Two very different sides of Nigerian music are heading for the same Grammy race. Asake and Seun Kuti have submitted six entries between them for consideration at the 69th Grammy Awards, and both are chasing recognition in the Best African Music Performance category.
The details on which songs make up those six entries have not been laid out yet. What we do know is that the two artists are aiming at the same prize, which sets up an interesting overlap between Afrobeats and the older Afrobeat tradition.
For Asake, this is familiar ground. He picked up a nomination in Best African Music Performance at the 66th Grammys for “Amapiano,” his collaboration with Olamide, the label boss who helped launch his career through YBNL.
He returned to the shortlist the following year with “Lonely at the Top,” competing alongside Burna Boy, Tems, Yemi Alade, and the Chris Brown and Davido track “Sensational.” Tems took the trophy that night with “Love Me JeJe,” so Asake is still waiting on that first win.
His run of albums explains why he keeps showing up in these conversations. “Mr. Money with the Vibe” arrived in 2022, followed by “Work of Art” in 2023 and “Lungu Boy” in 2024, each one built on his mix of street pop, amapiano rhythms, and choir-style hooks.
Seun Kuti comes at this from a completely different direction. The youngest son of Fela Kuti, he fronts Egypt 80, the band that once backed his father, and he has spent his career keeping that politically charged Afrobeat sound alive.
He is no stranger to the Recording Academy either. His album “Black Times” with Egypt 80 earned a nomination for Best Global Music Album at the 63rd Grammys, putting the Kuti name back in front of voters decades after Fela’s own international breakthrough.
Seeing him enter the Best African Music Performance race is a different kind of move. The category was only introduced for the 66th ceremony, where Tyla won with “Water,” and so far it has leaned heavily toward the polished, streaming-friendly sound that artists like Asake represent.
That is where the story gets interesting. One reading is that a Seun Kuti entry broadens what the category can look like, pulling in horns, long grooves, and protest lyrics alongside dancefloor hits.
Another reading is that it shows how crowded the field has become. Nigeria alone produces enough serious contenders to fill the shortlist, and every new name submitted means tougher competition for the handful of nomination slots.
It is also worth keeping expectations in check. A submission is just the first step, and Recording Academy members still have to vote before anyone lands an actual nomination.
The nominations for the 69th Grammy Awards will be announced later, ahead of the ceremony in 2027. Until then, fans of both artists will be watching to see which of the six entries survive the screening and voting rounds, and if Asake finally gets past the shortlist stage with a Kuti in the same race.
