Renowned musician and producer, Cobhams Asuquo, has criticised the Grammy Awards following the 68th edition of the ceremony held in Los Angeles on Sunday.
In a video shared on his Instagram page on Tuesday, Asuquo questioned the continued absence of Nigerian winners at the global music event, despite multiple nominations over the years.
He accused the Recording Academy of exploiting Nigerian artistes to enhance the economic value of Los Angeles, while offering only temporary and symbolic recognition in return.
“I think the Grammys are using Nigerians to boost the GDP of Los Angeles. It’s like dangling a carrot in front of us, only for it to be taken away,” he said.
Asuquo argued that the consistent nomination of Nigerian musicians without eventual wins highlights what he described as a broken system of validation. According to him, the African music industry places too much emphasis on foreign awards instead of investing in and strengthening its own institutions.
“We need to build something that truly belongs to us,” he stated, adding that the United States promotes its own platforms, citing the Super Bowl as an example of a homegrown event celebrated primarily on its own terms.
At the 2026 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, South African singer Tyla won the Best African Music Performance category with her song Push 2 Start, defeating several Nigerian nominees.
Nigerian contenders in the category included Davido and Omah Lay’s With You, Burna Boy’s Love, Ayra Starr and Wizkid’s Gimme Dat, among others.