The Recording Academy of the Grammy Awards has introduced a new category for African and Afrobeat music to its annual awards scheme.
In the latest entertainment news today, there will be three additional categories at the annual awards ceremony in 2024, one of which is Best African Music Performance. The other two are for Best Pop Dance Recording and Best Alternative Jazz Album, respectively.
This comes following rumours that the scheme was considering introducing a category for Afrobeats and African music. In 2022, during a trip to Ghana, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Manson Jr. reaffirmed this direction and discussed the organisation’s diligent commitment to finding the best possible representation for African music.
The various musical traditions of the continent, including their melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic aspects, will be honoured in this section. Among the genres that may be included are Afrobeat, Afro-fusion, Afro-Pop, Afrobeats, Alte, Amapiano, Bongo Flava, Genge, Kizomba, Chimurenga, High Life, Fuji, Kwassa, Ndombolo, Mapouka, Ghanaian Drill, Afro-House, South African Hip-Hop, and Ethio Jazz.
It’s a huge deal that there’s now a category specifically for “Best African Music Performance,” since it means African musicians may finally get their music heard all around the world.
Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. was pleased to announce the updates, saying, “The Recording Academy is proud to announce these latest category changes to our awards process. These changes reflect our commitment to actively listen and respond to the feedback from our music community, accurately represent a diverse range of relevant musical genres, and stay aligned with the ever-evolving musical landscape.”
“By introducing these three new categories, we are able to acknowledge and appreciate a broader array of artists.” The move to relocate the Producer of the Year and Songwriter of the Year categories to the general field ensures that all voters can participate in recognising excellence in these fields. Mason added, “We are excited to honour and celebrate the creators and recordings in these categories while also exposing a wider range of music to fans worldwide.”
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