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The 67th Grammys is scheduled for February 2nd, 2025 and Nigerian artists will be aiming to add to the nation’s win.
Eight superstars are nominated across three categories with international sensation Tems leading the Nigerian contingent with three nominations.
While a Nigerian star is guaranteed to bring home the plaque for the Best African Music Performance, they are also in contention for the Best Global Album and Best R&B Song categories.
In this article, we examine the chances of the Nigerian contingent at the 2025 Grammys.
Best R&B Song
After Hours – Kehlani
Burning – Tems
Here We Go (Uh Oh – Coco Jones
Ruined Me – Muni Long
Saturn – SZA
Tems‘ record-breaking inclusion in this category is already a big win for the Grammy winner.
While her single ‘Burning’ is a stellar display of her songwriting prowess and vocals, her quest for history will face some serious threats from the other four female nominees, especially Muni Long and SZA.
SZA’s ‘Saturn’ off ‘Lana’ her reissued 2022 album ‘SOS’ is also nominated for Best R&B Performance which is a testament to its quality.
The song which reached NO. 6 peak on the Billboard Hot 100 has been nominated in R&B categories of the MTV Awards, BET, NAACP, and Billboard Music Awards and is a favourite to win the category.
Muni Long’s ‘Ruined Me’ is also a strong contender as she aims to execute a clean sweep of the R&B categories while Coco Jones and Kelani could equally pull up an upset.
Verdict: In Tems’ first rodeo outside the Global categories as a solo act, her chances are quite slim.
Best Global Music Album
Alkebulan II – Matt B feat. Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Paisajes – Ciro Hurtado
HEIS – Rema
Historias De Un Flamenco – Antonio Rey
Born in the Wild – Tems
Tems and Rema are aiming to join Burna Boy as the second Nigerian artist to win this category.
However, their attempt is fraught with similar issues that confronted other attempts by Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Davido whose albums often stuck out from those of other global contenders.
While Rema‘s ‘HEIS’ is a bold Afrobeats project that packs pulsating drums and vibrant delivery grounded in Nigerian pidgin English, the album lacks the traditional elements that have consistently determined this category.
Similarly, Tems‘ ‘Born In The Wild’ is an R&B album that sticks out from the other global projects in this category.
Matt B‘s ‘Alkebulan II’ explores Indigenous South African elements in a pop framework that is further grounded in musicality by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
He also has some Grammy pedigree courtesy of his nomination for the Best Global Song category in 2022 for the song ‘Gimme Love’ with Ugadan star Eddy Kenzo.
Peruvian musician Ciro Hurtado is the nominee with the most Grammy pedigree.
He worked on the 2019 Grammy-winning Best Global Album and on a previous winner of the Best Children’s Album category. His 2019 project ‘Altiplano’ was nominated for the Latin Grammy Awards.
He’s one of the favourite to win this category with his album ‘Paisajes‘ which explores South American folk music with a blend of other global traditional sounds that the Grammys is known to favour in this category.
Antonio Rey is another strong contender with his album Historias De Un Flamenco’ which is a rich exploration of the Spanish Flamenco guitar.
Having previously won the Latin Grammys for Best Flamenco Album, he will be aiming to pick up his first Grammys.
Verdict: It does appear that Rema‘s ‘Heis’ and Tems‘ ‘Born In The Wild’ will be facing the same fate as previously nominated mainstream projects by Nigerian artists. It will be a major upset if either of them wins this category.
Best African Music Performance
Tomorrow – Yemi Alade
MMS – Asake & Wizkid
Sensational – Chris Brown feat. Davido & Lojay
Higher – Burna Boy
Love Me JeJe – Tems
In an emphatic display of Afrobeats’ cross of success, this category is entirely made up of Nigerians with the only exception being Chris Brown who features Davido and Lojay on his hit single ‘Sensational’.
Considering the sole precedence of Tyla‘s 2024 win, Chris Brown‘s ‘Sensational’ is the nominee with the most commercial impact in the United States which makes it a favourite.
However, the optical reality of a non-African winning might affect the song’s chances.
Tems‘ ‘Love Me Jeje’ samples a Nigerian classic and enjoyed decent commercial success. In the context of her growing popularity in the US and the year she has had thanks to her debut album, this song is a favourite.
Grammy winner Burna Boy is the Nigerian nominee with the most Grammy pedigree hence he stands a chance despite ‘Higher’ not being his best effort in recent times.
Asake‘s ‘MMS’ featuring Wizkid could also stand a chance given the profile of both stars.
Yemi Alade’s ‘Tomorrow’ carries the most significant African sonic element and if the award was so to be decided solely on this basis, she is the favourite.
Verdict: The two front contenders are Chris Brown’s ‘Sensational’ and Tems’ ‘Love Me Jeje’. Any other winner outside these two would be an upset.
