Longer reads on the scenes, deals and shifts shaping African music — the context behind the charts, across the continent and the diaspora.
Before the 2027 Grammy nominations land on 16 November, TxC, Victony, MOLIY and DYSTINCT have put their names forward. Here is what each is campaigning for, and why.
The Afrobeat pioneer becomes the first African solo artist inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and Los Angeles is marking it with a weekend of dancing, live bands and Fela’s music.
The song that made Ayra Starr a Grammy nominee has earned her first US Platinum plaque, four years after it arrived. Some hits detonate. “Rush” took the long way round.
Sam Deep, Nia Pearl and Boohle’s ‘Shela’ has passed 950,000 units in South Africa, reaching 23x Platinum and overtaking ‘Imithandazo’ as amapiano’s best-selling song.
DBN Gogo and Ntwana_R’s remix of Monique Bingham and Black Coffee’s ‘Deep in the Bottom (of Africa)’ has been submitted for Best Remixed Recording at the Grammys.
Tyla’s ‘Chanel’ is up for R&B/Soul Song of the Year at the 2026 Soul Train Awards, a category decided by fans for the first time, with Tems also in the running.
With no Best Afrobeats category at the 2026 VMAs, Tems lost Best R&B to Bruno Mars and Nigeria went home empty-handed. What the cut means for African music.
The first Music Business Awards Africa honour the managers, A&Rs, publishers and lawyers behind African music. The ceremony is on 21 November in Pretoria.
DJ Tunez beat Spinall, Uncle Waffles and Major League DJz to Best DJ Africa at AFRIMMA 2026. Next: closing Afro Nation Portugal 2027 as South Gidi.
BNXN and Sarz won Song of the Year at AFRIMMA 2026 for ‘Back Outside’, a Lagos hit built on a 1990 Amadou & Mariam record.
Four questions, answered in plain text, marked up as FAQPage.
Longer analysis and reporting: scene reports, deal breakdowns and interviews that do not fit the release cycle.
Yes. Signings, streaming economics, touring and festival programming across Europe and Africa.
Typically eight to fifteen minutes. Reading time shows on every card.
Staff writers and contributors based in Lagos, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Paris and London.
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