Burna Boy won Best Global Music Album at the 2021 Grammy Awards. His album Twice as Tall won the award over records by Antibalas (FU Chronicles), Bebel Gilberto (Agora); Anoushka Shankar (Love Letters), and Tinariwen (Amadjar).
The win marks Burna Boy’s first Grammy Award after his nomination last year. At the end of the Premiere Ceremony, Burna Boy performed music from Twice as Tall.
The Grammys nomination described Twice As Tall as “a masterclass in the vibe and hustle that have made Burna Boy an international musical force”.
“[He] continues to torch limitations, seamlessly blending styles and genres and fearlessly fuelling the fire heating the melting pot of pop, Afrobeat, dancehall, reggae and more,” it said.
Burna Boy gave a speech after his win. Listen to it below:
In November, the Recording Academy announced plans to change the name of Best World Music Album to Best Global Music Album; saying it’s a step toward “a more relevant, modern, and inclusive term.”
The statement added:
“The change symbolizes a departure from the connotations of colonialism, folk, and ‘non-American’ that the former term embodied; while adapting to current listening trends and cultural evolution among the diverse communities it may represent.”