Grammy Awards 2025: Who should count as African?

“We’ve seen it with Latin before, we’ve seen it with K-Pop and now you’re starting to see it with Afrobeats and amapiano,” he says.

“We like to honour all music [regardless of] where it comes from or who makes it. If it’s excellent we want to celebrate it.”

Another bone of contention this year is the dominance of Afrobeats, which has its roots in Nigeria and Ghana.

There is a feeling that the Grammys remain too focused on it, to the exclusion of other African music genres, despite calls for inclusivity.

Nigerian music journalist Ayomide Tayo says he understands why Afrobeats is dominating this year’s awards.

“I don’t think Afrobeats is better,” he tells the BBC.

“It’s just that Afrobeats has had over three decades of exposure. We consistently pushed great music, superstars and events that have attracted the world to it,” Lagos-based Tayo explains.

Nigerians living abroad have also played a crucial role in the popularisation of Afrobeats.

“The Nigerian diaspora in England and North America is one of the key factors why Afrobeats exploded in Europe and the US,” Tayo says.

While other Africa-based music business professionals see a bright future for other African music genres, saying this year could be a one-off.