Grammy 2024 Nominees: A Look At Best Global Music Performance

On November 10, the nominations for the 2024 Grammys were announced. One of the ceremony’s newer categories, the Best Global Music Performance Award, has only had two recipients so far. It was first presented to Arooj Aftab for “Mohabbat” at the 2022 ceremony. This win made her the first-ever Pakistani artist to be presented with a Grammy. Subsequently, the next winners were the South African trio Wouter Kellerman, Zakes Bantwini, and Nomcebo Zikode.

The award for Best Global Music Performance is presented in recognition of influential music worldwide. Regardless of its delayed arrival, it’s certainly a step in the right direction by the Recording Academy. In a tight race, here are the nominees for the 2024 Grammys in the Best Global Music Performance category.

“Feel” is a standout track from Davido’s fourth studio album, Timeless (2023). The Nigerian singer finally has his first Grammy nod, receiving three impressive nominations for the 2024 ceremony, including Best African Music Performance. With the recent rise of Afrobeats around the world, it’s no surprise that he is being recognized. Without a doubt, he has been a significant contributor to the growth and expansion of the genre over the years, so fans have celebrated his acknowledgment by the Recording Academy since it was first announced. In a matter of months, Davido could potentially take home his first statuette at the 2024 Grammys.

Arooj Aftab’s musical talent has caught the attention of the Recording Academy twice before now. Besides her win for “Mohabbat” in 2022, she was nominated for the Best New Artist award in the same year. This time, she is also joined by Vijay Iyer, who has received a Grammy nomination once before, and Shahzad Ismaily, a first-time nominee. “Shadow Forces” is a 14-minute track from the trio’s 7-track collaborative album, Love in Exile (2023). If they secure the win at the 2024 Grammys, Iyer and Ismaily would be first-time winners. Aftab, however, would become a two-time Grammy winner.

Mexican songstress Silvana Estrada has been active in the music industry since 2017. The 26-year-old has built a promising career since then, releasing a couple of EPs and her debut album. Subsequently, she was nominated for two Latin Grammys in 2022, winning Best New Artist. Estrada has also earned her first-ever Grammy nomination at the upcoming 2024 ceremony. “Milagro y Desastre” was released as a single on May 31, 2023. 

With her recognition in this category, Falu has bagged her third Grammy nomination. The singer, already a Grammy winner, won her first award in 2022 for Best Children’s Album. “Abundance in Millets” has other primary collaborators, however. In the song, she is joined by her husband, Guarav Shah, and the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. Created to help promote millet and its benefits, “Abundance in Millets” has achieved more than expected. It may seem like an unlikely choice, but it has just as much of a winning chance as any song in this lineup. If it wins at the 2024 Grammys, Shah and Modi would be first-time winners.

As far as achievements go, this group poses the biggest threat to the other nominees on the list. All three primary artists on “Pashto” have been previously recognized by the Recording Academy, winning several awards. Béla Fleck, a Grammy veteran, has taken home 15 awards across several categories since 1996. Likewise, Edgar Meyer has five Grammys to his name, and Zakir Hussein took home the Contemporary World Music Album award in 2009. Rakesh Chairasia, the only first-time nominee here, could become a Grammy winner as well if “Pashto” wins next year. 

“Todo Colores” is another collaboration by a group of performers the Recording Academy has recognized before. This is the second Grammy nomination for both Ibrahim Maalouf and Cimafunk. However, for Tank and the Bangas, it is the group’s third Grammy nomination yet. If  “Todo Colores” emerges victorious at the 2024 Grammys, it would be the first-ever statuette received by all three musical acts. 

Altogether, Burna Boy has now amassed 10 nominations across several categories. Additionally, all of his last four albums have been nominated in the Best Global Music Album category. His first and only win so far was for his fifth album, Twice as Tall. At the 2024 Grammys, he could very well add another win, seeing as he’s been nominated for four awards. “Alone” was recorded for the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever movie soundtrack and is evidently one of its standout tracks. 

[via]