Eddy Kenzo has submitted four of his songs for consideration for a Grammy award, in what is the singer’s latest quest for the prestigious global music award.
The window for the 2024 Grammy Award submissions closed on September 15.
And this time, Kenzo submitted Ukulele Esanyu ft. Daniel Ho (for Best Global Music Performance), Positivity ft. Masaka Kids Africana (for Best African Music Performance), Blessings (Best Global Music Album) and Spread Hope Send Love Around the World ft. various artistes (Best Pop Duo/Group Performance).
Three of the songs are off his new album ‘Blessings’ released in August.
The 2024 Grammy Awards will take place on February 4, 2024.
In September, Ugandan Los Angeles-based rapper, GNL Zamba, revealed that his single Hustle and Motivate had been entered for a Grammy nomination. On the song produced by Baboon Forest Entertainment, Zamba speaks about his struggles to achieve his dreams of success and giving out his hustle blue-print to whoever would wish to get victorious.
This year, Kenzo made headlines after he became the first Ugandan to land a Grammy nomination for Gimme Love, a collab he did with American RnB singer and songwriter, Matt B.
The song was nominated for Best Global Music Performance but would later lose the accolade to South Africa’s Zakes Bantwini, Wouter Kellerman and Nomcebo Zikode.
The 2024 Grammys recently announced a new category – Best African Music – and it seems Kenzo could not sit and let this opportunity pass.
According to Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, the introduction of this new category is Grammys’ bid to elevate African music as well as make the awards more inclusive.
“There’s so much music, so much creativity over there. Africa is the birthplace of, well, everything, but definitely music,” Mason jr. said after making three trips to Africa in 2022.
“During my time there, I heard from the African music industry, and they all felt like they weren’t being represented in our GRAMMY Awards process. It was an eye-opening experience to see the love and respect for the GRAMMYs and the Recording Academy from the continent of Africa. But it was also disheartening to think that they weren’t being heard in our process.”
He said the Grammys are making sure that they represent music from Africa fairly and accurately.
The Recording Academy says the category elevates all flavors of African music — from Afrobeats to kizomba to Ghanaian drill to South African hip-hop without regard to borders, adding that musical excellence from anywhere and everywhere in Africa will be carefully considered in the category.
On Saturday, Kenzo posted saying having four of his songs considered for Grammys “is indeed a miracle”.
“I can’t stop thanking God for the blessings. I look back at the times when I had no hope, when I was a nobody on the streets of Masaka and Kampala. Having all these tracks up for consideration for Grammys is indeed a miracle. I will keep sharing and spreading love for it is all that we must all live for,” wrote the BET Award winner on X.
In the wake of his 2023 Grammy nomination, a section of Ugandans were quick to downplay Kenzo’s achievement while others questioned the logic in the Recording Academy selecting a song that some critics regarded as lackluster.
But the Sitya Loss singer revealed that his nomination wasn’t a doing of luck but rather an outcome of deliberate efforts. He was in L.A (U.S.) for a show and it so happened the Grammy Week was also happening. He said he used his contacts to get him into the Grammy consideration party which is where he met with Matt B.
The role played by one’s social network cannot be downplayed especially considering that not everyone is eligible to submit music to the Recording Academy.
The Recording Academy only accepts entries from Professional and Voting Members, as well as registered media companies. Which is why when Kenzo’s 2023 nomination was pegged to his relationship with Matt B (Matt B’s wife, Angela Benson, is a Professional member of the Recording Academy), some analysts were quick to label such criticism as misinformed.
GNL Zamba too is a voting member of the Academy.
Typically, the Recording Academy receives over 20,000 entries each year. Entries that meet all eligibility requirements are included in the first ballot, which goes to the Recording Academy’s Voting Members, who then vote for the entries they believe should receive a nomination.
Voting is done by voting membership which is comprised of music creators, including artists, producers, songwriters, and engineers.
