“Grammy Using Nigerians To Boost Los Angeles’ GDP”: Cobhams Calls for Investment in Local Awards
- Cobhams Asuquo has reacted to the Nigerian music industry's loss at the 68th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, US
- The music producer shared his observation, pointing out how the Grammys could be exploiting Nigerians to boost Los Angeles' economy
- His call to invest in homegrown awards has since gained attention on social media as Nigerians shared diverse opinions
Nigerian producer Cobhams Asuquo has seemingly accused the Grammys of exploiting Nigerian artistes and fans by boosting Los Angeles' economy through attendance and spending, only to withhold awards when it matters.
It is known that the annual Grammy Awards takes place at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and tends to witness a high presence of popular celebrities from across the world, including Nigeria.
Source: Instagram
Cobhams, who was named the music director for Davido's "5ive Alive" world tour, called for Nigerians to invest in homegrown awards like the Headies.
“I think Grammy is using Nigerians to boost the GDP of Los Angeles. It’s like a carrot dangling in front of us and it goes away. I think we need to build something that is ours. It’s only America that will do Super Bowl and be playing it themselves," the music producer said.
"We have culture. We have the numbers. We are enough. What we need is unity of purpose and strategy," he added in a caption.
His comment comes after the Nigerian music industry suffered a major loss at the 2026 Grammy Awards, with South African singer Tyla winning the Best African Music Performance award ahead of Burna Boy, Davido, and Ayra Starr.
Source: Instagram
Tyla emerged victorious with her hit song Push 2 Start, edging out Burna Boy’s Love, Davido’s With You featuring Omah Lay, as well as Ayra Starr and Wizkid’s joint entry.
The viral video of Cobhams Asuquo speaking about the Grammys is below:
Reactions trail Cobhams' comments
Some netizens agreed with the music producer's opinions as they accused the Grammys of bias against Nigerian artistes. Legit.ng compiled some of the comments. Read them below:
mr_yatt1 said:
"Funny guy… Headies was right here but most of your people undermined it instead of offering constructive criticism to make it better."
omuocircle commented:
"Rema’s Calm Down conquered the world, yet the Grammys still snubbed it. No surprise, they never miss a chance to downplay Nigeria. Thank God for talent; it speaks louder than their bias."
mr_chiboi said:
"He’s not wrong. Global platforms like the Grammys are great for exposure, but they often benefit the host country more than the artists. Nigeria has the talent, what’s missing is infrastructure and events that we own, control, and profit from."
ImANorthernGirl wrote:
"Naija is good business anywhere, we live large, we show up for people we love, we respect community, thus the reason they use us!"
Why Tinubu paid tribute to Fela
Legit.ng previously reported that President Bola Tinubu paid tribute to late Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti over his historic recognition by the Recording Academy.
The president’s message came after Fela was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, making him the first African to receive the prestigious honour.
The award was presented at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, nearly three decades after the music icon’s death in 1997.
Source: Legit.ng
