Africa News of Wednesday, 25 November 2020

Source: africanews.com

Burnaboy, Wizkid among 2021 Grammy awards nominees

Nigerian artistes Burnaboy and Wizkid Nigerian artistes Burnaboy and Wizkid

Nominations for the 63rd annual Grammy Awards were announced Tuesday, with some African artists featuring in a few categories.

Nigerian artistes Burnaboy and Wizkid are on the list for the 2021 awards by the Recording Academy.

Burnaboy's recent album, 'Twice As Tall' got the nod.

The singer was nominated under the World Music Album alongside other entertainers like Antibalas, Bebel Gilberto, Anoushka Shankar and Tianariwen.

This is the second year in a row that Burnaboy is getting a nomination in this category.

For Wizkid, another top Nigerian artiste, it was his feature in Beyoncé's Brownskin girl song. The song's video is nominated for Best Music Video.

South Africa's Trevor Noah and host of popular "The Daily Show's" will host the event in January.

"Despite the fact that I am extremely disappointed that the Grammys have refused to have me sing or be nominated for best pop album, I am thrilled to be hosting this auspicious event," Noah said in a statement.

"I think as a one-time Grammy-nominee, I am the best person to provide a shoulder to all the amazing artists who do not win on the night because I too know the pain of not winning the award! (This is a metaphorical shoulder, I'm not trying to catch Corona). See you at the 63rd GRAMMYs!" he added.

In other nominations, Beyonce picked up song and record of the year bids with "Black Parade," which she released on Juneteenth, the holiday that commemorates when the last enslaved African Americans learned they were free.

The song, which reached the Top 40 on the pop charts, is also nominated for best R&B song and best R&B performance. But she is not alone in the spotlight.

She, Taylor Swift, and Dua Lipa lead the nominations for the 2021 Grammy Awards.

The Weeknd surprisingly and despite his Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit "Blinding Lights" breaking the record for most weeks ever in the chart's top 10 and being 2020's most-streamed song on Spotify (so far), received zero nominations.

The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards is slated to hold on January 31, 2021, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It will recognize the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, running from September 1, 2019, to August 31, 2020.