📌 Quick answer: The nominations for the 2027 Grammy Awards (the 69th Grammys) will be announced on Monday 16 November 2026, starting at 4:45am Pacific time, which is 1:45pm in Nigeria, on grammy.com and the official Grammys YouTube channel. Only music released between 31 August 2025 and 28 August 2026 is eligible. The ceremony takes place on Sunday 7 February 2027. In Best African Music Performance, the category Nigerians watch most closely, Tyla won in 2026 with “PUSH 2 START”, ahead of nominations for Burna Boy, Davido and Omah Lay, and Ayra Starr and Wizkid.
Every November, Nigerian music fans wait to see whether Afrobeats stars will make the Grammy list. The 2027 nominations are just over a week away, and first-round voting by Recording Academy members has already closed.
Here is everything that is officially confirmed: the dates, the rules, the new categories and how Nigerian and African artists have done in recent years. We will not guess at nominees. The Recording Academy announces every nominee on 16 November, and any “nomination” you see before then is not official.
2027 Grammys: Key Dates
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 31 August 2025 – 28 August 2026 | Product eligibility period: only music released in this window can be nominated |
| 7 July – 21 August 2026 | Online entry period for record labels and artists |
| 12 – 22 October 2026 | First round voting (decides the nominees) – now closed |
| Monday 16 November 2026, 1:45pm WAT | Nominations announced |
| 10 December 2026 – 7 January 2027 | Final round voting (decides the winners) |
| Sunday 7 February 2027 | 69th Grammy Awards ceremony |
The Recording Academy says the ceremony will be simulcast on ABC, Disney+ and Hulu in the United States for the first time. The full list of nominees will be posted on grammy.com straight after the announcement.
What Time Are the Grammy Nominations in Nigeria?
The Recording Academy says the announcement starts at 4:45am PT / 7:45am ET on Monday 16 November. The US will be on standard time by then, so 4:45am in Los Angeles is 1:45pm in Lagos (WAT). That means Nigerians can follow the announcement live in the early afternoon on a working day.
You can watch on grammy.com or the official Grammys YouTube channel. If you are on mobile data, a live video stream can use a lot of data, so consider waiting for the full list on grammy.com, which is posted immediately afterwards.
Which Music Is Eligible?
According to the Recording Academy’s rules for the 2027 Grammys:
- Release dates: recordings must have been released between Sunday 31 August 2025 and Friday 28 August 2026.
- Availability: the release must be available for sale to the public through general distribution during that window and stay available at least until the final round of voting.
- Entries: all eligible recordings had to be entered by 21 August 2026, even releases that came out in the last week of August.
- Albums: an album now needs at least 66% new recordings to qualify, down from 75%.
This matters for Nigerian fans because big releases from late 2025 to August 2026 are in contention, while anything released from 29 August 2026 onwards will be considered for the 2028 Grammys instead.
How the Nominees Are Chosen
Grammy nominees are chosen by the Recording Academy’s voting members in the first round of voting, which ran from 12 to 22 October 2026. The Academy’s standard ballot uses a “10/3” structure, and from 2027 members with expertise across several genres can opt into a new system called Ballot Plus, which lets them vote in up to 15 categories based on their verified professional credits.
Winners are chosen in the final round, from 10 December 2026 to 7 January 2027.
Five New Categories for 2027
The Recording Academy announced five new categories on 16 June 2026:
| New category | What it recognises |
|---|---|
| Best Asian Pop Music Performance | Asian pop performances such as K-pop, J-pop and C-pop, with meaningful use of an Asian language |
| Best R&B Collaboration or Duo/Group Performance | R&B performances by established duos or groups and collaborations between artists |
| Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance | Singles and tracks in a traditional pop style |
| Best Traditional Folk Album | Albums of traditional folk recordings |
| Best Latin Song | Songwriters of new Latin songs mostly in Spanish |
Two categories were also renamed: Best R&B Performance becomes Best R&B Solo Performance, and Best Folk Album becomes Best Contemporary Folk Album. In Best New Artist, the maximum number of times an artist can be submitted rises from three to four.
The new R&B collaboration category is one to watch for Nigerian fans, because many Afrobeats and R&B crossover songs are collaborations. Whether any Nigerian act is nominated there will only be known on 16 November.
Best African Music Performance: The Story So Far
The Recording Academy describes Best African Music Performance as recognising “excellence in vocal and instrumental performances with strong elements of African cultural significance”. The category was first awarded at the 2024 Grammys.
| Grammys | Winner | Song |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Tyla | “Water” |
| 2025 | Tems | “Love Me JeJe” |
| 2026 | Tyla | “PUSH 2 START” |
At the 2026 Grammys, which honoured music released between 31 August 2024 and 30 August 2025, the nominees were:
- Tyla – “PUSH 2 START” (winner)
- Burna Boy – “Love”
- Davido and Omah Lay – “With You”
- Eddy Kenzo and Mehran Matin – “Hope & Love”
- Ayra Starr and Wizkid – “Gimme Dat”
Three of the five nominations in 2026 went to Nigerian acts, and Tems’ win in 2025 remains the only Nigerian victory in the category so far. South Africa’s Tyla has won two of the three awards.
Other Categories Where Nigerians Compete
Beyond Best African Music Performance, Nigerian artists usually compete in the Global Music field, which includes Best Global Music Album and Best Global Music Performance, and in general-field and genre categories when their songs cross over. Nigerian songwriters, producers and engineers can also be recognised in other categories. For background, read our profiles of Grammy winners Tems and Burna Boy, and Grammy nominee Rema.
A Warning About Fake “Nominations”
Every year, social media posts claim that an artist “has been nominated” before the official announcement. These can confuse first-round entries, “for your consideration” campaigns or other award shows with Grammy nominations. The Recording Academy chooses nominees through first-round voting and announces them all at once. Until 1:45pm on 16 November, no 2027 Grammy nominations are official. Check grammy.com before you share any claim.
What Happens After 16 November
After the nominations, Recording Academy members vote again in the final round from 10 December 2026 to 7 January 2027. The winners are revealed at the ceremony on Sunday 7 February 2027. The US broadcast time had not been announced in the sources we checked; if the show keeps its usual US evening slot, it will be the early hours of Monday 8 February in Nigeria. We will publish the full list of Nigerian and African nominees on 16 November.
For the songs that have ruled Nigerian charts this year, see our guide to Nigeria’s No. 1 songs of 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are the 2027 Grammy nominations announced?
Monday 16 November 2026, starting at 4:45am PT, which is 1:45pm in Nigeria.
Where can I watch the Grammy nominations from Nigeria?
On grammy.com and the official Grammys YouTube channel. The full list is posted on grammy.com straight after the announcement.
What is the eligibility period for the 2027 Grammys?
Music released between 31 August 2025 and 28 August 2026.
When are the 2027 Grammy Awards?
Sunday 7 February 2027.
Who won Best African Music Performance at the 2026 Grammys?
Tyla, with “PUSH 2 START”. The Nigerian nominees were Burna Boy, Davido and Omah Lay, and Ayra Starr and Wizkid.
Has any Nigerian won Best African Music Performance?
Yes. Tems won in 2025 with “Love Me JeJe”.
Sources
- Recording Academy – “The Grammy Awards set to take place Sunday, Feb. 7, 2027… nominations to be announced Monday, Nov. 16, 2026”, grammy.com, 12 May 2026
- Recording Academy – “How To Watch The 69th Grammy Awards Nominations”, grammy.com, checked 1 November 2026
- Recording Academy – “Five New Categories And Rule Updates Take Effect For 2027 Grammys”, grammy.com, 16 June 2026
- Recording Academy – Best African Music Performance category page (winners and nominees 2024–2026), grammy.com
- Recording Academy – “How To Submit Your Music For The 2027 Grammys” and Grammy 101 key dates, grammy.com
Last updated: 1 November 2026 · NaijaSabi Entertainment Desk. We will update this article when the nominations are announced on 16 November 2026.
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