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Burna Boy electrified the audience at the 66th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, United States, early Monday.
The Afrobeats musician began his performance at around 4 a.m. with a rendition of his iconic song ‘Sittin’ On Top of The World’ alongside Brandy and 21 Savage, which elicited shouts from the audience.
His performance was a watershed moment for Nigerian music, as it was the first time an Afrobeats artist performed live on the world’s most famous music stage.
Introduced by host Trevor Noah, Burna Boy’s dynamic and dazzling performance began with rhythmic talking drums and a rendition of “E no go tire me,” which transitioned into his smash song “City Boys.”
The sonorous and familiar voice of Brandy then took the stage, followed by 21 Savage, who presented the crowd to a strong rendition of “Sitting On Top of The World”.
Burna Boy, real name Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, won the Best Global Music Album Grammy award at the 2021 Grammys. His record “Twice as Tall” won over Tuareg Desert Rock ensemble Tinariwen, NYC afrobeat duo Antibalas, Brazilian-American Bebel Gilberto, and British-Indian sitar performer Anoushka Shankar.
The victory comes a year after African music icon Angelique Kidjo defeated him for the title.
At the 66th Grammy Awards, the ‘City Boys’ singer was nominated in four categories: Best Melodic Rap Performance for “Sittin’ on the Top of the World;” Global Music Performance for “Alone;” Best African Music Performance for “City Boys,” and Best Global Music Album for his eighth album, “I Told Them…”
He, however, did not win in any of the categories, nor did any of the other five Nigerians who were nominated for Grammys this year.
Nigerian singers dominated the inaugural ‘Best African Music Performance’ category at the 2024 Grammys, accounting for four of the five entries in contention.
Other songs nominated in the new category included Burna Boy’s “City Boys,” Olamide and Asake’s “Amapiano,” Davido’s “Unavailable,” Ayra Starr’s “Rush,” and Tyla’s “Water.”
Tyla won that division, kicking off a night of losses for the Nigerian contingent.
The Best African Music Performance category was introduced in August 2023 as one of three new categories designed at making the Grammy Awards process “more fair, transparent, and accurate,” according to Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr.
On a night when Nigerian stars were vying for five trophies, Burna Boy’s spectacular performance served as a bright spot and consolation for waiting fans around the world.
