In a recent appearance on “The Big Convo” podcast in Ghana, Nigerian hitmaker Joeboy, advocated for African superstars to rally behind local award shows.
He stated that Instead of fixating solely on the Grammys, we should unapologetically support our own institutions here in Africa.
Joeboy pointed out that while the Grammys enjoys global prestige, it remains fundamentally an American award. According to him, Its prominence is largely due to strategic positioning, but we often elevate it to the status of the ultimate accolade for African artists.
Joeboy urges fellow artists to prioritize African award shows just as fervently as they do the Grammys.
Beyond awards, Joeboy emphasizes the need for investment in the local Afrobeats system, stating that while international success brings financial gains, we should be reminded that ultimately, we all will return home.
He stated that It’s crucial to build robust infrastructure and institutions within Africa to sustain our artistic legacy.
In his words:
“I think we should unapologetically be ourselves and also empower our institutions here in Africa…Grammys is a great award but it’s still an American award. It’s just seen as a global award because of its positioning but we make it look like that it’s the biggest award an African artist can ever get.”
“Why don’t we show up for our awards and plan it properly if they didn’t show up for their awards, it won’t be as great as it’s now”.
“I know there’s money to be made there but we need to return home and invest because at the end of the day, we will all have to come back. So it’s all about making sure our infrastructure and institutions are growing.”
