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From Country to Pop: Nigerian-Descended Artists Dominate Major Categories at the 68th Grammy Awards

The 68th Annual Grammy Awards lit up Los Angeles on February 1, 2026, drawing the world’s biggest music stars for a night of celebration, prestige, and global sounds.
For Nigeria, it was a mixed outing. While several homegrown superstars earned nominations in key categories, none walked away with a Grammy on the night.
Heavyweights like Davido and Burna Boy featured prominently in the Best African Music Performance category, alongside Davido and Omah Lay’s joint effort on “With You.” Despite strong international buzz and widespread support, the Nigerian contenders were eventually outshone by rivals from other regions.
Still, Nigeria’s presence at the ceremony was far from muted. Across different categories, winners with Nigerian roots left a clear imprint, reinforcing the country’s expanding influence within the global music and entertainment space.
One of the standout moments of the night belonged to Shaboozey, born Collins Chibueze, who proudly traces his roots to Nigeria. The genre-bending artist secured the Best Country Duo/Group Performance award alongside American singer Jelly Roll for their collaboration, “Amen.”
Collins Obinna Chibueze, popularly known as Shaboozey, wins his first Grammy Award 🏆
Igbos stay dominating globally. pic.twitter.com/BdHswGOhZo
— Vivian Ifeoma (@VivianIfeomaOj) February 2, 2026
The song, celebrated for its emotional depth, genre fusion, and compelling vocal delivery, edged out established country stars including Miranda Lambert with Chris Stapleton and Margo Price with Tyler Childers. The win marked Shaboozey’s first-ever Grammy, a historic moment for an artist of Nigerian descent in a genre long dominated by American acts.
Shaboozey after winning his first Grammy: “Immigrants built this country, literally. So this is for them, for all children of immigrants. This is also for those who to came to this country in search of better opportunity to be part of a nation that promised freedom for all and… pic.twitter.com/YOOFsHjJ7y
— Marco Foster (@MarcoFoster_) February 1, 2026
Elsewhere, Grammy regular Tyler the Creator also enjoyed success on the night. Born Tyler Gregory Okonma to a Nigerian father, the American rap star won Best Album Cover for Chromakopia, earning praise for his bold and imaginative visual storytelling.
The award further highlighted Tyler’s creative range beyond music, cementing his reputation as a boundary-pushing artist while keeping Nigerian heritage visible on one of entertainment’s biggest stages.
Tyler, The Creator wins the 2026 GRAMMY Award for ‘Best Album Cover’ with ‘CHROMAKOPIA’ 🏆💿 pic.twitter.com/f8e9YQ6he3
— RapTV (@Rap) February 1, 2026
Another major win came through British-American singer and actress Cynthia Erivo, who is also of Nigerian descent. She clinched the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance award alongside Ariana Grande for their powerful rendition of “Defying Gravity” from the musical film Wicked: For Good.
The performance resonated strongly with both audiences and the Recording Academy, adding another Grammy to Erivo’s growing list of accolades and reaffirming her versatility across music, film and theatre.
Cynthia Erivo is officially a 2-time #GRAMMY winner. pic.twitter.com/wflFhuxGyy
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) February 1, 2026
Although Nigerian artists did not secure wins in competitive categories this year, the 2026 Grammys once again showed that Nigerian blood continues to flow through some of the world’s biggest musical moments. On a night without trophies for local stars, Nigeria’s global impact still rang loud and clear.
While we slept last night, THREE global stars with Igbo roots WON BIG at the Grammy Awards 🔥
Collins Obinna Chibueze (Shaboozey)
Cynthia Chinasa Onyedinmanasu (Cynthia Erivo)
Tyler Gregory Okonma (Tyler, the Creator)Igbo excellence. Global stage. No limits! 🌍✨ pic.twitter.com/ZBvv3y1NEl
— IGBO History & Facts (@IgboHistoFacts) February 2, 2026
