woman to be nominated for a country album in the Album of the Year category. In the history of the Grammys, no Black woman has ever won a Grammy for a country song, although Mickey Guyton was the first to be recognised in a country music category in 2020 with her song Black Like Me.
List of major categories:
Record of the Year
The Beatles – “Now and Then”
Beyoncé – “Texas Hold ’Em”
Billie Eilish – “Birds of a Feather”
Chappell Roan – “Good Luck, Babe!”
Charli XCX – “360”
Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”
Sabrina Carpenter – “Espresso”
Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone – “Fortnight”
Album of the Year
André 3000 – New Blue Sun
Beyoncé – Cowboy Carter
Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft
Chappell Roan – The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess
Charli XCX – Brat
Jacob Collier – Djesse Vol. 4
Sabrina Carpenter – Short n’ Sweet
Taylor Swift – The Tortured Poets Department
Song of the Year
Beyoncé – “Texas Hold ’Em”
Billie Eilish – “Birds of a Feather”
Chappell Roan – “Good Luck, Babe!”
Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – “Die With a Smile”
Sabrina Carpenter – “Please Please Please”
Shaboozey – “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”
Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone – “Fortnight”
Best New Artist
Benson Boone
Doechii
Chappell Roan
Khruangbin
Raye
Sabrina Carpenter
Shaboozey
Teddy Swims
Best Global Music Performance
Angélique Kidjo & Soweto Gospel Choir – “Sunlight to My Soul”
Arooj Aftab – “Raat Ki Rani”
Jacob Collier Featuring Anoushka Shankar & Varijashree Venugopal – “A Rock Somewhere”
Masa Takumi Featuring Ron Korb, Noshir Mody & Dale Edward Chung – “Kashira”
Rocky Dawuni – “Rise”
Sheila E. Featuring Gloria Estefan & Mimy Succar – “Bemba Colorá”
Best R&B Album
Chris Brown – 11:11 (Deluxe)
Lalah Hathaway – Vantablack
Lucky Daye – Algorithm
Muni Long – Revenge
Usher – Coming Home
Best Rap Performance
Cardi B – “Enough (Miami)”
Common & Pete Rock Featuring Posdnuos – “When the Sun Shines Again”
Doechii – “Nissan Altima”
Eminem – “Houdini”
Future, Metro Boomin & Kendrick Lamar – “Like That”
Glorilla – “Yeah Glo!”
Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”
Best Melodic Rap Performance
Beyoncé, Linda Martell & Shaboozey – “Spaghettii”
Future, Metro Boomin & The Weeknd – “We Still Don’t Trust You”
Jordan Adetunji Featuring Kehlani – “Kehlani (Remix)”
Latto – “Big Mama”
Rapsody Featuring Erykah Badu – “3:AM”
Best Rap Song
Future, Metro Boomin & Kendrick Lamar – “Like That”
Glorilla – “Yeah Glo!”
Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”
Rapsody & Hit-Boy – “Asteroids”
¥$, Kanye West, Ty Dolla $ign & Rich the Kid Featuring Playboi Carti – “Carnival”
Best Rap Album
Common & Pete Rock – The Auditorium Vol. 1
Doechii – Alligator Bites Never Heal
Eminem – The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce)
Future & Metro Boomin – We Don’t Trust You
J. Cole – Might Delete Later
The Grammy nominations of Nigerian and African artistes signal a new era for African music on the world stage. Just a few years ago, the presence of African artistes at major Western awards was rare. Now, Nigerian and African artistes are regularly celebrated, recognised and nominated in competitive global categories. This year’s Grammy nominations showcase the influence of African music across genres such as R&B, pop, and global music, reflecting the increasing integration of African sounds in mainstream Western music.
Burna Boy, who won the Best Global Music Album Grammy in 2021, returns this year with a nomination for his track “Higher.” Similarly, Davido, known for bridging Afrobeat with global pop, received a nod for his collaboration with American artiste Chris Brown. Rema’s nomination for Heis in the Best Global Music Album category emphasises the widespread appeal of Nigerian music, showcasing its relevance beyond Africa.
The nominations of Tems, Rema, Burna Boy, and their peers signify a new chapter in the acceptance of African music by mainstream institutions like the Recording Academy. Their Grammy nods are a testament to their musical excellence and an invitation for broader audiences to explore the rich variety of African music.
With Beyoncé leading this year’s nominations and Nigerian artists making unprecedented strides, the Grammy Awards on February 2, 2025, promise to be an electrifying night.
The ceremony, set to be held at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, has generated global anticipation, particularly among Beyoncé’s fanbase.
