Davido Grammy Nominations: Every Nod, Every Song & What the 2026 Ceremony Means

Five Grammy nominations. Zero wins. Tonight could change that.

Davido — David Adedeji Adeleke — is one of the most successful Nigerian musicians on the planet. He’s been making hits since 2011. He’s sold out arenas from Lagos to Los Angeles. His song “Fall” holds the record as the longest-charting Nigerian pop song in Billboard history. And yet, through three consecutive Grammy ceremonies, he has never taken a single gramophone home.

The 68th Grammy Awards happen tonight, February 1, 2026, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Davido is nominated again — this time for “With You” featuring Omah Lay in the Best African Music Performance category. It’s his fifth nomination overall, and his second consecutive year on the ballot.

This article breaks down every single Davido Grammy nomination across all three years, explains exactly who he’s competing against in 2026, and puts his journey in the context of how African music has risen at the Grammys. Whether you’re watching tonight or just want to understand what’s at stake, this is the full picture.

Table of Contents

1. Who Is Davido? A Quick Career Snapshot
2. The Best African Music Performance Category: How It Started
3. 2024 Grammys (66th): Davido’s First-Ever Nominations
4. 2025 Grammys (67th): The Fourth Nomination
5. 2026 Grammys (68th): “With You” and the Fifth Nomination
6. Who Is Davido Up Against Tonight?
7. Davido as a Grammy Voting Member
8. What This Means for Nigerian Music Fans
9. Afrobeats at the Grammys: The Bigger Picture
10. How to Watch the 2026 Grammys from Nigeria
11. Frequently Asked Questions

Who Is Davido? A Quick Career Snapshot

David Adedeji Adeleke was born on November 21, 1992, in Atlanta, Georgia. His parents are Nigerian. He moved to Lagos as a child and grew up immersed in both Nigerian and American culture — a dual identity that now defines his music.

He dropped out of Oakwood University in Alabama to pursue music full-time. His first single, “Dami Duro,” landed in 2011 and blew up across Nigeria overnight. Within a year, he was one of the country’s biggest names.

His discography tells the story of a career built on consistency and evolution:

Davido is part of what Nigerian music fans call the “Big Three” — alongside Wizkid and Burna Boy. These three artists have spent the better part of a decade carrying Afrobeats onto the global stage.

The Best African Music Performance Category: How It Started

Before 2024, African music had no dedicated Grammy category. African artists could only compete in broader global categories like Best Global Music Album or Best Global Music Performance — categories dominated by established international acts.

The Recording Academy created Best African Music Performance in June 2023. The Academy stated that the category “recognises recordings that utilise unique local expressions from across the African continent, highlighting regional melodic, harmonic and rhythmic musical traditions.”

When announcing the category, the Academy specifically named Davido among the artists whose work had highlighted African music on an international scale. He was there from the very beginning of this category’s existence.

Here’s how the category has played out so far:

• 2024 (66th Grammys): First-ever winner. Tyla (South Africa) won for “Water.” Davido was nominated but didn’t win.
• 2025 (67th Grammys): Tems (Nigeria) won for “Love Me Jeje.” Davido was nominated again through “Sensational” but didn’t win.
• 2026 (68th Grammys): Tonight. Davido is nominated for “With You” featuring Omah Lay. Winner unknown.

A Nigerian artist has never won this category. Tyla (South Africa) took it first. Tems won in 2025, but her win was in the broader sense — she’s Nigerian, yes, but the category is pan-African. No Nigerian has won Best African Music Performance in its own right yet. Tonight is another chance.

2024 Grammys (66th): Davido’s First-Ever Nominations

The 66th Grammy Awards on February 4, 2024 marked a historic moment for Davido. He walked into the Crypto.com Arena with three nominations — his first ever. No Nigerian Afrobeats artist had ever received three Grammy nominations in a single ceremony before him at that point.

Nomination 1: Best African Music Performance — “Unavailable” (feat. Musa Keys)

“Unavailable” was Davido’s biggest hit in years. The Amapiano-tinged track reached number 3 on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart in 2023. It generated 1.4 million TikTok videos with its sound and even received a shout-out from Rihanna. Davido told GRAMMY.com: “It feels incredible to be a part of history.”

Result: Lost to Tyla’s “Water.”

Nomination 2: Best Global Music Album — Timeless

Davido’s fourth album was his most personal project. Recorded after years away from the studio, Timeless became the album that proved Davido could deliver critically acclaimed work — not just crowd-pleasers. He told Rolling Stone: “Just being nominated, just being recognised alone, is enough to make me proud of myself.”

Result: Did not win.

Nomination 3: Best Global Music Performance — “Feel”

A sultry deep-cut from Timeless, “Feel” showcased Davido’s vocal range in a way his commercial singles rarely do. Its nomination proved that Grammy voters were listening to his full body of work — not just the hits.

Result: Did not win.

Three nominations, zero wins. But Davido’s reaction was one of genuine gratitude. He walked the red carpet for the first time, soaked in the moment, and left with his head high.

2025 Grammys (67th): The Fourth Nomination

The 67th Grammy Awards took place on February 2, 2025. Davido returned with one nomination — his fourth career nod.

Nomination 4: Best African Music Performance — “Sensational” (Chris Brown feat. Davido & Lojay)

This was a collaborative track led by Chris Brown, with Davido and rising Nigerian artist Lojay providing the African flavour. It was a bold stylistic pivot — an American R&B star adopting Afrobeats for a slick, breezy collaboration. The nomination placed Davido alongside Burna Boy (“Higher”), Asake & Wizkid (“MMS”), Yemi Alade (“Tomorrow”), and the defending champion Tems (“Love Me Jeje”).

Result: Lost to Tems’ “Love Me Jeje.”

After the ceremony, Davido congratulated his competitors gracefully. He posted on X: “Congratulations to my one and only @chrisbrown! And to the Queen @temsbaby, we are proud of you!”

Four nominations. Still no win. The narrative around Davido’s Grammy journey intensified. Critics pointed out that Nigerian artists had managed just one win from 16 nominations in the Best Global Music Album category alone — with Burna Boy’s Twice As Tall in 2021 being the only success.

2026 Grammys (68th): “With You” and the Fifth Nomination

On November 7, 2025, the Recording Academy announced the 68th Grammy nominees. Davido’s name appeared once again — this time for a track from his latest album 5ive.

Nomination 5: Best African Music Performance — “With You” (feat. Omah Lay)

This nomination marks Davido’s second consecutive year on the Grammy ballot — and his fifth nomination overall. One source tracking his career noted that this places him among the most consistently nominated Nigerian artists in Grammy history.

Who Is Davido Up Against Tonight?

The Best African Music Performance category at the 68th Grammys is stacked. Here’s the full field Davido faces tonight:

Artist	Song	Country	Grammy History
Davido feat. Omah Lay	“With You”	Nigeria	5 nominations, 0 wins
Burna Boy	“Love”	Nigeria	13 nominations, 1 win (Twice As Tall, 2021). First African artist nominated 7 consecutive years.
Ayra Starr feat. Wizkid	“Gimme Dat”	Nigeria	First nomination for Ayra Starr. Wizkid has multiple nominations but no solo wins in this category.
Eddy Kenzo & Mehran Matin	“Hope & Love”	Uganda	Eddy Kenzo is a veteran East African artist with previous Grammy recognition.
Tyla	“Push 2 Start”	South Africa	1 nomination, 1 win (first-ever Best African Music Performance winner in 2024 for “Water”). Back after missing 2025.

This is arguably the strongest field the category has seen. Three Nigerian acts, the defending 2024 champion in Tyla, and a veteran East African collaboration. Burna Boy is the biggest threat on paper — he’s the most decorated African artist in Grammy history and has two nominations tonight (he’s also up for Best Global Music Album for No Sign of Weakness).

But Davido’s “With You” has something working in its favour: it’s a pure, standalone Afrobeats track. No American artist fronting it. No feature from a bigger Western name. It’s Davido and Omah Lay — two Nigerian artists, making Nigerian music. That authenticity could matter to voters who want the category to celebrate exactly what it was created to celebrate.

Davido Grammy 2026 Voting Member

In September 2025, the Recording Academy confirmed that Davido had been accepted as a voting member of the Recording Academy. This is a significant milestone that goes beyond nominations.

As a voting member, Davido now participates in the nomination and final-ballot processes for Grammy Awards. He is part of a global community of music professionals — artists, songwriters, producers, engineers — who collectively decide every Grammy winner.

The Recording Academy confirmed his membership in an Instagram post featuring Davido alongside other new members, stating: “Creating a song or an album takes heart, time, and dedication. That’s why Recording Academy members are sharing why your participation matters.”

This membership reflects the Recording Academy’s broader push to diversify its voter base. In 2025, 28% of all new Academy members identified as Hispanic or Latino — and African artists like Davido represent a growing slice of that expanded membership. It signals that the institution recognises African music not just as a category to fill, but as a voice that should shape the future of the entire awards process.

What This Means for Nigerian Music Fans

If you’re in Nigeria and you care about music, tonight matters. Here’s why:

The drought continues — or ends. Nigerian artists have been nominated dozens of times across Grammy categories. But wins have been agonisingly rare. Burna Boy’s Twice As Tall in 2021 remains the only Nigerian solo album to win a Grammy. Tems has won twice, but both through collaborative or crossover work. A standalone Nigerian Afrobeats track has never won Best African Music Performance. Tonight, three Nigerian acts are in the running to change that.

Davido’s personal narrative is compelling. Five nominations without a single win is a story Nigerian fans know intimately. The pressure, the expectations, the “when will it be his turn” conversations on Twitter and WhatsApp groups — they’ve all been building for two years. A win tonight would silence critics and validate what his fans have always believed.

The category is only three years old. Best African Music Performance was created in 2024. It’s still young. But the fact that Nigerian artists dominate its nominations every year — and that the Recording Academy specifically cited Davido when creating it — shows that the category was built, in part, because of artists like him.

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Afrobeats at the Grammys: The Bigger Picture

Davido’s journey isn’t just his story. It’s part of a much larger movement.

The Timeline of African Music at the Grammys

Why Nigerian Music Keeps Showing Up

Streaming platforms changed everything. Before 2015, Nigerian music had almost no pathway to international audiences. Now, Spotify playlists, YouTube algorithms, and TikTok trends carry Afrobeats to listeners in New York, London, Lagos, and São Paulo simultaneously. The Recording Academy has had no choice but to follow where the audience is going.

Davido himself captured this perfectly in a Rolling Stone interview: “Even when I was in school, when I used to play African music for my friends that were American, they would love it. I always knew that, given the opportunity to be heard, it would go crazy.”

How to Watch 2026 Grammy Awards from Nigeria

The 68th Grammy Awards air tonight, Sunday, February 1, 2026. Here’s how to tune in:

• Time: 8:00 PM – 11:30 PM ET (that’s 2:00 AM – 5:30 AM WAT on Monday, February 2). Yes — it’s a late-night watch for Nigerian viewers.
• Live broadcast: CBS Television Network (available on some satellite packages in Nigeria).
• Streaming: Paramount+ (requires a subscription). You can stream on demand after the ceremony as well.
• Premiere Ceremony: Starts earlier in the afternoon ET. This is where most of the category awards are given out — including Best African Music Performance. It streams live on Grammy.com and the Grammy YouTube channel. This is the one Nigerian fans need to watch.
• Social media updates: If you can’t stay up, follow the Grammy Awards official accounts on X (Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook. Winners are announced in real time.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many Grammy nominations does Davido have?

Davido has five Grammy nominations in total. Three came at the 66th Grammys in 2024 (for “Unavailable,” Timeless, and “Feel”). One came at the 67th Grammys in 2025 (for “Sensational” with Chris Brown). And his fifth came at the 68th Grammys in 2026 (for “With You” featuring Omah Lay).

Has Davido ever won a Grammy?

No. As of tonight’s ceremony, Davido has been nominated five times and has not won. He has lost in Best African Music Performance (twice), Best Global Music Album, and Best Global Music Performance.

What is Davido nominated for at the 2026 Grammys?

Davido is nominated for Best African Music Performance for his song “With You” featuring Omah Lay, from his album 5ive.

Who else is nominated for Best African Music Performance in 2026?

The full field includes Burna Boy (“Love”), Ayra Starr featuring Wizkid (“Gimme Dat”), Eddy Kenzo & Mehran Matin (“Hope & Love”), and Tyla (“Push 2 Start”).

When did the Best African Music Performance category start?

The category was created by the Recording Academy in June 2023 and first awarded at the 66th Grammy Awards in February 2024. Tyla won the inaugural award for “Water.”

Who won Best African Music Performance last year?

Tems won the award at the 67th Grammys in 2025 for her song “Love Me Jeje.” She beat Burna Boy, Davido (via Chris Brown’s “Sensational”), Asake & Wizkid, and Yemi Alade.

Is Davido a Grammy voting member?

Yes. The Recording Academy confirmed in September 2025 that Davido had been accepted as a voting member. He now participates in the nomination and final-ballot processes.

What time do the 2026 Grammys start in Nigeria?

The main ceremony begins at 8:00 PM ET, which is 2:00 AM WAT (West Africa Time) on Monday, February 2. The Premiere Ceremony — where Best African Music Performance is typically awarded — starts earlier in the afternoon ET. Discover more from LinkNearBiz

Has any Nigerian artist ever won Best African Music Performance?

Not yet. Tyla (South Africa) won in 2024. Tems (Nigeria) won in 2025, but her win is sometimes discussed with nuance given her crossover positioning. A purely Afrobeats-driven Nigerian track has not yet won the category.

What album is “With You” from?

“With You” is from Davido’s fifth studio album, 5ive, released on April 18, 2025. The album also features Chris Brown, Victoria Monét, Becky G, and Musa Keys.

The Bottom Line

Davido has been knocking on the Grammy door for two years. Tonight, he knocks again — louder than ever.

Five nominations is not something you achieve by luck. It means Grammy voters have listened to his music, considered it carefully, and placed it alongside the best recordings in the world — three separate times across three separate ceremonies. The question has never been whether Davido belongs at the Grammys. The question is when the win finally comes.

Quick facts to remember tonight:

• Davido has 5 Grammy nominations and 0 wins heading into tonight.
• He’s nominated for Best African Music Performance for “With You” feat. Omah Lay.
• His biggest competition is Burna Boy, Tyla, and Ayra Starr feat. Wizkid.
• The Best African Music Performance category is only three years old. No Nigerian act has won it yet.
• Davido is also a Grammy voting member — a sign of the Recording Academy’s growing respect for his role in African music.
• The Premiere Ceremony (where this award is given) streams free on Grammy.com and YouTube.

Whether Davido wins tonight or not, his place in the story of how African music conquered the global stage is already secure. He was there at the beginning. He helped build the bridge. And tonight, he gets another shot at crossing it.

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