Nigerian superstar Davido has officially joined the Recording Academy, the organization behind the Grammy Awards, gaining voting rights and a new platform of influence.
This news, announced on September 23, 2025, marks a milestone not only in Davido’s personal journey but also for the broader recognition and representation of African music on the global stage.
The Recording Academy (formerly the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences) is the body that administers the Grammy Awards. It is made up of musicians, producers, engineers, and other music professionals. Members are eligible to submit, nominate, and vote on Grammy entries, shaping how musical excellence is recognized across genres.
Historically, membership has skewed toward the U.S. and Western markets, although in recent years the Academy has made efforts to diversify its composition to include more international voices and underrepresented genres.
As a new member, Davido now has the right to vote in Grammy categories. In his own announcement, he emphasized that this gives him a voice in “what is considered and voted on each award season.”
This means that when Grammy nominations and winners are decided, Davido can offer his perspective, potentially advocating for artists, styles, or sounds he believes deserve attention.
Afrobeats has, over the past decade, surged in popularity worldwide. But despite global streaming numbers and collaborations with Western stars, mainstream award recognition still lags. Davido’s membership is symbolic: as an influential African music voice in the Academy, he can help ensure that African voices are heard, considered, and fairly judged.
For Davido, this isn’t merely prestige, it’s another notch in a career defined by breaking barriers. From chart-topping hits to high-profile collaborations and global tours, joining the Recording Academy is another stamp of institutional recognition on his rising trajectory
