The Grammy Africa Awards are expected to launch around 2029 or 2030, according to Lady Dentaa Amoateng MBE, CEO of GUBA Enterprise.
Speaking on Hitz FM’s Daybreak Hitz with Kwame Dadzie and Doreen Avio, Dentaa—who also serves as a consultant to Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr.—explained that although the initiative was unveiled in 2024, building the required structures will take time.
“It’s going to be a long process because it needs to establish that membership. So it’s something that may happen in 2029 or 2030. Africa is big and has many different music genres,” she said.
Countries earmarked as potential hosts include Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Rwanda.
On why Ghana was not among the initial list, Dentaa clarified:
“There is a financial commitment involved which is quite heavy for government, so that is why some of the countries have not been able to be part of it.”
The Recording Academy, organizers of the Grammy Awards, first announced plans in 2024 to create an African edition of the scheme, designed to serve the continent’s music industry and broaden its global presence—similar to the Latin Grammys introduced in 1997.
As part of this initiative, agreements have been signed with several Ministries of Culture and cultural institutions across Africa and the Middle East. Partners include Kenya, Nigeria, and Saudi Arabia’s Ministries of Culture, the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi, the Rwanda Development Board, and South Africa’s Ministry of Sports, Arts and Culture. Memoranda of Understanding have also been signed with Ghana and Ivory Coast.
Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. described the project as vital:
“This is exciting because music is one of humanity’s greatest natural resources. It is critical that the people who dedicate themselves to creating music have support, resources, and opportunities, no matter where they are from.”
Before unveiling the scheme, the Academy’s leadership spent two years touring Africa and the Middle East, holding listening sessions, meeting with governments, and engaging creators to understand the industry’s needs.
In 2023, the Grammys introduced a new category, Best African Music Performance, which covers genres like highlife and Ghanaian drill. This addition, alongside categories such as Best Alternative Jazz Album and Best Pop Dance Recording, followed earlier conversations about an Afrobeats award.
During a 2022 visit to Ghana, Harvey Mason Jr. confirmed that the Academy was carefully exploring the best ways to represent African music at the Grammys—work that has now evolved into the Grammy Africa initiative.