Nigerian Afrobeats sensation Damini Ogulu, better known as Burna Boy, has etched his name deeper into music history by becoming the first Nigerian artiste to secure five career Grammy nominations in album categories.
The ‘African Giant’ received his latest nod for his 2025 project, No Sign of Weakness, which has been nominated in the Best Global Music Album category at the forthcoming 2026 Grammy Awards.
Burna Boy will face stiff competition from a diverse field of global music talents, including Indian composer Siddhant Bhatia’s Sounds of Kumbha, Senegalese legend Youssou N’Dour’s Éclairer le Monde (Light the World), Shakti’s Mind Explosion (50th Anniversary Tour Live), Anoushka Shankar’s collaborative project Chapter III: We Return to Light featuring Alam Khan and Sarathy Korwar, and Brazilian icons Caetano Veloso and Maria Bethânia’s Caetano e Bethânia Ao Vivo.
The Port Harcourt-born artiste’s Grammy journey began in 2019 when his critically acclaimed album African Giant earned him his first nomination. He followed this with Twice As Tall in 2020, which not only secured a nomination but also won him his first Grammy award at the 63rd Grammy Awards Ceremony. His subsequent projects, Love, Damini (2022) and I Told Them (2023), both received nominations, demonstrating his consistent excellence on the world stage.
Beyond his solo projects, Burna Boy also featured on “Loved by You”, a track from Justin Bieber’s Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe), which received an album nomination at the 2022 Grammy Awards.
For the 2026 edition, the ‘Last Last’ crooner has secured an additional nomination in the Best African Music Performance category for his hit single “Love”. He will compete against fellow Nigerians Davido, who earned a nod for “With You” featuring Omah Lay, and Ayra Starr alongside Wizkid for “Gimme Dat”. The category also includes Uganda’s Eddy Kenzo and Mehran Matin with “Hope & Love”, and South African star Tyla with “Push 2 Start”.
With these two nominations, Burna Boy’s total Grammy nominations now stand at an impressive 13, solidifying his position as one of Africa’s most decorated artistes on the global stage.
The nominations underscore the growing international recognition of African music, with Nigerian artistes continuing to lead the continent’s charge at the prestigious awards ceremony.
