Popular Nigerian artiste, Burna Boy made history as the first musician from the country to win a Grammy award for their own work. His hit album Twice as Tall won Best Global Music Album at the 2021 Grammy Awards.
Over 1 million people streamed the 63rd Grammy Awards on YouTube
The album beat records by Antibalas (FU Chronicles), Bebel Gilberto (Agora), Anoushka Shankar (Love Letters), and Tinariwen (Amadjar) to win the category.
The win marks Burna Boy’s first Grammy Award after being nominated last year.
Other Nigerian Artistes who won awards include Wiz Kid for his supporting role in Beyonce’s 2019 hit song, Brown Skin Girl which won a Grammy for the Best Music Video.
Tiwa Savage, Femi Kuti and Made Kuti were also recognized as partial nominees for their contribution to Coldplay’s Everyday Life which was nominated for the Album of the year award.
Tiwa contributed with her voice while Femi and Made contributed in the areas of instruments and orchestra.
Sikiru Adepoju, a Nigerian percussionist and recording artist was the first Nigerian Artist to win the Grammy’s in 2009
#Grammys, Twice as Tall Trends on Twitter
Following the announcement of Burna Boy and Wizkid’s Grammy win, the Nigerian Twitter space has been buzzing with celebration and congratulations to the winners.
So far, while the Grammy Awards is trending at number one on Twitter with over 1.62 million tweets, Burna Boy’s album, Twice As Tall is also trending with over 33 thousand tweets, while Beyonce/Wizkid’s Brown Skin Girl is trending with over 81.3 thousand tweets.
Nigerian singer, Femi Kuti, took to his verified Twitter account to congratulate Burna Boy on his win. He simply wrote, “Congratulations @burnaboy.
Burna boy’s lover, Stefflondon, also took to her Instastory to celebrate the Wonderful singer. Sharing a picture of Burna Boy, she wrote, “Issa Grammy Boy.”
Similarly, Popular disc jockey, DJ Switch, congratulated both Burna Boy and Wizkid in a tweet, saying, “Congratulations to Baba NLA @wizkidayo & the African Giant @burnaboy. Very well deserved! We are all so happy, thank you! #GRAMMYs.”
Popular Nigerian singer, 9ice, took to his Instagram account to congratulate Wizkid, as he wrote, “Congrats Wizman!!! @wizkidayo.”
63rd Grammy Awards ceremony
The 63rd Grammy Awards ceremony was originally set for Jan. 31 but was pushed until March 14 due to the pandemic. This year’s edition was hosted by Trevor Noah of The Daily Show and had performances that were a mix of live and pre-recorded sets, across four stages to a crowd of over 1 million streamers.
The show’s lineup boasts an impressive 22 performers, including Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, BTS, Billie Eilish, Post Malone and Megan Thee Stallion.
Beyoncé leads this year’s nominations with nine, including the record of the year for “Black Parade”. Taylor Swift, Roddy Ricch, and Dua Lipa follow with six nominations each, while Brittany Howard picked up five nominations.
Here’s the full list of winners
On the technical part –
Best Music Video
“Brown Skin Girl” — Beyoncé — Beyoncé Knowles-Carter & Jenn Nkiru, Video Directors; Lauren Baker, Astrid Edwards, Nathan Scherrer & Erinn Williams, Video Producers (WINNER)
Best Jazz Instrumental Album
“Trilogy 2” — Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade (WINNER)
Best Classical Instrumental Solo
“Theofanidis: Concerto for Viola and Chamber Orchestra” — Richard O’Neill; David Alan Miller, conductor (Albany Symphony) (WINNER)
Best Dance/Electronic Album
“Bubba” — Kaytranada (WINNER)
Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
“Live at the Royal Albert Hall” — Snarky Puppy (WINNER)
Best Instrumental Composition
“Sputnik” — Maria Schneider, composer (WINNER)
Best Recording Package
“Vols. 11 & 12” — Doug Cunningham & Jason Noto, art directors (Desert Sessions) (WINNER)
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
“Hyperspace” — Drew Brown, Andrew Coleman, Shawn Everett, Serban Ghenea, David Greenbaum, Jaycen Joshua & Mike Larson, engineers; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer (Beck) (WINNER)
Best Engineered Album, Classical
“Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13, ‘Babi Yar’” — David Frost & Charlie Post, engineers; Silas Brown, mastering engineer (Riccardo Muti & Chicago Symphony Orchestra) (WINNER)
Other winners include
Record of the Year
“Everything I Wanted” — Billie Eilish (WINNER)
Album of the Year
“Folklore” — Taylor Swift (WINNER)
Song of the Year
“I Can’t Breathe” — Dernst Emile II, H.E.R. & Tiara Thomas, songwriters (H.E.R.) (WINNER)
Best New Artist
Megan Thee Stallion (WINNER)
Best Pop Solo Performance
“Watermelon Sugar” — Harry Styles (WINNER)
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
“Rain on Me” — Lady Gaga With Ariana Grande (WINNER)
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
“American Standard” — James Taylor (WINNER)
Best Pop Vocal Album
“Future Nostalgia” — Dua Lipa (WINNER)
Best Dance Recording
“10%” — Kaytranada Featuring Kali Uchis (WINNER)
Best Rock Performance
“Shameika” — Fiona Apple (WINNER)
Best Metal Performance
“Bum-Rush” — Body Count (WINNER)
Best Rock Album
“The New Abnormal” — The Strokes (WINNER)
Best Rock Song
“Stay High” — Brittany Howard, songwriter (Brittany Howard) (WINNER)
Best Alternative Music Album
“Fetch the Bolt Cutters” — Fiona Apple (WINNER)
Best R&B Performance
“Black Parade” — Beyoncé (WINNER)
Best Traditional R&B Performance
“Anything For You” — Ledisi (WINNER)
Best Progressive R&B Album
“It Is What It Is” — Thundercat (WINNER)
Best R&B Song
“Better Than I Imagine” — Robert Glasper, Meshell Ndegeocello & Gabriella Wilson, songwriters (Robert Glasper Featuring H.E.R. & Meshell Ndegeocello) (WINNER)
Best R&B Album
“Bigger Love” — John Legend (WINNER)
Best Rap Performance
“Savage” — Megan Thee Stallion Featuring Beyoncé (WINNER)
Best Melodic Rap Performance
“Lockdown” — Anderson .Paak (WINNER)
Best Rap Album
“King’s Disease” — Nas (WINNER)
Best Rap Song
“Savage” — Beyoncé, Shawn Carter, Brittany Hazzard, Derrick Milano, Terius Nash, Megan Pete, Bobby Session Jr., Jordan Kyle Lanier Thorpe & Anthony White, songwriters (Megan Thee Stallion Featuring Beyoncé) (WINNER)
Best Country Solo Performance
“When My Amy Prays” — Vince Gill (WINNER)
Best Country Duo/Group Performance
“10,000 Hours” — Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber (WINNER)
Best Country Album
“Wildcard” — Miranda Lambert (WINNER)
Best Country Song
“Crowded Table” — Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby & Lori McKenna, Songwriters (The Highwomen) (WINNER)
Best New Age Album
“More Guitar Stories” — Jim “Kimo” West (WINNER)
Best Jazz Vocal Album
“Secrets Are the Best Stories” — Kurt Elling Featuring Danilo Pérez (WINNER)
Best Improvised Jazz Solo
“All Blues” — Chick Corea, Soloist Track From: Trilogy 2 (Chick Corea, Christian Mcbride & Brian Blade) (WINNER)
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
“Data Lords” — Maria Schneider Orchestra (WINNER)
Best Latin Jazz Album
“Four Questions” — Arturo O’farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra (WINNER)
Best Gospel Performance/Song
“Movin’ On” — Jonathan McReynolds & Mali Music; Darryl L. Howell, Jonathan Caleb McReynolds, Kortney Jamaal Pollard & Terrell Demetrius Wilson, songwriters (WINNER)
Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song
“There Was Jesus” — Zach Williams & Dolly Parton; Casey Beathard, Jonathan Smith & Zach Williams, songwriters (WINNER)
Best Gospel Album
“Gospel According to PJ” — PJ Morton (WINNER)
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
“Jesus Is King” — Kanye West (WINNER)
Best Roots Gospel Album
“Celebrating Fisk! (The 150th Anniversary Album)” — Fisk Jubilee Singers (WINNER)
Best Latin Pop or Urban Album
“YHLQMDLG” — Bad Bunny
Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album
“La Conquista Del Espacio” — Fito Paez (WINNER)
Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)
“Un Canto Por México, Vol. 1” — Natalia Lafourcade (WINNER)
Best Tropical Latin Album
“40” — Grupo Niche (WINNER)
Best American Roots Performance
“I Remember Everything” — John Prine (WINNER)
Best American Roots Song
“I Remember Everything” — Pat McLaughlin & John Prine, songwriters (John Prine) (WINNER)
Best Americana Album
“World on the Ground” — Sarah Jarosz (WINNER)
Best Bluegrass Album
“Home” — Billy Strings (WINNER)
Best Global Music Album
“Twice As Tall” — Burna Boy (WINNER)
Best Traditional Blues Album
“Rawer Than Raw” — Bobby Rush (WINNER)
Best Contemporary Blues Album
“Have You Lost Your Mind Yet?” — Fantastic Negrito (WINNER)
Best Folk Album
“All the Good Times” — Gillian Welch & David Rawlings (WINNER)
Best Regional Roots Music Album
“Atmosphere” — New Orleans Nightcrawlers (WINNER)
Best Reggae Album
“Got to Be Tough” — Toots & the Maytals (WINNER)
Best Children’s Music Album
“All the Ladies” — Joanie Leeds (WINNER)
Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling)
“Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, and the Richest, Most Destructive Industry on Earth” — Rachel Maddow (WINNER)
Best Comedy Album
“Black Mitzvah” — Tiffany Haddish (WINNER)
Best Musical Theater Album
“Jagged Little Pill” — Kathryn Gallagher, Celia Rose Gooding, Lauren Patten & Elizabeth Stanley, principal soloists; Neal Avron, Pete Ganbarg, Tom Kitt, Michael Parker, Craig Rosen & Vivek J. Tiwary, producers (Glen Ballard & Alanis Morissette, lyricists) (Original Broadway Cast) (WINNER)
Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media
“Jojo Rabbit” (Various Artists) (WINNER)
Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media
“Joker” — Hildur Guðnadóttir, composer (WINNER)
Best Song Written For Visual Media Category
“No Time to Die [From No Time To Die]” — Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas Baird O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish) (WINNER)
Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella
“Donna Lee” — John Beasley, arranger (John Beasley) (WINNER)
Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals
“He Won’t Hold You” — Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier Featuring Rapsody) (WINNER)
Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package
“Ode to Joy” — Lawrence Azerrad & Jeff Tweedy, art directors (Wilco) (WINNER)
Best Album Notes
“Dead Man’s Pop” — Bob Mehr, album notes writer (The Replacements) (WINNER)
Best Historical Album
“It’s Such a Good Feeling: The Best of Mister Rogers” — Lee Lodyga & Cheryl Pawelski, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer (Mister Rogers) (WINNER)
Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical
Andrew Watt — “Break My Heart” (Dua Lipa), “Me And My Guitar” (A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie), “Midnight Sky” (Miley Cyrus), “Old Me” (5 Seconds Of Summer), “Ordinary Man” (Ozzy Osbourne Featuring Elton John), “Take What You Want” (Post Malone Featuring Ozzy Osbourne & Travis Scott), “Under The Graveyard” (Ozzy Osbourne) (WINNER)
Best Remixed Recording
“Roses (Imanbek Remix)” — Imanbek Zeikenov, Remixer (Saint Jhn) (WINNER)
Producer Of The Year, Classical
David Frost (WINNER)
Best Orchestral Performance
“Ives: Complete Symphonies” — Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic) (WINNER)
Best Opera Recording
“Gershwin: Porgy And Bess” — David Robertson, conductor; Angel Blue & Eric Owens; David Frost, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus) (WINNER)
Best Choral Performance
“Danielpour: The Passion Of Yeshua” — JoAnn Falletta, conductor; James K. Bass & Adam Luebke, chorus masters (James K. Bass, J’Nai Bridges, Timothy Fallon, Kenneth Overton, Hila Plitmann & Matthew Worth; Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra; Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus & UCLA Chamber Singers) (WINNER)
Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance
“Contemporary Voices” — Pacifica Quartet (WINNER)
Best Classical Solo Vocal Album
“Smyth: The Prison” — Sarah Brailey & Dashon Burton; James Blachly, conductor (Experiential Chorus; Experiential Orchestra) (WINNER)
Best Classical Compendium
“Thomas, M.T.: From The Diary Of Anne Frank & Meditations On Rilke” — Isabel Leonard; Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor; Jack Vad, producer (WINNER)
Best Contemporary Classical Composition
“Rouse: Symphony No. 5” — Giancarlo Guerrero & Nashville Symphony (WINNER)
Best Music Film
“Linda Ronstadt: The Sound Of My Voice” — Linda Ronstadt — Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman, video directors; Michele Farinola & James Keach, video producers (WINNER)
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