Nigerian music stars Davido, Asake, Tems, and Ayra Starr have sent in their albums and songs for the 2027 Grammy Awards. They are aiming for nominations in several categories like Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best African Music Performance.
The submissions cover Afrobeats, global music, pop, R&B, rap, and music video categories. These artistes are looking for recognition for their solo works and international collaborations.
Reports from The Grammy Guru detail these entries ahead of the nominees' announcement for the 69th Grammy Awards.
But just submitting does not mean they will get nominated. The first-round voting by the Recording Academy, which decides the nominees, will take place from October 12 to 22, 2026. The complete list of nominees will be revealed on November 16.
Davido with Oriadé
Davido has submitted his sixth studio album, Oriadé, for four categories. These are Album of the Year, Best Global Music Album, Best Engineered Album (Non-Classical), and Best Album Cover.
His song ‘B4 B4’, featuring Mayorkun and FOLA, is in the running for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best African Music Performance.
Another collaboration, ‘Nakupenda’, featuring TxC, Zlatan, Shoday, Scotts Maphuma, and Al Xapo, is also entered for Song of the Year and Best African Music Performance.
‘Le Show’, featuring Ayra Starr and French Montana, is up for Best African Music Performance. At the same time, ‘I Know Who I Be’, featuring JAZZWRLD and GL_Ceejay, is submitted for Best Music Video.
Davido got three Grammy nominations for his album Timeless and songs ‘Unavailable’ and ‘Feel’ at the 66th edition in 2024 but did not win in any category.
Asake submits M$NEY, ‘Gratitude’
Asake has sent in his album M$NEY for Album of the Year and Best Global Music Album.
His song ‘Gratitude’ is entered for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best African Music Performance. His collaboration with Wizkid, ‘Jogodo’, is also in the running for Best African Music Performance.
Another song, ‘Worship’, featuring DJ Snake, is submitted for Best Dance Pop Recording.
These submissions come after Asake's previous Grammy nominations in the Best African Music Performance category for ‘Amapiano’, featuring Olamide, and ‘MMS’, featuring Wizkid.
Tems seeks recognition across genres
Tems has submitted her project ‘Love Is a Kingdom’ for Album of the Year, Best Global Music Album, Best Engineered Album (Non-Classical), and Best Album Cover.
Her song ‘What You Need’ is up for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best R&B Solo Performance, Best R&B Song, and Best Music Video.
Her collaboration with British rapper Dave, ‘Raindance’, is also in the running for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Melodic Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Music Video.
Tems’ ‘Big Daddy’ is in contention for Best African Music Performance, while ‘I Think You’re Special’, featuring Justin Bieber, is submitted for Best R&B Duo/Group Performance.
Tems is among Nigeria’s top artistes at the Grammys, with two wins. She won Best Melodic Rap Performance in 2023 for her work on Future’s ‘Wait for U’, featuring Drake, and Best African Music Performance in 2025 for ‘Love Me JeJe’.
Ayra Starr enters ‘Starrgirl,’ international collaborations
Ayra Starr has submitted her album ‘Starrgirl’ for Album of the Year, Best Global Music Album, Best Engineered Album (Non-Classical), and Best Album Cover.
‘Heaven Baby’, her collaboration with Zayn, has been entered for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.
Her song with Rema, ‘Who’s Dat Girl’, is submitted for Best Global Music Performance.
Other entries include ‘Ms. Paper’, featuring Theodora; ‘Aye Kan (Are You Coming Back?)’, featuring Angélique Kidjo; ‘Le Show’, featuring Davido and French Montana; and ‘Show Me’, featuring Latto, all submitted for Best African Music Performance.
Ayra Starr’s ‘Tornado’ is entered for Best Music Video, while ‘Wo Man, Edit’, featuring Peggy Gou, is submitted for Best Dance Pop Recording.
The singer has received Grammy nominations in the Best African Music Performance category for ‘Rush’ and ‘Gimme Dat’, her collaboration with Wizkid.
Seun Kuti
Seun Kuti has also sent in ‘Na Dem’ and ‘Problems’ for consideration in the Best African Music Performance category.
These submissions show Nigerian artistes’ strong presence in a Grammy year that highlights African music across different genres.
Other international stars reportedly submitting works for the 2027 Grammys include Charli XCX and RAYE from the UK, Karol G and Peso Pluma from Latin America, YOASOBI and Kenshi Yonezu from Japan, and Filipino girl group BINI. Notable acts like BTS, Stray Kids, and Drake are said to have opted out this year.
2027 Grammy Awards
The Recording Academy’s Online Entry Process ran from July 7 to August 21, 2026. This allowed eligible recordings released between August 31, 2025, and August 28, 2026, to be submitted. Entries were made by eligible Recording Academy members and registered media companies.
After the submission period, the Academy’s Awards Department and genre screening committees check entries to confirm eligibility and sort them into the right categories.
The nomination process relies on votes from eligible Recording Academy voting members. This includes artistes, songwriters, producers, engineers, and other music professionals. First-round voting will take place from October 12 to 22, 2026, to decide the nominees, who will be announced on November 16. The top five entries in most categories will be nominees, while Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist will have eight nominees each.
Final-round voting will run from December 10, 2026, to January 7, 2027, to choose the winners. The 69th Annual Grammy Awards will hold on February 7, 2027, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The ceremony will air on ABC, Disney+, and Hulu.
The submissions by Nigerian artistes show their desire for recognition in several categories, including major awards and Best African Music Performance. But remember, submitting does not mean they are nominated. They must first pass the Academy’s eligibility checks and voting process.
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