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Grammy is Not for Nigerians – HipTV Owner

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HipTV owner and the brain behind the ‘Headies’ awards, Ayo Animashaun, has declared that the Grammy is not for Nigerian artistes.

In a recent interview with Tribune, when asked what is limiting Nigerian music from winning the Grammys, he said: “I really don’t understand why Nigerians want to win the Grammys.

Grammys are not for us, but for Americans. We should get that right. They put everybody in one world music category. We are not their focus. It is not for us. Yes, we can win awards, but they do not show us the way they run the award category during the show. .

I think we should make our own awards, our own Grammy and I would say it any day that the Grammy is not for us. They have built something big for themselves. Let them come and win awards in Nigeria or Africa.

We don’t celebrate our own things. It’s just a shame. I have been to the Grammys many times and I don’t see many African artistes. They don’t particularly care because they recognise, mainly, their industry. They don’t know you exist. .

You go there taking pictures with them and when you are taking pictures with them, the guy is already looking somewhere else. See all the artistes that paid for international collaboration. What happened?

They collect your money and they don’t want to come back. They don’t want to collaborate with you. And you know what? You will make so much money here if you really work hard and you will be known in the whole of Africa. .

Build your own. If I tell a sponsor now that we should take five artistes to the Grammy awards, they would be ready to do that but when it comes to Headies, we will be begging for sponsorship. .

Grammy is not our thing. Let’s do our thing. Let’s make it big and fantastatic. Why do you want to win Grammy. There is no World Cup for music.”

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Akon Reveals What Made Him Question P-Square’s Management

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Senegalese-American music star Akon has spoken about his experience working with Nigerian music duo P-Square, revealing that he noticed problems with the group’s management during one of their international collaborations.

Akon made the revelation during an interview with Afrocani, where he reflected on his professional relationship with Peter and Paul Okoye and their management team.

According to the singer, one of the moments that made him question the way the group was being managed involved Nigerian artiste May D, whose vocals featured on a song but who was initially expected to be left out of the accompanying music video.

Akon said he considered the decision unfair, particularly because May D had contributed his voice to the record. He therefore insisted that the singer should be included in the video and invited him to the United States for the production.

The international star explained that, from his perspective, success should create opportunities for talented people rather than prevent them from receiving recognition for their contributions.

Akon’s comments have resurfaced as renewed attention is being drawn to the history of disagreements surrounding P-Square and the management of the duo during their years at the height of their career.

May D had previously spoken about the episode, corroborating Akon’s account of the collaboration. He said Akon insisted on his participation in the video and even offered him additional opportunities in the United States.

May D, however, acknowledged that he later made the mistake of telling the P-Square brothers about some of his conversations with Akon.

The episode has since become part of the broader story surrounding the business relationships and management structure that existed around P-Square during their most successful years.

P-Square, made up of twin brothers Peter and Paul Okoye, became one of Africa’s biggest music acts before their highly publicised disagreements eventually led to their split. The brothers later reunited in 2021, although their relationship has since faced renewed difficulties.

Akon’s relationship with P-Square dates back to their international expansion. He collaborated with the duo on “Chop My Money”, alongside May D, following P-Square’s partnership with his Konvict Muzik label.

His latest comments have therefore added another perspective to the long-running conversation about the factors that contributed to tensions within the P-Square camp.

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Mercy Eke Dismisses Rumours of ‘Funded Lifestyle,’ Opens Up on Relationship

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Reality TV star and former Big Brother Naija winner Mercy Eke has dismissed long-standing rumours that her luxurious lifestyle is being financed by a wealthy benefactor, insisting that the claims are false.

Speaking during an appearance on the Toke Moments podcast, Mercy said one of the biggest misconceptions about her is the belief that she is dating a married man who bankrolls her lifestyle. She stressed that the narrative has followed her for years despite having no basis in reality.

The reality star also laughed off recurring rumours about her personal life, including frequent speculation that she is pregnant, saying such claims have become a regular occurrence.

Addressing her relationship status, Mercy disclosed that she has been in a committed relationship for the past four years. She revealed that discussions about marriage have taken place, although her partner believes she is not yet ready to take that step.

She added that starting a family has become a priority for her, noting that she hopes to become a mother in the near future.

Mercy maintained that while public perception often paints an inaccurate picture of her life, she remains focused on her personal growth and career despite the persistent rumours.

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AMA 2026 Full Winners List: Tyla Stuns Burna Boy, Wizkid and Rema in Biggest Upset of the Night

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She came, she competed, and she conquered. South African superstar Tyla has delivered one of the most electric moments of the 2026 American Music Awards, claiming victory in a category that put her head-to-head with some of the most dominant names in contemporary African music — Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Rema. The result sent shockwaves through the internet almost instantly, with fans of all four artists flooding social media to process an outcome that, depending on who you ask, was either a long-overdue recognition of Tyla’s extraordinary global ascent or the most controversial upset in recent AMA history. Either way, nobody was indifferent.

Tyla’s win is not without context. The young Johannesburg-born artist has been on one of the most remarkable runs in global pop over the past two years, riding the stratospheric success of her breakout single Water into a full-blown international career that has seen her grace major stages, earn Grammy recognition, and build a fan base that stretches from South Africa to South Korea. Her sound — a seductive fusion of Amapiano, R&B, and pop that she has described as Afro-pop — sits comfortably at the intersection of African authenticity and global accessibility, and it has resonated with audiences who may have previously had limited exposure to the depth and diversity of the continent’s music output. The AMA voters, it seems, have been listening.

But the weight of who she beat cannot be understated. Burna Boy is a Grammy-winning giant whose influence on the globalisation of Afrobeats has been immeasurable, a man who has sold out arenas on multiple continents and whose catalogue reads like a document of contemporary African excellence. Wizkid is perhaps the single most important architect of Afrobeats’ mainstream Western crossover, the man whose collaboration on Essence introduced the sound to rooms it had never entered before. And Rema, the youngest of the trio, has already demonstrated a ceiling that appears to have no ceiling — Calm Down became one of the longest-charting African songs in Billboard history and turned a kid from Benin City into a genuine global phenomenon. To beat all three in a single category is not a small thing. It is a statement.

The full list of 2026 AMA winners reflects a ceremony that leaned into diversity, rewarded longevity in some categories and breakout momentum in others, and once again demonstrated that the boundaries between regional and global music have effectively ceased to exist. African artists across multiple categories proved that the continent’s dominance in the conversation around popular music is not a trend with an expiration date — it is a permanent shift in the cultural order. Tyla’s victory sits at the peak of that shift tonight, a South African woman holding an American Music Award in a room full of the world’s biggest stars.

For Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Rema, the loss stings in the way that losses only sting for those who compete at the absolute highest level — which is to say, it stings precisely because they belong there. Their nominations alone confirm what their catalogues have long established. But tonight belonged to Tyla, and the internet will be talking about it for a very long time.

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