It’s a bit of a running joke (and a point of serious frustration) that some of the most culturally massive African songs have been overlooked by the Recording Academy. For a long time, the Grammys struggled to categorise African music, often lumping it into the broad “World Music” bucket where commercial hits were frequently outvoted by niche traditional recordings.
Here is a breakdown of legendary African hits that never took home a trophy, from the “Original Snubs” to modern-day “Global Robberies.”
1. The “Architects” (Classic Hits)
These songs basically built the foundation for African music on the global stage, yet the Academy missed the boat at the time.
King Sunny Ade was the first Nigerian to be nominated for the Grammys. He earned two Grammy nominations in his career: the first in 1984 for his album Synchro System (Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk Recording) and a second in 1999 for Odu (Best World Music Album).
Though he did not win, these nominations placed him as a pioneer in bringing Nigerian music to the global stage.
”Water No Get Enemy” by legendary Afrobeat pioneer and activist, Fela Kuti missed the Grammys. This track, which is arguably his most iconic track, blends jazz, funk, and highlife into a political anthem.
”Pata Pata” by South African singer and activist Miriam Makeba was snubbed by the recording academy. Although “Mama Africa” won a Grammy in 1966 for a collaborative folk album, her signature solo hit “Pata Pata”—the first African song to truly crack the US Top 20—never won one.
”Soul Makossa” by the Cameroonian musician, Manu Dibango is on this list. This song’s “ma-ma-say, ma-ma-sa” hook was famously sampled by Michael Jackson and Rihanna. Despite its massive DNA in pop history, the original didn’t get a Grammy win.
Anti-apartheid fighter and singer, Brenda Fassie’s “Vulindlela” was a major buzz in pop culture. Known as the “Madonna of the Townships,” Brenda created a pan-African wedding staple with this track. Despite being one of the continent’s most beloved pop songs, it never won a Grammy.
2. The “Digital Era” Giants
With the explosion of Afrobeats and Amapiano, these songs topped charts in the US and UK but were either passed over or lost in the final stretch.
“Jerusalema,” the massive 2020 hit by South African producer Master KG featuring singer Nomcebo Zikode, did not receive a Grammy nomination during its peak popularity in 2020 or 2021. The song was considered as the therapy song of the pandemic and was one of the viral songs of the period of global distress.
While the original “Jerusalema” did not get a nomination, singer Nomcebo Zikode later won a Grammy for Best Global Music Performance in 2023 for her work on the song “Bayethe” with Wouter Kellerman and Zakes Bantwini.
”Essence,” a collaborative track by Wizkid and Tems was the “Song of the Summer” in 2021. Despite being a Billboard hit and a cultural phenomenon, it lost Best Global Music Performance to Arooj Aftab’s “Mohabbat.” Many Nigerian fans are still holding grudges till date.
The global hit ”Calm Down” by Nigerian singer Rema also missed the Grammys. This song (especially the remix with Selena Gomez) broke records for the longest-running African song on the Billboard Hot 100. Despite its ubiquity, it was famously snubbed for a nomination in major categories.
”Last Last” is a 2023 heartbreak anthem that helped to push Burna Boy into the hip-hop vicinity in the US and other parts of the world. Nominated for Best Global Music Performance, the track lost to “Bayethe.”
Tubaba, then known as Tuface Idibia almost won the Grammys with his 2004 hit ”African Queen” but he didn’t. This song is the “standard” for contemporary African love ballads. It predates the Grammys’ current fascination with the continent and never received a nod. It, however, made it to the soundtracks of the Hollywood movie, “Phat Girls.”
3. Recent Viral Snubs (2025-2026 Cycle)
The most recent Grammy cycles have seen significant backlash for excluding songs that dominated streaming and TikTok:
”Laho” – Shallipopi: A massive hit that broke Shazam records but was left out of the Best African Music Performance category.
”Shake It to the Max” by Moliy is one of Ghana’s biggest international exports recently, which many felt deserved a nod for its global reach.
Why don’t they win?
Historically, it is believed that the Grammys have favoured “World Music” that sounds traditional or acoustic. High-energy, digital-first genres like Amapiano (e.g., TitoM & Yuppe’s “Tshwala Bam”) or Afropop often get sidelined because they don’t fit the Academy’s older, “folk-centric” definition of global music—though the new “Best African Music Performance” category is finally starting to change that.
