“Where Is My Davido?” Grammy Names Top 3 Afrobeats Artists and Top 10 Songs of All Time, 30BG Reacts

• Grammy Awards organisers have caught the attention of Nigerians with a recently published article on Afrobeats
• The Recording Academy, known for its prestigious awards, mentioned its choices for the top three Nigerian artists
• The names listed by the Grammys triggered a particular fan base after they noticed that their idol was not mentioned

The Recording Academy, which organises the renowned Grammy Awards, has caused intense outrage on the Nigerian cyberspace following a recent publication.

A debate was ignited on the academy's official X page as they analysed the growth of the Afrobeats genre and mentioned their top three artists, triggering reactions.

In the same tweet, the Recording Academy discussed how Afrobeats gained popularity in the mid-2010s, as well as their top 10 tracks, which range from 2Baba's African Queen to Rema's Ozeba.

In the tweet, the Grammys identified Wizkid, Burna Boy, and Rema as the best three musicians in the Afrobeats music genre from 2010 to present.

In the published article, the so-called top 10 Afrobeats songs ever were listed.

The list includes 2Baba’s 2004 hit African Queen, P-Square's Do Me from 2007, Bumper 2 Bumper by Wande Coal from 2009, Pon Pon Pon by Dagrin from 2009, and Azonto by Fuse ODG from 2014, which featured Tiffany Owusu.

Other songs listed were Wizkid's Ojuelegba from 2014, Runtown's Mad Over You from 2016, Niniola's Maradona from 2017, Asake's Sungba from 2022, and Rema's Ozeba from 2024.

Part of their article read:

“💫 From its popularization in the mid-2010s to current global, chart-topping dominance by the likes of @wizkidayo, @burnaboy and @heisrema, the sound of Afrobeats is constantly shifting.”

The Recording Academy's post is included below:

Nigerians react to Grammy’s Afrobeats top 10

Legit.ng compiled the reactions below:

@good_456910 said:

"Where is my Davido??"

@Bigdraxxx7 said:

"Lol eye service wan finish Una Na most Nigerians kuku rate this award I no rate una papa."

@heisdamiosky said:

"Y'all shouldn't use our names for clout if you won't be handing us the next Grammies, our artiste are putting all the best in their craft, reward them accordingly!"

@davidostanaccount said:

"Off to report your pages, get your facts straight."

@KinqKudos said:

"Grammy no know 001 ke? 😭"

@wizkidvein said:

"You are right, Wizkid is the greatest. 💯 . I hope Wizkid is getting a Grammy this season."

@AyoReggie007 said:

"Them no tag una frog 🐸 ooo😂😂😂. See tears and catarrh full everywhere for 30 bingos camp. Foolish Fanbase😂."

@AYODELEJOS21178 said:

"@RecordingAcad May u crumble. You’re talking about genesis of the top dominance without D banj and Psquare, even the First Afrobeat artist to bag a Single RIAA cert wasn’t included, may u crumble once again."

@MotojehiTobi said:

"We all know Wizkid and burna started from 2010 and still hitting the world with their lovely songs, but Rema started his career at 2019 so I guess Davido shud be on the list.. So y'all shud stop being bias."

Davido: Grammy Afrobeats list remains ‘opinion-based’ - Analyst

An entertainment business analyst, Anthony Udugba, has reacted to the Recording Academy’s recent Afrobeats list, which named Wizkid, Burna Boy, and Rema as the top artists in the genre.

“I don’t think the Recording Academy should choose for us who are top Afrobeats artists,” Udugba told Legit.ng.

While noting he has personal favorites among the listed artists, Udugba said leaving out Davido is notable, adding that such choices often come down to personal opinion.

He noted that award bodies operate with different criteria:

“Every voting academy has their own particular metrics. The metrics Billboard would use are different from what the Grammys or other organisations would apply.”

Davido remains an icon despite exclusion - Udugba

Speaking on impact and longevity, he acknowledged the influence of those mentioned but also emphasised Davido’s place in the genre:

“Maybe they feel Davido has not had as much impact on them as Wizkid, Burna, and Rema. But if you check it out, in terms of impact, you’ll have to look at the longevity of what they’ve done over the decade.”

“In as much as they excluded Davido in that list, I think he has proven himself to be not just a music star but basically an icon and a thing of culture for the Afrobeats industry.”

He however advised Davido’s camp not dwell on the exclusion:

“This can be a bit demoralising in some cases, but I think Davido, as he says, stands strong, so obviously he's gonna rise through everything.”

Udugba, who described the industry as largely driven by personal opinions, noted there is still a gap in cultural understanding.

“It’s an opinion-based industry at the end of the day. It’s not like they know what we know. As much as we’re trying to export Afrobeats to the world, I don’t think they have as much knowledge of where this is coming from, how it’s made, or how it’s consumed.”

He concluded,

“As long as they’re not part of us, they have their own rights and opinions. We as Africans shouldn’t take it so seriously.”

Burna Boy, Davido seated close at Grammys

Legit.ng also reported that the two Nigerian music rivals were seated close to each other at the 2024 Grammy Awards ceremony.

A video of the seating arrangement was seen online, with the two artists sitting only one table apart during the music celebration.

Editorial assistant Ololade Olatimehin provided exclusive commentary from a entertainment business analyst for this report.

Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng