Wizkid: nominated for Grammy award

Nigerian hip hop act, Wizkid has grabbed a nomination at the 59th Grammys courtesy of the 2016 Drake album, Views, getting a Best Album nomination.

The award is given to the main artist, the featured artiste(s), the producer, the engineer and/or mixer and the mastering engineer.

Wizkid has credit as both producer and featured artist on Views.

The singer also co-produced and featured in the song “One Dance” in the album.

The category for Album of the Year at the Grammy is the most coveted award and  was introduced in 1959 by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position.

The award was initially presented to the artist alone but now it is given to every everyone that contributed in the album like the main artist, the featured artist(s), the producer, the engineer and/or mixer and the mastering engineer.

Analysts said the Nigerian hip hop act may snatch two awards the Grammys – for featured artist and song production.

Wizkid will be the first Nigerian to win a Grammy if he gets the prize on February 12, 2017 when the ceremony will hold.

The album Views will however face tough competition from Adele’s 25, Beyonce’s Lemonade, and Justin Bieber’s Purpose.

Sturgill Simpson’s A Sailor’s Guide To Earth completes the list of nominees in the category.

Wizkid had so far this year won  awards like the Best African Act at the 2016 Music of Black Origin (MOBO) Awards ceremony, Best African Artist at AFRIMA and MTV MAMAs.

Also, South African band Ladysmith Black Mambazo is nominated in the Best World Music Album category for Walking In The Footsteps Of Our Fathers.

The band has won four Grammys between 1988 and February 2016.

See full list of nominees here