Grammys: Why Angelique Kidjo beat Wizkid, Kutis, others

There was so much expectation that Nigeria would come home from the 64th Annual Grammy Awards which was held on April 3, 2022 in Las Vegas, US smiling with at least an award after a quartet of Wizkid, Femi and Made Kuti and Burna Boy were nominated in the Best Global Music Album category alongside evergreen Beninese singer, Angelique Kidjo and others. But that was not to be as the veteran Beninese singer clinched the coveted award yet again, for the fifth time in her illustrious career.

She did the same to Burna Boy in 2020 before the African Giant got the gong last year. Before the winners were announced, the social media was frantic with expectation on Wizkid, who, going by the numbers on his “Made in Lagos” album stood head and shoulders above others. His bunch of fans and followers known as Wizkid FC on social media wouldn’t allow anyone a place to wink. It was not to be Star Boy’s night and his first solo Grammy.

Little did they know that when you are drawn against a monolithic figure such as Kidjo in the firmament of African music, you don’t count your chicken until they are hatched. Wizkid FC counted their chickens a little too early.

While the bickering over the loss was mounting, a blogger named Adenekan Mayowa explained possible reason the Grammy Academy fancied Kidjo over Wizkid.

“Y’all need to understand that every category in the Grammy has a purpose, all criteria must be met to win. Best Global Music Album isn’t about the numbers, but about the message and influence of the album. Angelique Kidjo dropped an Album in which the headline song talked about the dangers of climate change, induced disasters and how it will impact Africa more but you are wondering why she won a Grammy for THAT body of work?”, he queried.

According to Wikipedia, The Grammy Award for Best Global Music Album is an honor presented to recording artists for influential music from around the globe at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards.[1] Honors in several categories are presented at the ceremony annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to “honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position” Vanguard