The Grammy Awards, considered the highest form of honor for musicians globally, have been recognizing and celebrating musical geniuses since their inception in 1954.
While the Grammys have historically focused on artists from around the world, African musicians have made their mark on this prestigious stage, dating back to the 1960s when South Africa’s Miriam Makeba became the first African artist to receive a Grammy.
Here, we celebrate 11 outstanding African musicians who have secured Grammy Awards for their exceptional contributions to the world of music.
1. Angélique Kidjo (Republic of Benin, 5 Grammys)
Angélique Kidjo, the Beninese-French artist, has earned an impressive five Grammy Awards. Her wins span various years, including 2007, 2015, 2016, 2020, and 2022. Kidjo’s awards include recognition in categories such as ‘Best Contemporary World Music Album,’ ‘Best World Music Album’ (awarded thrice), and ‘Best Global Music Album.’ She clinched these accolades for her albums “Djin Djin,” “Eve,” “Sings,” “Celia,” and “Mother Nature.”
2. Ali Farka Touré (Mali, 3 Grammys)
The legendary Malian musician Ali Farka Touré secured three Grammy Awards during his illustrious career. His first win came in 1995 when he was awarded ‘Best Global Music Album’ for “Talking Timbuktu.” In 2006, shortly before his passing, Touré received his second Grammy for the album “Heart Of The Moon,” which he created with Toumani Diabaté. His posthumous album, “Ali and Toumani,” released in 2010, earned him his third Grammy in the category of ‘Best Traditional World Music Album.’
3. Mariam Makeba (South Africa, 1 Grammy)
Fondly known as “Mama Africa,” South African music icon Mariam Makeba won a Grammy award in 1966 with the joint album “An Evening with Makeba/Belafonte.” She and her mentor, Harry Belafonte, secured this honor in the “Best Folk Recording” category.
4. Sikiru Adepoju (Nigeria, 2 Grammys)
Sikiru Adepoju, a two-time Grammy Award winner, gained international recognition in 1991 when he won the Grammy Award in the “Best World Music Album” category for his contribution to American percussionist Mickey Hart’s “Planet Drum” album. In 2008, Adepoju added another Grammy to his collection, this time for the album “Global Drum Project,” shared with musical acts Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain, and Giovanni Hidalgo in the “Best Contemporary World Music Album” category.
5. Babatunde Olatunji (Nigeria, 1 Grammy)
Nigeria’s Babatunde Olatunji received a Grammy Award in 1991 in the “Best World Music Album” category. Olatunji, who is no longer with us, collaborated with thirteen other musicians on Mickey Hart’s “Planet Drum” album, and their collective efforts resulted in a Grammy victory.
6. Owuor Arunga (Kenya, 3 Grammys)
Owuor Arunga, renowned for his trumpet skills, achieved Grammy success through his contribution to Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’s hit record, “Thrift Shop,” which won two Grammys in 2014, including “Best Rap Song” and “Best Rap Performance.” Arunga clinched his third Grammy in 2014 for his participation in the music group’s “The Heist” album, which was honored as the “Best Rap Album.”
7. Youssou Ndour (Senegal, 1 Grammy)
Senegalese music sensation Youssou Ndour received a Grammy award in 2005 in the “Best Contemporary World Music Album” category for his project “Egypt.”
8. Tems (Nigeria, 1 Grammy)
Nigerian artist Temilade Openiyi, known as Tems, achieved a Grammy in 2023 in the “Best Melodic Rap Performance” category for her contribution to American rapper Future’s hit single “Wait For U.”
9. Richard Bona (Cameroon, 1 Grammy)
Cameroonian bassist Richard Bona secured a Grammy in 2002 in the “Best Contemporary Jazz Album” category for the album “Speaking Of Now.”
10. Wizkid (Nigeria, 1 Grammy)
Nigerian artist Wizkid made headlines in 2021 when he won a Grammy award for his collaborative effort on Beyoncé’s hit record “Brown Skin Girl” from 2019. He was honored in the “Best Music Video” category.
11. Soweto Gospel Choir (South Africa, 3 Grammys)
The renowned South African gospel music group, the Soweto Gospel Choir, is a three-time Grammy Award winner. They received the “Best Traditional World Music Album” awards at the 2007 and 2008 Grammys. In 2019, the choir added another Grammy to their collection in the “Best World Music Album” category for their album “Freedom,” which was recorded in 2018.
12. Burna Boy (Nigeria, 1 Grammy)
Nigeria’s Damini Ogulu, also known as Burna Boy, clinched the award for the “Best World Music Album” category at the 2021 Grammy Awards for his album “Twice As Tall.”
