<h4>2026 68th Grammy</h4>
<h4></h4>
<p><strong><a href="https://openlife.ng/">OpenLife Nigeria</a></strong> reports that the 68th Annual Grammy Awards will take place on Sunday, February 1, 2026, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.</p>
<p>The event will honour music released between Aug. 31, 2024, and Aug. 30, 2025.</p>
<p>Hosted for the sixth time by Trevor Noah, the ceremony will feature 94 categories, including new additions for Best Traditional Country Album and Best Album Cover.</p>
<figure id="attachment_32649" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-32649" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img class="size-medium wp-image-32649" src="https://openlife.ng/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Kanyi-Daily-News-300x150.jpg" alt="2026 68th Grammy: Crypto.com Arena Agog As Late Fela, Burna Boy, Davido Fly High" width="300" height="150" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-32649" class="wp-caption-text"><em><strong>Davido, Burna Boy, Wizkid</strong></em></figcaption></figure>
<p>Here are five things to watch out for on Sunday in Los Angeles:</p>
<p><strong>– New Album of the Year winner? –</strong></p>
<p>Perhaps the most coveted Grammy is the Album of the Year, and this year’s winner could make history in several ways.<br />
None of the eight nominees — Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter, R&;B singer Leon Thomas, Tyler the Creator, hip-hop duo Clipse (Pusha T and Malice) and pop superstar Justin Bieber — has ever won in the category before.</p>
<p>If Lamar’s “GNX” takes the title, he will be the first male solo rapper to triumph in the category. Only rappers Lauryn Hill and duo OutKast have come before him.<br />
If Bad Bunny takes the prize for “Debi Tirar Mas Fotos,” it will be the first time a Spanish-language album receives the top honor.</p>
<p><strong>– Song of the Year: multilingual battle –</strong></p>
<p>Three of the eight nominees for Song of the Year, another main award, are not entirely in English — a major shift.<br />
“Golden,” the wildly popular hit song from Netflix animated film “KPop Demon Hunters,” and “APT” from Blackpink singer Rose and Bruno Mars, have taken the music world by storm with their lyrics in English and Korean.<br />
A Grammy for either one would mark the first bilingual song to take the award for songwriting.</p>
<p>If Bad Bunny wins for his Caribbean-infused “DTMF,” it would be a first for a Spanish-language song.</p>
<p><strong>For host Noah, sixth time is a charm </strong></p>
<p>South African comedian Trevor Noah will be back to host the Grammys for a sixth time — and organizers say it will be his last.<br />
The 41-year-old Noah made his hosting debut on music’s biggest night in 2021, at a scaled-down gala in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.</p>
<p>The biracial funnyman has offered a mix of political satire and light-hearted showbiz banter, and has generally earned decent reviews for his efforts.<br />
“His impact on the show has been truly spectacular, and we can’t wait to do it together one last time,” the show’s executive producer Ben Winston told The Hollywood Reporter.</p>
<p><strong>Bieber takes the stage </strong></p>
<p>Among the stars already confirmed to perform at Crypto.com Arena is Justin Bieber, who is up for four awards including Album of the Year for “Swag,” his first studio album in four years, which he dropped in a surprise move last July.</p>
<p>The 31-year-old pop superstar has been battling Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a rare neurological condition that partially paralyzed his face, which forced him to cancel the final leg of a world tour last year.<br />
Bieber — who first shot to stardom as a teenager in 2009 — is scheduled to headline this year’s Coachella festival in the California desert in April.</p>
<p>Lady Gaga, Sabrina Carpenter and Clipse are also scheduled to perform, organizers say.</p>
<p><strong>New categories </strong></p>
<p>The Recording Academy awards dozens of prizes each year. This year, they have added two more — and subtracted one — for a whopping total of 95.<br />
A new award for best traditional country album has been added, after some in Nashville felt that the more modern pop-country sound was drowning out artists with a more pure country sound.</p>
<p>The former best country album is now called best contemporary country album.<br />
The other new category is best album cover.</p>
<p>“These additions further the Recording Academy’s commitment to recognizing a broader spectrum of artistic craft and honoring the evolving ways music is created and experienced,” the academy says.<br />
Two existing categories — best recording package and best boxed or special limited edition package – have been consolidated into one category, best recording package.</p>
<h4><strong>Can Burna Boy Finally Break Into Grammy Album of the Year In 2026?</strong></h4>
<p>Born Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu on July 2, 1991, in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, Burna Boy grew up in a creatively rich household. His mother managed his career in its early years, while his grandfather was once a manager to Nigerian music legend Fela Kuti a lineage that would later shape Burna Boy’s musical identity.</p>
<p>He spent part of his teenage years in London, where exposure to reggae, hip-hop, grime, and dancehall expanded his sonic palette. That blend of African rhythms and global sounds would become his signature.</p>
<p><strong>EARLY CAREER AND RISE FROM NIGERIA</strong></p>
<p>Burna Boy’s professional journey began to gain traction in 2012 with the single Like to Party, which introduced him as a promising new voice in Nigerian music. His debut album, L.I.F.E (2013), positioned him as more than a local act, but it was his bold artistic direction and refusal to conform that truly set him apart.</p>
<figure id="attachment_32479" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-32479" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img class="size-medium wp-image-32479" src="https://openlife.ng/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Burna-Boy-e1769524534148-300x170.jpeg" alt="2026 68th Grammy: Crypto.com Arena Agog As Late Fela, Burna Boy, Davido Fly High" width="300" height="170" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-32479" class="wp-caption-text"><strong>Burna Boy</strong></figcaption></figure>
<p>Rather than chasing pop trends, Burna Boy leaned into African identity, storytelling, and political undertones choices that initially divided audiences but ultimately defined his authenticity.</p>
<p><strong>FROM AFRICAN GIANT TO GLOBAL ICON</strong></p>
<p>The turning point came in 2019 with African Giant.</p>
<p>The album resonated far beyond Africa, earning Burna Boy his first Grammy nomination and establishing him as a global force. Follow-up projects like Twice As Tall and Love, Damini solidified his international standing, pushing Afrobeats deeper into the global mainstream.</p>
<p>Burna Boy’s growth has been marked by sold-out arenas, festival headlining slots, and collaborations with international stars evidence of an artist steadily building global influence rather than chasing overnight success.</p>
<p><strong>BURNA BOY AND THE GRAMMYS: A GROWING LEGACY</strong></p>
<p>Burna Boy made history in 2021 when Twice As Tall won Best Global Music Album, making him the first Nigerian artist to claim that prize. Since then, Grammy nominations have become almost expected during awards season, reinforcing his status as one of Africa’s most recognised artists within the Recording Academy.</p>
<p>At the 2026 Grammys, his album No Sign of Weakness is once again nominated in the Best Global Music Album category proof of consistency, even if the ultimate crossover into Album of the Year remains elusive.</p>
<p><strong>THE ALBUM OF THE YEAR BARRIER</strong></p>
<p>Despite his growing profile, Burna Boy is still yet to appear among the Album of the Year nominees. This year’s shortlist includes heavyweight releases from artists like Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter, and others whose albums dominate charts, radio, and industry narratives.</p>
<p>In this context, Burna Boy’s omission reflects less a lack of talent and more the entrenched difficulty non-Western artists face in breaking into Grammy general categories.</p>
<p><strong>AFROBEATS AND THE SHIFTING GLOBAL LANDSCAPE</strong></p>
<p>The global position of African music has transformed dramatically in the past decade. Afrobeats stars such as Wizkid, Davido, Asake, Ayra Starr, Tyla, and Burna Boy now occupy spaces once inaccessible to African artists from Billboard charts to international award ceremonies.</p>
<p>While top Grammy categories still feel distant, the increasing visibility of African acts suggests gradual progress rather than outright exclusion.</p>
<p><strong>CRITICAL RECEPTION AND INDUSTRY REALITIES</strong></p>
<p>No Sign of Weakness has drawn varied responses. Critics have praised its refined production and genre-blending ambition, while some have noted moments of repetition and creative familiarity. Still, the album showcases Burna Boy’s continued mastery of blending Afrobeats, highlife, dancehall, and global influences into a sound uniquely his own.</p>
<p>By comparison, recent Album of the Year winners such as Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter have benefited from near-universal acclaim, cultural relevance, and massive industry momentum.</p>
<p><strong>WHAT IT REALLY TAKES TO WIN ALBUM OF THE YEAR</strong></p>
<p>Historically, Album of the Year winners are not just strong projects they are cultural moments. Grammy voters often reward albums that combine artistic excellence with narrative power, commercial impact, and long-term influence.</p>
<p>Artists like Kendrick Lamar and Lady Gaga enter each cycle with decades of industry goodwill and storytelling depth that resonate strongly within voting circles.</p>
<p>Burna Boy’s absence from the Album of the Year category should not be mistaken for stagnation.</p>
<p>His journey reflects steady evolution, global expansion, and a redefining of what African artists can achieve on the world stage.<br />
While the Grammys’ highest honour remains just out of reach for now, <a href="https://www.vanguardngr.com/">Burna Boy</a> has already reshaped the global perception of African music.</p>
<p>The path he continues to carve may not only lead him to Album of the Year but could also open that door wider for generations of African artists to follow.</p>

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