The American Recording Academy has added a new category that would celebrate and recognize unique local expressions and compositions across the African continent. The category, Best African Music Performance, is part of three new categories that will be introduced at the 2024 GRAMMYs, officially known as the 66th GRAMMY Awards.
Alongside this exciting new addition, the Academy has also announced significant changes to existing categories, specifically Producer of the Year, Non-Classical, and Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical. These categories will be relocated to the General Field, allowing all GRAMMY voters to actively participate in these vital, non-genre-specific awards.
In a news release posted on the Academy’s official website, the organization provided a comprehensive breakdown of the genres that will be recognized within the newly established Best African Music Performance category.
“A track and singles Category that recognizes recordings that utilize unique local expressions from across the African continent. Highlighting regional melodic, harmonic and rhythmic musical traditions, the Category includes but is not limited to the 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 genres,” the release stated.
These Category additions and amendments were voted on and passed at the Recording Academy’s most recent semiannual Board of Trustees meeting held in May 2023.
This significant expansion of the GRAMMY Awards not only acknowledges the rich musical heritage of Africa but also provides an international platform to promote and honor the immense talent present on the continent. As anticipation builds for the 2024 GRAMMYs, music enthusiasts in Africa eagerly await the recognition and celebration of the vibrant African music scene but most importantly, the artiste that would be the first winner of the category.
Our goal at the #RecordingAcademy is to recognize and honor the very best in music from across the globe.
Today, we’re proud to announce a new category for the 66th GRAMMY Awards – Best African Music Performance.
Learn more: https://t.co/neBAQWE7cc #GRAMMYs pic.twitter.com/qJoQoF8PqA
— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) June 13, 2023